Carnivorous fungi in amber

2008/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Paleontologia
• Arkeologia

German researchers have discovered the oldest carnivorous fungi ever found in both of one hundred million years. The truth is that they have been surprised by the discovery, because this type of fungi live in the soil in general and not in the trees that produce resin that will become amber.

Rare or not, they have found them. Moreover, in the hyfa, the basic structure of the filament of the fungi, it has been possible to differentiate all phases of the life cycle of the fungus, both the structures that produced spores, as well as the blastospores and the structures that were used to capture prey.

To access the dams were developed some ringed structures that have been found tied to the hyfa or free of it. In fact, they have seen that they have small particles around the rings and have said that probably these particles would secrete an adhesive substance to facilitate the grip of their prey.

The researchers believe that the dams were nematodes in the form of worm, since, together with the fungi, nematodes of the same diameter of the rings fossilized in amber have been found. Apparently, the nematodes were surrounded by rings, to later introduce and digest the animals.