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Megaphylogeny Resolves Global Patterns of Mushroom Evolution

Summary

This research reveals how modern mushrooms evolved over millions of years, showing that the classic mushroom shape with a cap and stem evolved multiple times and helped drive their diversity. The study impacts everyday life in several ways: • Helps understand how fungi adapt and evolve, which is crucial for agriculture and forestry • Provides insights into fungal responses to climate change, important for predicting future ecosystem changes • Improves our knowledge of fungal diversity and evolution, helping in the discovery of new species with potential uses • Aids in understanding fungal symbiotic relationships with plants, critical for forest health and agriculture • Contributes to conservation efforts by revealing historical patterns of fungal diversity

Background

Mushroom-forming fungi (Agaricomycetes) have the greatest morphological diversity and complexity of any group of fungi. They have radiated into most niches and fulfill diverse roles in the ecosystem, including wood decomposers, pathogens or mycorrhizal mutualists. Despite their importance, large-scale patterns of their evolutionary history are poorly known, in part due to the lack of a comprehensive and dated molecular phylogeny.

Objective

To assemble a comprehensive phylogenetic tree and infer ages and broad patterns of speciation/extinction and morphological innovation in mushroom-forming fungi using multigene and genome-based data.

Results

Agaricomycetes started a rapid class-wide radiation in the Jurassic period, coinciding with the spread of (sub)tropical coniferous forests and warming climate. The analysis revealed a possible mass extinction event, several clade-specific adaptive radiations, and morphological diversification of fruiting bodies during the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. The classic toadstool morphology (pileate-stipitate) evolved convergently multiple times and was associated with increased rates of lineage diversification.

Conclusion

The study provides evidence for both class-wide diversification rate shifts and explosive clade-specific events in mushroom evolution. The evolution of pileate-stipitate fruiting bodies appears to be a key innovation that drove diversification. The increase in mushroom diversity coincided with the Mesozoic-Cenozoic radiation event when terrestrial communities dominated by gymnosperms and reptiles were expanding.
  • Published in:Nature Ecology & Evolution,
  • Study Type:Phylogenetic Analysis,
  • Source: 10.1038/s41559-019-0834-1
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