Fungalpedia – Note 264,  Mycozygosporangia (Fossil Fungi)

 

Mycozygosporangia Kar et al. 

Citation when using this data: Saxena RK & Hyde KD. 2024 (in prep) – Fungalpedia, Fossil Fungi. 

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig. 1

Classification: Fungi Incertae sedis

The monotypic fossil genus, Mycozygosporangia was instituted by Kar et al. (2010) from the Bhuban Formation (Miocene, 23–5 mya) of Tlangsam, Mizoram, India. The genus includes light-dark brown, subcircular-circular zygosporangia (22–48 × 20–46 μm), often attached with two opposite hyphae, sporangia wall 2–4 μm thick, psilate, and often weakly intrastructured. According to Kar et al. (2010), the attachment of two hyphae opposite to each other to the sporangium led to the speculation that sexual conjugation occurred, resulting in the formation of the sporangium.

Derivation of name: Mykes (Gr.) = fungus, zygos (Gr.) = yoke.

Type species: Mycozygosporangia laevigata Kar et al. 2010.

Figure 1 – Mycozygosporangia laevigata. Scale bar = 15 μm. Redrawn from Kar et al. (2010).

 

Reference

Kar R, Mandaokar BD, Kar RK. 2010 – Fungal taxa from the Miocene sediments of Mizoram, northeast India. Review of Palaeobotany & Palynology 158, 240–249.

 

 

Entry by

Ramesh K. Saxena, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India

 

(Edited by Kevin D. Hyde, Samaneh Chaharmiri-Dokhaharani, & Achala R. Rathnayaka)

 

Published online 21 May 2024

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