Potteromyces asteroxylicola

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About Potteromyces asteroxylicola

It was found infecting the ancient plant Asteroxylon mackiei, showcasing a predator-prey interaction that occurred while the plant was alive.
The unique reproductive structures of Potteromyces, known as conidiophores, stood out with their unusual shape and formation, leading to its designation as a new species.
Its reproductive structures, known as conidiophores, had an unusual shape and formation.
Rhynie Chert site in Scotland is known for its well-preserved Early Devonian communities of plants and animals, including fungi and bacteria.

What is Devonian Period?

It spans between about 419.2 million and 358.9 million years ago.
It is sometimes called the “Age of Fishes” because of the diverse, abundant and in some cases, bizarre types of these creatures that swam Devonian seas.
Forests and the coiled shell-bearing marine organisms known as ammonites first appeared early in the Devonian.
Late in the period the first four-legged amphibians appeared, indicating the colonization of land by vertebrates.
During the Devonian, there were three major continental masses: North America and Europe sat together near the equator, with much of their current area covered by shallow seas. To the north lay a portion of modern Siberia. A composite continent of South America, Africa, Antarctica, India, and Australia dominated the southern hemisphere.

Q1) Where do fungi grow?

Fungi grow in a wide variety of environments around the globe. Most fungi are terrestrial and are found in all temperate and tropical areas. A few species live in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, usually as part of lichens. Soil rich in organic matter is an ideal habitat for many species, and only a small number of fungi are found in drier areas or in habitats with little or no organic matter.

Source: 407-million year-old disease-causing fungus unveiled at Natural History Museum