title: The first fossil fungus gardens of Isoptera: oldest evidence of symbiotic termite fungiculture (Miocene, Chad basin).
abstract: Higher termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae (fungus-growing termites) are known to build fungus gardens where a symbiotic fungus (Termitomyces sp.) is cultivated. The fungus grows on a substrate called fungus comb, a structure built with the termites' own faeces. Here we present the first fossil fungus combs ever found in the world. They were extracted from 7-million-year-old continental sandstone (Chad basin). Fossilized fungus combs have an ovoid morphology with a more or less flattened concave base and a characteristic general alveolar aspect. Under lens, they display a typical millimetre-scale pelletal structure. The latter, as well as the general shape and alveolar aspect, are similar to the morphology of fungus combs from extant fungus-growing termites.
authors.affiliation: Université Louis Pasteur (ULP), Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre (EOST), Centre de Géochimie de la Surface CNRS UMR 7517, 1 rue Blessig, 67084, Strasbourg Cedex, France. duringer@illite.u-strasbg.fr
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duringer
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.forename: Jorge F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Genise
authors.forename: Andossa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Likius
authors.forename: Hassan Taisso
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Mackaye
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vignaud
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002596:Chad; D005580:Fossils; D005658:Fungi / Q000502:physiology*; D005843:Geography; D020049:Isoptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D013559:Symbiosis