Giant mushroom discovered in China
A newly discovered species of giant mushroom, named Dianjunus rex, has been found in China. This mushroom, which dates back approximately 65 million years, appeared about a million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs.Mushroom's size and discovery
The Dianjunus rex can grow up to 50 centimeters in height and weigh up to 2.2 kilograms. It was discovered in 2024 by researchers from the Kunming Botanical Institute in Yunnan province.Naming and classification
The species is named after the ancient kingdom of Dian, which existed in the region from the fourth century BCE until 109 BCE. According to the media Ecoticias, the discovery represents a new species, a new genus, and a new family of mushrooms.Scientific significance
The study was published in the journal Frontiers by Chinese scientists. Indunil C. Senanayake, a co-author of the study, explained that the D-rex is the largest known specimen of the division of Ascomycetes and offers insights into the evolution of extreme fungal forms.Discovery locations and growth
The researchers discovered the mushroom during fieldwork in temperate coniferous forests near Damaidi and Yipinglang in Yunnan province, as well as in a tropical rainforest near Nanbang. The mushrooms were found growing on the roots of Chinese cork oak, emerging from the rhizosphere, or the soil surrounding the roots.Appearance and research methods
The young sporophores are white with bulbous ends that turn dark yellow with age and split into filaments dotted with black spots. Since 2024, the research team has cultured D-rex cells in different media to study its morphology and sequenced its genome to determine it was a new species, genus, and family.Timeline and environmental hypothesis
Using a molecular clock, the team dated the emergence of the Dianjunaceae family to approximately 65 million years ago. Senanayake noted that the timeline raises an interesting hypothesis about the environmental changes after the mass extinction, which could have created new ecological opportunities for wood-decomposing fungi.Lifestyle and habitat
The researchers observed the D-rex only on dead or dying trees and assume it lives hidden inside healthy trees, beginning to feed on the wood once the host dies. They expect further discoveries of species in subtropical China, noting that fungal diversity in the region has been underestimated due to logistical difficulties in field sampling and the focus on economically important mushrooms.Environmental factors
The region's exceptional habitat heterogeneity, climatic stability, and complex biotic interactions promote fungal diversification.
