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Large-scale phylogenomic insights into the evolution of the Hymenochaetales

Summary

Scientists studied the evolutionary history of a large group of wood-decaying fungi called Hymenochaetales using genetic information from 171 different fungal species. They discovered that these fungi likely originated in temperate regions of Asia around 167 million years ago and gradually spread worldwide. The research reveals how these fungi changed shape and form over millions of years and shows they are still diversifying today.

Background

The Hymenochaetales is a phylogenetically complex order of wood-inhabiting fungi with approximately 1,200 species that includes wood decomposers, pathogens, and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Despite their ecological importance, limited knowledge exists about the large-scale evolutionary history and patterns of this diverse fungal order.

Objective

To reconstruct the phylogenomic relationships, divergence times, biogeographic patterns, morphological evolution, and speciation/extinction patterns of the Hymenochaetales using a comprehensive genomic dataset of 171 genomes including 113 newly assembled.

Results

Analysis identified 10 accepted families and rejected 2 families in Hymenochaetales. Molecular dating suggests family-level radiation during early Cretaceous to late Jurassic, with origins in temperate Asian regions. The common ancestor likely had corticioid morphology that rapidly transformed, while gradually increasing speciation and extinction rates were detected.

Conclusion

This large-scale phylogenomic study provides robust evolutionary history patterns for the Hymenochaetales, clarifying family-level phylogenetic relationships and revealing geographic and morphological diversification patterns. The expanded genomic dataset significantly advances understanding of fungal evolution and ecological evolution.
  • Published in:Mycology,
  • Study Type:Phylogenomic Analysis,
  • Source: 10.1080/21501203.2024.2391527, PMID: 40415915
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