Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores02:40

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores

Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the biosynthesis of the...
Fungal Group Zygomycota01:29

Fungal Group Zygomycota

Zygomycota, previously classified as a distinct fungal group, are primarily terrestrial, saprophytic molds that play a crucial role as decomposers. Recent phylogenetic studies have revealed that these fungi are now divided into two major clades — Mucoromycota, which includes many symbiotic species, and Zoopagomycota, which primarily consists of parasitic and pathogenic fungi. These groups exhibit distinct ecological roles and reproductive strategies while sharing key structural and...
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition02:11

The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition

Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the soil to acquire the nutrients they need to function correctly. Both bacteria and fungi have evolved symbiotic relationships with plants that help the species to thrive in a wide variety of environments.
The Fossil Record02:56

The Fossil Record

The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...
Microbial Mats01:25

Microbial Mats

Microbial communities forming biofilms and mats represent complex, spatially structured ecosystems where metabolic processes are stratified according to light, oxygen, and nutrient gradients. Biofilms are initial colonization stages, only a few millimeters thick, while mature microbial mats can reach centimeter-scale thickness and display intricate vertical organization. Their structural and functional heterogeneity allows microorganisms to occupy distinct ecological niches within a few...
Fungal Phylum Basidiomycota01:26

Fungal Phylum Basidiomycota

Basidiomycota is a diverse phylum of fungi that includes ecologically significant decomposers such as white rot fungi, symbionts like mycorrhizal fungi, plant pathogens such as rusts and smuts, and edible species like Agaricus bisporus (the common button mushroom). These fungi play crucial roles in nutrient cycling, symbiotic relationships, and even human health. Their defining feature is the basidium, a microscopic club-shaped structure responsible for producing basidiospores.Fruiting Bodies...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Tympanoplsty with or without mastoidectmy is highly effective treatment of chronic otitis media in padiatric age group.

International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology·2026
Same author

Oldest well-preserved euprimate petrosal, from the early Eocene of India (Vastan Lignite Mine, Gujarat).

Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)·2026
Same author

Recovery from trauma after forced induction in paediatric anaesthesia through patient-centred care.

BMJ case reports·2025
Same author

Eocene amber fossils reveal how complex trophic interactions shaped tropical rainforest biodiversity.

iScience·2025
Same author

Safety of shorter fasting durations in paediatric surgery: a call for more robust evidence. Response to Br J Anaesth 2025: 135: 245-6.

British journal of anaesthesia·2025
Same author

An extinct clade of the basal Epitheliozoa: phylogenetic position and implication of the enigmatic Cambrian chancelloriids.

Communications biology·2025
Same journal

E3 ligase ATL17 is a key regulator of abscisic acid signaling that mediates AHG1 degradation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The New phytologist·2026
Same journal

Drought and salinity stress remodel Asian rice (Oryza sativa) leaf development through cell-type-specific regulatory programs.

The New phytologist·2026
Same journal

Changes in photosynthesis and grazing facilitate growth of a mixotrophic protist under ocean acidification and warming.

The New phytologist·2026
Same journal

Opening the black box: in situ imaging of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal structures in soil using synchrotron-based micro-CT.

The New phytologist·2026
Same journal

From knowledge graph to topological data analysis: a novel framework to analyze gene regulatory networks for tomato-multi-pathogen interactions.

The New phytologist·2026
Same journal

The signaling mechanism of phyA involves direct interaction with ATG8 to regulate HY5 autophagic degradation under nutrient starvation.

The New phytologist·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

Mycorrhizal Maps as a Tool to Explore Colonization Patterns and Fungal Strategies in the Roots of Festuca rubra and Zea mays
08:28

Mycorrhizal Maps as a Tool to Explore Colonization Patterns and Fungal Strategies in the Roots of Festuca rubra and Zea mays

Published on: August 26, 2022

Ectomycorrhizas from a Lower Eocene angiosperm forest.

Christina Beimforde1, Nadine Schäfer1, Heinrich Dörfelt2

  • 1Courant Research Centre Geobiology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.

The New Phytologist
|November 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Fossil ectomycorrhizas from a 52-million-year-old Indian amber reveal ancient symbiotic relationships between angiosperms and fungi. This discovery highlights the early co-evolution of plants and mycorrhizal fungi in terrestrial ecosystems.

More Related Videos

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores
09:17

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Published on: March 26, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 27, 2026

Mycorrhizal Maps as a Tool to Explore Colonization Patterns and Fungal Strategies in the Roots of Festuca rubra and Zea mays
08:28

Mycorrhizal Maps as a Tool to Explore Colonization Patterns and Fungal Strategies in the Roots of Festuca rubra and Zea mays

Published on: August 26, 2022

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores
09:17

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Published on: March 26, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Paleobotany
  • Mycology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Mycorrhizal associations are crucial for vascular plant colonization of land.
  • Fossil evidence of ectomycorrhizas in angiosperms is scarce.
  • Dipterocarpaceae trees formed early tropical broadleaf forests.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the first fossil ectomycorrhizas from an angiosperm forest.
  • To characterize the morphology and ultrastructure of these ancient associations.
  • To determine the fungal and host identity and their evolutionary implications.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 52-million-year-old amber fossils from Gujarat, India.
  • Light microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy.
  • Amber dissolution for ultrastructural analysis and Raman spectroscopy.

Main Results:

  • Approximately 20 fossil ectomycorrhizas were found associated with angiosperm rootlets.
  • Melanin compounds were detected in the dark hyphae of the mycobiont, Eomelanomyces cenococcoides gen. et spec. nov.
  • The study identified an ascomycete mycobiont and a likely dipterocarp host, dating ectomycorrhizas in angiosperms to the Lower Eocene.

Conclusions:

  • Fossil ectomycorrhizas provide direct evidence of ancient plant-fungal symbiosis.
  • The discovery indicates ectomycorrhizal associations were present in both gymnosperms and angiosperms by the Lower Eocene.
  • Early ectomycorrhizal associations may have provided an evolutionary advantage to angiosperms like Dipterocarpaceae.