Scientists from China, Thailand, and Mexico have identified a giant fungus in Yunnan, southwest China. Known as D-rex, it grows on the woody roots of Chinese cork oak and helps break down wood. Its upright fruiting bodies—the structures that release tiny reproductive particles called spores—can reach 20 inches tall and weigh up to 5 pounds.
The team collected these structures, grew spores for examination, and studied the fungus's genetic information. Their findings placed it in both a new genus, a group of related species, and a new family. Comparisons with other fungi suggest that this family originated about 65 million years ago, roughly one million years after the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Researchers suggest that dead plant material left after the extinction may have created new opportunities for wood-decomposing fungi. D-rex's unusual height could also help wind carry its spores above nearby plants and forest debris. However, producing such large structures requires considerable energy, so researchers suggest that the benefits must outweigh that cost.
