title: Fossil fungi with suggested affinities to the Endogonaceae from the Middle Triassic of Antarctica.
abstract: Documented fossil evidence of zygomycetous fungi is rare. A conspicuous fungal fossil, Jimwhitea circumtecta gen. et sp. nov., occurs in permineralized peat from the Middle Triassic of Antarctica. The fossil is interpreted as a mantled zygosporangium that buds from a macrogametangium subtended by a sac-like macrosuspensor. The macrogametangium is united at its tip with a microgametangium which is subtended by a micro-suspensor. This configuration is strikingly similar to the zygosporangium-gametangia complexes seen in certain modern Endogonaceae. Co-occurring with J. circumtecta are isolated propagules closely resembling the zygosporangium of J. circumtecta and a portion of a sporocarp containing zygosporangia embedded in a gleba. Several of the sporangia are borne on ovoid or elongate structures, which we interpret as gametangia. These fossils offer an exceptionally detailed view of the morphology and reproductive biology of early Mesozoic zygomycetes.
authors.affiliation: Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Germany. m.krings@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krings
authors.forename: Thomas N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dotzler
authors.forename: Gianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Persichini
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000502:physiology; D005580:Fossils; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D025301:Hyphae / Q000502:physiology; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D058432:Sporangia / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000502:physiology