Triassic Fungus from Antarctica with Possible Ascomycetous Affinities

Abstract

Hyphae, sporocarps, and structures which appear to represent arthroconidia are described from silicified peat deposits of Triassic age from Antarctica. Sporocarps with a single ostiole possess a multilayered wall with internally produced aseptate appendages that ornament the sporocarp surface. The primitive features exhibited by this fungus, together with previously described sporocarps, provide evidence for the existence of a group of fungi that may be ancestral to modern Ascomycotina. CURRENT IDEAS about the origin and subsequent evolution of the fungi are based principally on comparative studies of extant organisms. There are several reasons for this including the belief that because of their relatively delicate organization fungi were not well represented in the fossil record. Moreover, fossil fungi are generally disarticulated and lack sufficient morphological characters that can be used to identify major groups. Because of these factors and the paucity of paleobotanists sufficiently trained in mycology, we know relatively little about the diversity and biology of fungi through time.