Mycologists Find the Oldest Disease-Causing Fungus Yet, Locked in Combat With an Ancient Plant!
It's astounding how we continue looking for alien life when we have fungi back on Earth. Shiitake and button mushrooms look otherworldly already, but even these seem like plain Janes compared to other stuff you can stumble upon in the wild. From species that zombify insects to those resembling fingers of demons and corpses, you'd have to present a pretty strong argument to convince me these aren't stuff spilling over from other dimensions or worlds.
However, their service to the environment cannot be understated. In addition to helping lock tons of carbon in our soils, they act like grocery stores for plant roots looking for a quick nutritious snack. But even these Jekylls have a famously deadly Hyde, inflicting more diseases on plants than any pest on the planet.
And now, Scotland’s Natural History Museum has announced the discovery of the oldest disease-causing fungus within its fossil collections. The new fungal plant pathogen, named Potteromyces asteroxylicola, is a whopping 407 million years old and has been named in honour of the celebrated author of the ‘Tales of Peter Rabbit’, Beatrix Potter.
To a mycologist, Beatrix needs little introduction. Her passion for fungi extended beyond children's books; she was also a skilled illustrator and scientific researcher. Her detailed drawings and meticulous study of fungal growth, which in some cases were decades ahead of scientific research, have earned her an esteemed place in the field of mycology.
The discovery of Potteromyces is a relatively new one, in fact. Lead author, Dr Christine Strullu-Derrien, found the first specimen in 2015 from fossil samples recovered from the Rhynie Chert, a crucial geological site in Scotland. This region is well-known for its brilliantly preserved Early Devonian — spanning between 419.2 million and 358.9 million years ago — community of plants and animals. And fungi, of course.
The reproductive structures of the first specimen, known as conidiophores, were already unseen and weird. But what was really unusual was the fact that this mysterious fungus was found locked in battle, attacking an ancient plant called Asteroxylon mackiei. While most fungi feed on dead and decaying matter, this plant was living at the time of the brawl, and had retaliated by developing dome-shaped growths on itself.
But no two fungi are alike, even among individuals of their own kin. Therefore, to actually conclude that this was a new species, another case of the fungus needed to be found. Fortunately, a second one was seen lurking in the collections of the National Museums of Scotland itself, in another specimen slide from Rhynie Chert.
This finding indicates that Potteromyces might be one of the oldest ancestors of disease-causing fungi, such as the ash dieback currently decimating the UK's native ash trees.
"Although other fungal parasites have been found in this area before, this is the first case of one causing disease in a plant," Christine remarks. "What's more, Potteromyces can provide a valuable point from which to date the evolution of different fungus groups, such as Ascomycota, the largest fungal phylum."
Beatrix Potter, whose works have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide, could not have received a more fitting tribute. If the scientific and literary accolades weren't enough, her legacy will now live on as one of the earliest fungi to ever exist.
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