Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Germination shields in Scutellospora (Glomeromycota: Diversisporales, Gigasporaceae) from the 400 million-year-old Rhynie chert

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Mycological Progress Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Glomeromycotan spores from the Lower Devonian Rhynie chert provide the first evidence for germination shields in fossil fungi and demonstrate that this complex mode of germination was in place in some fungi at least 400 million years ago. Moreover, they represent the first direct marker relative to the precise systematic position of an Early Devonian endomycorrhizal fungus. In extant fungi, germination shields occur exclusively in the genus Scutellospora (Glomeromycota: Diversisporales, Gigasporaceae). These structures are regarded as a derived feature within the phylum Glomeromycota, and hence their presence in the Rhynie chert suggests that major diversification within this group of fungi occurred before the Early Devonian.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agashe SN, Tilak ST (1970) Occurrence of fungal elements in the bark of arborescent calamite roots from the American Carboniferous. Bull Torrey Bot Club 97:216–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentivenga SP, Morton JB (1996) Congruence of fatty acid methyl ester profiles and morphological characters of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Gigasporaceae. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93:5659–5662

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berbee LM, Taylor JW (2001) Fungal molecular evolution: gene trees and geologic time. In: McLaughlin DJ, McLaughlin EG, Lemke PA (eds) The Mycota, vol VII. Part B. Systematics and evolution. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp. 229–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Corradi N, Hijri M, Fumagalli L, Sanders IR (2004) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota) harbour ancient fungal tubulin genes that resemble those of the chytrids (Chytridiomycota). Fungal Genet Biol 41:1037–1045

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Halket AC (1930) The rootlets of ‘Amyelon radicans’, Will.; Their anatomy, their apices and their endophytic fungus. Ann Bot 44:865–905

    Google Scholar 

  • Hass H, Rowe NP (1999) Thin sections and wafering. In: Jones TP, Rowe NP (eds) Fossil plants and spores: modern techniques. The Geological Society, London, pp. 76–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Heckman DS, Geiser DM, Eidell BR, Stauffer RL, Kardos NL, Hedges SB (2001) Molecular evidence for the early colonization of land by fungi and plants. Science 293:1129–1133

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Helgason T, Fitter A (2005) The ecology and evolution of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Mycologist 19:96–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helgason T, Watson IJ, Young PW (2003) Phylogeny of the Glomerales and Diversisporales (Fungi: Glomeromycota) from actin and elongation factor 1-alpha sequences. FEMS Microbiol Lett 229:127–132

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Herrera-Peraza RA, Cuenca G, Walker C (2001) Scutellospora crenulata, a new species of Glomales from La Gran Sabra, Venezuela. Can J Bot 79:674–678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • INVAM (International Culture Collection of (Vesicular) Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi). http://invam.caf.wvu.edu/index.html

  • Kidston R, Lang WH (1921) On old red sandstone plants showing structure, from the Rhynie chert bed, Aberdeenshire. Part V. The Thallophyta occurring in the peat-bed; the succession of the plants through a vertical section of the bed, and the conditions of accumulation and preservation of the deposit. Trans R Soc Edinb 52:855–902

    Google Scholar 

  • Koske RE, Walker C (1986) Species of Scutellospora (Endogonaceae) with smooth-walled spores from maritime sand dunes: two new species and a redescription of the spores of Scutellospora pellucida and Scutellospora calospora. Mycotaxon 27:219–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Oehl F, Sieverding E (2004) Pacispora, a new vesicular arbuscular fungal genus in the Glomeromycetes. J Appl Bot (formerly Angew Bot) 78:72–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Osborn TGB (1909) The lateral roots of Amyelon radicans, Will., and their mycorrhiza. Ann Bot 23:603–611

    Google Scholar 

  • Phipps CJ, Taylor TN (1996) Mixed arbuscular mycorrhizae from the Triassic of Antarctica. Mycologia 88:707–714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pirozynski KA, Dalpé Y (1989) Geologic history of the Glomaceae with particular reference to mycorrhizal symbiosis. Symbiosis 7:1–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Redecker D (2002) Molecular identification and phylogeny of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Plant Soil 244:67–73

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Redecker D, Kodner R, Graham LE (2000) Glomalean fungi from the Ordovician. Science 289:1920–1921

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Redecker D, Kodner R, Graham LE (2002) Palaeoglomus grayi from the Ordovician. Mycotaxon 84:33–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Remy W, Taylor TN, Hass H, Kerp H (1994) Four hundred-million-year-old vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:11841–11843

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schüßler A, Schwarzott D, Walker C (2001) A new fungal phylum, the Glomeromycota: phylogeny and evolution. Mycol Res 105:1413–1421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwarzott D, Walker D, Schüßler A (2001) Glomus, the largest genus of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomales), is non-monophyletic. Mol Phylogenet Evol 21:190–197

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simon L, Bousquet J, Levesque RC, Lalonde M (1993) Origin and diversification of endomycorrhizal fungi and coincidence with vascular land plants. Nature 363:67–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith SE, Read DJ (1997) Mycorrhizal symbiosis. Academic, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Spain JL (1992) Patency of shields in water mounted spores of four species in Acaulosporaceae (Glomales). Mycotaxon 28:331–339

    Google Scholar 

  • Stubblefield SP, Banks HP (1983) Fungal remains in the Devonian trimerophyte Psilophyton dawsonii. Am J Bot 70:1258–1261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stubblefield SP, Taylor TN (1988) Recent advances in paleomycology. New Phytol 108:3–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stubblefield SP, Taylor TN, Trappe JM (1987) Vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizae from the Triassic of Antarctica. Am J Bot 74:1904–1911

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stürmer SL (1998) Characterization of diversity of fungi forming arbuscular endomycorrhizae in selected plant communities. Ph.D. thesis, West Virginia University, Morgantown WV, U.S.A. Morgantown WV, published online at http://kitkat.wvu.edu:8080/files/280/Sturmer_Sidney.pdf

  • Stürmer SL, Morton JB (1999) Taxonomic reinterpretation of morphological characters in Acaulosporaceae based on developmental patterns. Mycologia 91:849–857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor TN, Krings M (2005) Fossil microorganisms and land plants: associations and interactions. Symbiosis 40:119–135

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor TN, Remy W, Hass H, Kerp H (1995) Fossil arbuscular mycorrhizae from the Early Devonian. Mycologia 87:560–573

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor TN, Klavins SD, Krings M, Taylor EL, Kerp H, Hass H (2004) Fungi from the Rhynie chert: a view from the dark side. Trans R Soc Edinb Earth Sci 94:457–473

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor TN, Hass H, Kerp H (2005) Life history biology of early land plants: deciphering the gametophyte phase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102:5892–5897

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trewin NH, Rice CM (eds) (2004) The Rhynie hot springs system: geology, biota and mineralisation (Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Earth Sciences 94). The Royal Society of Edinburgh Scotland Foundation, Edinburgh

  • Wagner CA, Taylor TN (1982) Fungal chlamydospores from the Pennsylvanian of North America. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 37:317–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker C (1979) The mycorrhizast and the herbarium: the preservation of specimens from VA mycorrhizal studies. In: 4th North American Conference on Mycorrhiza. Fort Collins, CO, p 96

  • Walker C, Diederichs C (1989) Scutellospora scutata sp. nov., a newly described endomycorrhizal fungus from Brazil. Mycotaxon 35:357–361

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker C, Sanders FE (1986) Taxonomic concepts in the Endogonaceae: III. The separation of Scutellospora gen. nov. from Gigaspora Gerd. & Trappe. Mycotaxon 27:169–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker C, Gianinazzi-Pearson V, Marion-Espinasse H (1993) Scutellospora castanea, a newly described arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. Cryptogam Mycol 14:279–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker C, Cuenca G, Sánchez F (1998) Scutellospora spinosissima sp. nov., a newly described glomeromycotan fungus from acidic, low nutrient plant communities in Venezuela. Ann Bot 82:721–725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss FE (1904) A mycorrhiza from the lower coal measures. Ann Bot 18:255–265

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by funds from the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation (V-3.FLF-DEU/1064359 to M.K.) and the National Science Foundation (EAR-0542170 to T.N.T. and M.K.). We thank A. Schüßler and C. Walker for providing valuable information that contributed to this study and two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie und GeoBio-Center LMU, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333, Munich, Germany

    Nora Dotzler & Michael Krings

  2. Department Biologie I und GeoBio-Center LMU, Bereich Biodiversitätsforschung: Mykologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Menzinger Straße 67, 80638, Munich, Germany

    Nora Dotzler & Reinhard Agerer

  3. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045-7534, USA

    Michael Krings & Thomas N. Taylor

Authors
  1. Nora Dotzler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Krings
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Thomas N. Taylor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Reinhard Agerer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Krings.

Additional information

Taxonomical novelties

Scutellosporites Dotzler, M. Krings, T.N. Taylor and Agerer

Scutellosporites devonicus Dotzler, M. Krings, T.N. Taylor and Agerer

Stürmer 1998

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dotzler, N., Krings, M., Taylor, T.N. et al. Germination shields in Scutellospora (Glomeromycota: Diversisporales, Gigasporaceae) from the 400 million-year-old Rhynie chert. Mycol Progress 5, 178–184 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-006-0511-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-006-0511-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation