Emma Wilson
The oldest mushrooms in the world are far older than previously thought. In 2017, the oldest fossil mushroom was discovered in Brazil and was dated to be 115 million years old. Two years later, scientists found fossilized fungi in Canada that were between 900 million and 1 billion years old. In 2021, another discovery in the Democratic Republic of Congo revealed fossils that dated back at least 715 million years, pushing back the timeline of fungi's existence on Earth even further. These findings have significant implications for our understanding of evolution and the history of life on Earth.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Age of the oldest mushroom | 715-810 million years old |
| Location of discovery | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Type of rock | Shale |
| Techniques used for identification | Synchrotron radiation spectroscopy (XANES, μFTIR), μ-Raman confocal microscopy, fluorescence microscopy (CLSM), electron microscopy (FIB-TEM-HAADF) |
| Key findings | Presence of chitin, a unique substance found in the cell walls of fungi; organisms were eukaryotes, meaning their cells had a nucleus |
| Previous oldest mushroom fossil | 460 million years old |
| Implications | Changes our understanding of the evolution of plants and animals on Earth |
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What You'll Learn
The oldest mushroom fossil was found in Brazil
The oldest mushroom fossil ever discovered was found in Brazil. The fossil, named Gondwanagaricites magnificus, is estimated to be 115 million years old. It was found in the Araripe Basin in northeast Brazil, preserved in a limestone layer called the Crato Formation.
The discovery of the fossil is considered a scientific wonder by researchers. The chances of the mushroom being preserved for 115 million years are minuscule, according to Illinois Natural History Survey paleontologist Sam Heads. The fossilized mushroom somehow made its way into a highly saline lagoon, sank through the layers of salty water, and was covered by layers of fine sediments. Over time, the mushroom was mineralized, and its tissues were replaced by pyrite (fool's gold), which later transformed into the mineral goethite.
The mineralization process of the mushroom is a rare event, according to researchers. Most mushrooms grow and disappear within a few days, making the preservation of this fossilized mushroom an astonishing find. The previous oldest mushroom fossils were found in amber in Southeast Asia and dated to around 99 million years ago.
The discovery of the oldest mushroom fossil in Brazil provides valuable insights into the ancient world and contributes to our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth.
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Fossils in the Congo date back 715-810 million years
The oldest mushroom fossils ever discovered were found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dating back to between 715 and 810 million years ago. This discovery was made by a team of researchers led by Steeve Bonneville, from the "Biogeochemistry and Earth system modelling" research unit at the Université libre de Bruxelles. The fossils were identified as the remains of mycelium, a network of interconnected microscopic strands, and were found in ancient rocks that formed in a lagoon or coastal lake environment.
The discovery of these fossils sheds new light on the early evolution of life on Earth. According to Bonneville, the presence of fungi in this transitional area between water and land suggests that microscopic mushrooms played an important role in the colonization of the Earth's surface by plants around 500 million years ago. This discovery also highlights the importance of fungi in the evolution of life on our planet. Fungi are responsible for breaking down countless amounts of detritus and dead matter, and they cycle nutrients throughout the environment, playing an essential role in the functioning of ecosystems.
While the discovery of these fossils provides valuable insights into the early evolution of life, it is important to note that the distant history of fungi remains largely a mystery. Fungi branched off from animals more than 1 billion years ago, but there is a significant gap in the fossil record for hundreds of millions of years. However, recent studies, including the discovery in the Congo, have provided new information about the activities of fungi before 400 million years ago, the age of the oldest, non-controversial fungal fossils.
In addition to the fossils found in the Congo, there have been other significant discoveries of ancient fungal fossils. In 2019, scientists discovered 1-billion-year-old fungi fossils in Canada, which provided important insights into the evolution of plants and animals on Earth. Additionally, in 2017, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announced the discovery of a 115-million-year-old fossil mushroom in Brazil, which was the oldest fossil mushroom ever found at that time.
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1 billion-year-old fungi fossils were found in Canada
The discovery of 1 billion-year-old fungi fossils in Canada has shed light on the evolution of fungi, plants, and the planet's surface. Fungi are a major contributor to life on Earth, and this finding has provided valuable insights into the distant history of these organisms.
The fossils were discovered in the Canadian Arctic, in a region south of Victoria Island on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. The minuscule organisms were found in shallow water shale, a fine-grained sedimentary rock that accumulated over millions of years. The age of the shale was determined to be between 900 million and 1 billion years old, making the fossils the oldest known fungus on Earth.
The presence of chitin, a unique substance found in the cell walls of fungi, was detected in the fossils. Chitin is a polysaccharide, and only a few organisms produce it. The detection of chitin was achieved through advanced molecular analysis techniques, including confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy and synchrotron radiation spectroscopy. These techniques allowed researchers to study the chemistry of the organic remains without causing damage, a limitation of previous methods.
The discovery of such ancient fungi fossils has significant implications for our understanding of early life on Earth. Fungi are eukaryotic organisms, meaning they have cells with a nucleus within a cell membrane. Other key eukaryotes include plants and animals. The existence of fungi 1 billion years ago suggests that primitive plants and animals may also have existed during that time, much earlier than previously thought. This discovery highlights the potential for modern life forms to have emerged much earlier in Earth's history.
Overall, the finding of 1 billion-year-old fungi fossils in Canada has provided valuable insights into the evolution of life on our planet, filling in gaps in our understanding of the distant past and challenging previous estimates of when certain organisms first appeared.
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The Crato Formation mushroom fossil is 115 million years old
The Crato Formation mushroom fossil, discovered in Brazil, is the oldest mushroom fossil ever found, dating back to the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 115 million years ago. The fossil was discovered in the Araripe Basin in northeast Brazil, preserved in a layer of limestone known as the Crato Formation.
The fossilized mushroom, named Gondwanagaricites magnificus, was only about 2 inches tall, with a cap and stem and gills under the cap. These gills helped researchers identify the mushroom as part of the Agaricales order of gilled mushrooms. The chances of finding such a well-preserved fossil are minuscule, as most mushrooms grow and disappear within a few days.
The Crato Formation is unique in terms of its exceptional preservation capabilities. The mushroom fell into a river and floated into a salty lagoon, where it sank and was covered in layers of sediment. Over time, the mushroom was mineralized, with its tissues replaced by pyrite (fool's gold), which later transformed into the mineral goethite.
The discovery of this ancient mushroom provides valuable insights into the evolution of fungi and their role in the transition of plants from aquatic to terrestrial environments. It also highlights the importance of certain preservation techniques, as most mushroom fossils are preserved in amber, which can limit the accuracy of morphological analysis.
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New techniques are used to study ancient mushrooms
Ancient mushrooms are studied using new techniques that have revealed the oldest mushrooms to be far older than previously thought.
Before the development of these new techniques, the oldest mushroom fossils were identified using corrosive acid compounds to extract the morphology of organic remains from rocks. However, this method has limitations, as certain morphological characteristics are common to different types of living organisms, which can lead to incorrect interpretations.
Now, researchers employ multiple molecular analysis techniques at a microscopic scale, including synchrotron radiation spectroscopy (XANES, μFTIR), μ-Raman confocal microscopy, fluorescence microscopy (CLSM), and electron microscopy (FIB-TEM-HAADF). These techniques allow scientists to study the chemistry of organic remains in situ without chemically treating the fossils. By using these methods, researchers can detect traces of chitin, a tough compound unique to the cell walls of fungi.
One of the most significant applications of these new techniques was in the discovery of fossilized fungal filaments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, dating back between 715 and 810 million years. This discovery pushed back the known existence of mushrooms by 300 million years and provided valuable insights into the evolution of life on Earth.
Additionally, in 2019, scientists discovered one billion-year-old fungi in Canada, further reshaping our understanding of evolution and the timing of life on our planet. These ancient fungi, analyzed using the latest dating technology, revealed the presence of chitin and provided evidence of early life forms on land.
The development and application of new techniques in the study of ancient mushrooms have revolutionized our understanding of fungal evolution and their role in the history of life on Earth.
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Frequently asked questions
The oldest mushroom ever found is between 715 and 810 million years old. The fossilized remains of mycelium were discovered in rocks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The oldest mushroom fossil was found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a piece of shale originating from there.
The discovery of such an old mushroom sheds light on the evolution of fungi, plants, and the planet's surface. It also helps us understand the timeline of the evolution of organisms on Earth and prompts us to reconsider when plants and animals could have existed.
