There are many Extinct species of fungi , And is that it is not only the plants or animals that are on the verge of disappearance, but some species of the kingdom Fungi Run the risk of leaving planet Earth forever.
Sadly, as with other living things, the global list of extinct fungi grows a little more, being a real problem because of the important role they play in the global ecosystem.
Many fungal species are threatened by loss of habitat, loss of symbiotic hosts, pollution, overexploitation and climatic changes. Even so, many of the fungi species have not been evaluated by the IUCN Red List.
List of extinct mushrooms
1- Archaeomarasmius
It is an extinct genus of fungus with lamellae in the family Tricholomatacease . It is known that two specimens preserved in amber were recovered.
This fungus is only one of five species of an agaric fungus found in fossil records, and the only fungus discovered in amber from New Jersey.
2- Gomphus clavatus
It is an edible fungus species of the Gomphus gene, native to Eurasia and North America. It is known by the common name of"pig ears".
His body is shaped like a glass with wavy edges around it; Reaches up to 17 cm in height and 15 cm in width. Its color can be from an orange brown to lilac.
Discovered in the year 1774, it has had several name changes and several alternative scientific names. It is usually associated with coniferous trees.
Although at one time it was very common, it is extinct in many parts of Europe and in all the British islands.
3- Paleoophiocordyceps coccophagus
It is an extinct parasitic fungus belonging to the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. It was found in Burmese amber from the Cretaceous period. Its morphology is very similar to other species of Ophiocordycipitaceae.
The only known specimen consists of two floating bodies resembling a fruit emerging from the head of a male insect.
4- Cortinarius cumatilis
This species was extinguished in England in the year 1868. The youngest specimens are characterized by a kind of veil, between the cap and the stem. Many of the fibers in this curtain later disappear without a trace.
5- Palaeoagaracites
It is an extinct species of a laminated mushroom of the order Agaricales . It was discovered in storerooms in Myanmar. It is one of the five known species of agaric mushrooms, being the oldest and the only one found in Burmese amber.
This fungus is probably the oldest evidence of a parasitic fungus acting on another fungus. Its prototype corresponds to a single part, without any associated structure, that measures approximately 3 cm. His flesh is a grayish-blue color and is hairy.
6- Lepiota locaniensis
It is a species of endemic fungus of Chile. It belongs to the genus Agaricaceae and has not been seen in about 50 years, so it can be considered an extinct species.
It used to bloom from May to June, in the time that lived its habitat consisted of pastures and semi-arid vegetation. He was the protagonist of several cases of intoxication with fungi, reported for the first time in the year 1935.
7- Leptoporus mollis
Leptoporus a fungus genus found in the family of Polyporaceae . It is a kind of monotypic, which means that it contains a single species of Leptoporus mollis .
It spreads along areas in the north with temperate climates. It has been extinct in the area of the United Kingdom since the year 1957. The factors that led to its extinction were the loss of its habitat and the poor management of the land.
8- Buellia asterella
It is a lichen of the family Caliciaceae . It used to be found in large areas of isolated dry grass, from Italy, to England, up to southern Norway. It is believed to have originated in Germany.
At present it is extinct in all its global locations except in three. His last observation on a British site occurred in 1991.
Two of the four sites in Germany where their occurrence was documented in the last 30 years were visited in 2015 and the species could not be found.
Its immediate cause of disappearance seems to be the loss of habitat thanks to urban and farmer development.
9- Protomycena
It is an extinct genus of a laminated mushroom of the order Agaricaceae . At present, it contains a single species, the Protomycena electra; Discovered from a specimen preserved in an amber mine in the area of the Northern Cordillera of the Dominican Republic.
Its body has a convex cap of about 5 mm, with flaps distantly spaced at the bottom. This specimen does not have a ring.
10- Erioderma pedicellatum
It is a follicular lichen of the Pannariacenae family with hairy appearance. It grows in moist trees along the Atlantic coast.
Occasionally their lobes reach 12 cm in diameter. It has a distinctively furry surface of a grayish brown when dry and blue when wet.
It has completely disappeared in Norway, Sweden, and the New Brunswick area in Canada. The biggest threat of this species is the destruction of its habitat due to environmental pollution.
Some interesting facts about fungi
Fungi are an indispensable element, essential not only for humans but also for the whole of nature.
For example, some species of fungi recycle waste and waste products from other plants, as well as return their materials back to land.
Other fungal species are easily absorbed by other members of the ecosystem. Although we usually associate fungus with food, they also have many uses for human life, such as penicillin, which is extracted from a fungus.
Fungi can appear in many sizes and colors. So far more than 14,000 species have been classified scientifically. However, even more species are waiting to be discovered.
Although each species of fungus has a different construction, they generally have several parts in common: the cover, the leaflets, the ring, the cup and the stem.
The function of the fungi is to spread the spores so that they can reproduce easily. The seeds are tiny and can be easily spread by wind, water, or animals.
References
- Lost life Project. Retrieved from speciesrecoverytrust.org.uk.
- Lepiota locaniensis. Recovered from rchn.biologiachile.cl.
- Erioderma pedicellatum. Retrieved from iucnredlist.org.
- Buellia asterella. Retrieved from iucnredlist.org.