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Fungal Evolution: Major Ecological Adaptations and Evolutionary Transitions

Summary

This research explores how fungi have evolved and adapted throughout history to become one of Earth’s most diverse and successful groups of organisms. The study examines how fungi transitioned from water to land, developed different lifestyles, and formed relationships with plants and animals. Impacts on everyday life: – Understanding fungal evolution helps us combat fungal diseases that affect crops, animals and humans – Knowledge of fungal adaptations aids in developing better antifungal treatments and agricultural practices – Insights into fungal symbiosis with plants can improve agricultural productivity – Understanding fungal diversity helps harness beneficial fungi for medicine, food production and biotechnology – Research on fungal ecology helps predict and manage fungal responses to climate change

Background

Fungi are a highly diverse group of heterotrophic eukaryotes characterized by the absence of phagotrophy and presence of chitinous cell walls. While some fungi are unicellular, much of their evolutionary success comes from their ability to grow as cylindrical multinucleated cells called hyphae. With these morphological traits and high metabolic diversity, fungi have colonized numerous ecological niches and developed complex interactions with other organisms.

Objective

To survey and review the main evolutionary and ecological processes that have guided fungal diversity, including the ecology and evolution of zoosporic lineages, the process of terrestrialization, and the major ecological relationships between fungi and other organisms. The review aims to explore fungal adaptations to specialized niches using an evolutionary and comparative genomics perspective.

Results

The review reveals that early fungi were likely zoosporic parasitoids of other unicellular eukaryotes. Major transitions included terrestrialization through either sediment-dwelling saprotrophs (‘brown’ scenario), co-evolution with early land plants (‘green’ scenario), or adaptation via frozen environments (‘white’ scenario). Fungi developed diverse ecological relationships including parasitism, symbiosis, and commensalism with plants, animals, and other microbes. Genomic adaptations facilitated transitions between different lifestyles.

Conclusion

The evolution of fungi has been marked by major ecological transitions and adaptations that allowed them to colonize virtually all environments and develop complex interactions with other organisms. Genome sequencing and comparative analyses have provided key insights into these transitions, though many aspects of early fungal evolution remain uncertain. Future research combining traditional approaches with genomics will be crucial for understanding fungal diversity and ecological roles.
  • Published in:Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.1111/brv.12510
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