| Record ID No. |
5177 |
| Author(s) |
Thomas N. Taylor, Michael Krings and Edith L , 2015 |
| Affiliation |
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas |
| Title |
7 – Glomeromycota |
| Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Fossil Fungi, edited by Thomas N. Taylor Michael Krings Edith L. Taylor, Academic Press, San Diego, Pages 103-128 |
| Categories |
Arbuscular Mycorrhiza
Mycorrhiza General
|
| Subjects |
Soil plant relations
|
| Country |
Kansas |
| Abstracts |
The Glomeromycota is a monophyletic group of soil-borne fungi that are among the most important microorganisms on Earth, not only because they form intimate mycorrhizal associations with nearly 80% of land plants but also because they are believed to have been crucial in the initial colonization of the terrestrial realm by plants. These biotrophic associations involve the formation of specialized structures (arbuscules) that are effective in nutrient exchange and can be identified in fossil plants from ~410 million years ago. The fossil record of glomeromycotan asexual spores attests to the early diversity of the group as well as to the functional significance of several characters and patterns seen in modern mycorrhizal associations. Some of these fossils provide the opportunity for us to discuss both the evolutionary and ecological significance of the mycorrhizal symbiosis. |
