Margaretbarromyces dictyosporus gen. sp. nov.: a permineralized corticolous ascomycete from the Eocene of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
A single, permineralized ascoma resembling a pseudothecium assignable to the Pleosporales is described from the Eocene Appian Way fossil locality on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The ascoma is globose, ostiolate, and erumpent on a fragment of the bark from an unidentified seed plant. Basally arranged asci contain large, multicelled, obovate ascospores within a single cavity or locule enclosed by a two-layered pseudoparenchymatous tissue that ostensibly represents ascostroma. Given this interpretation of the specimen's morphological features, Margaretbarromyces dictyosporus gen. sp. nov. represents the first report of a corticolous pleosporalean ascoma in the fossil record.
Mindell
Randal A
RA
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9 Canada.
Stockey
Ruth A
RA
Beard
Graham
G
Currah
Randolph S
RS
D001203:Ascomycota / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001955:British Columbia; D005580:Fossils; D012639:Seeds / Q000382:microbiology; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000648:ultrastructure