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Sexual Development and Ascospore Discharge in Fusarium graminearum
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Fungi evolved right on track.

Robert Lücking1, Sabine Huhndorf, Donald H Pfister

  • 1Department of Botany, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496, USA. rlucking@fieldmuseum.org

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Molecular clock estimates for fungal evolution are inconsistent. This study recalibrates fungal divergence times, suggesting fungi originated 760-1060 million years ago and Ascomycota 500-650 million years ago.

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Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Paleontology

Background:

  • Molecular clock dating of fungal divergences has produced highly inconsistent results, with estimates for fungal origins ranging from 660 million to 2.15 billion years ago.
  • Previous estimates for the divergence of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota also varied widely, from 390 million to 1.5 billion years ago.
  • These inconsistencies highlight the need for a reassessment of fungal evolutionary timelines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reassess the systematic placement of the key fungal fossil, Paleopyrenomycites.
  • To recalibrate published molecular clock trees using uniform calibration points to resolve inconsistencies in fungal divergence dating.
  • To provide more consistent and reliable estimates for the origin and diversification of fungi.

Main Methods:

  • Reassessed the systematic placement of the fungal fossil *Paleopyrenomycites*.
  • Recalibrated existing molecular clock trees by applying uniform calibration points.
  • Compared new divergence estimates with the fossil record and ecological interdependence between fungi and plants.

Main Results:

  • The origin of fungi was re-estimated to be between 760 million and 1.06 billion years ago.
  • The origin of the Ascomycota was re-estimated to be between 500 and 650 million years ago.
  • These revised dates are more consistent with each other, the fungal fossil record, and plant evolution.

Conclusions:

  • The revised molecular clock estimates provide a more robust timeline for fungal evolution.
  • The findings align better with the fossil record and the co-evolutionary history of fungi and land plants.
  • The study does not support the hypothesis of ancient protolichens as an explanation for early terrestrial fungi ecology.