Why Mycophoris is not an orchid seedling, and why Synaptomitus is not a fungal symbiont within this fossil

Marc-Andre Selosse; Mark Brundrett; John Dearnaley; Vincent S. F. T. Merckx; Finn N. Rasmussen; Lawrence W. Zettler; Hanne Nina Rasmussen

doi:10.1139/cjb-2017-0038

Why Mycophoris is not an orchid seedling, and why Synaptomitus is not a fungal symbiont within this fossil

Marc-Andre Selosse, Mark Brundrett, John Dearnaley, Vincent S. F. T. Merckx, Finn N. Rasmussen, Lawrence W. Zettler, Hanne Nina Rasmussen

Forest, Nature and Biomass

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A recent publication in Botany introduced two new taxa: a fossil orchid seed (Mycophoris) and a fossilized basidiomycete fungus (Synaptomitus) in an alleged relationship with this orchid, encased in 15–20 million year old Dominican amber (Poinar, G. 2017. Two new genera, Mycophoris gen. nov., (Orchidaceae) and Synaptomitus gen. nov. (Basidiomycota) based on a fossil seed with developing embryo and associated fungus in Dominican amber. Botany, 95: 1–8). From the working knowledge of extant orchid seeds, seedlings, and mycorrhiza shared among us, we cannot support these interpretations. Here we analyse: (i) why Mycophoris may not be an orchid seed, (ii) why Mycophoris is not a germinating seed, (iii) why fungal hyphae and a symbiotic fungus are absent in Mycophoris, and (iv) why Synaptomitus is likely not a fossil basidiomycete.

Original language	English
Journal	Botany
Volume	95
Issue number	9
Pages (from-to)	865-868
Number of pages	4
ISSN	1916-2790
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2017-0038
Publication status	Published - Sept 2017

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title = "Why Mycophoris is not an orchid seedling, and why Synaptomitus is not a fungal symbiont within this fossil",

abstract = "A recent publication in Botany introduced two new taxa: a fossil orchid seed (Mycophoris) and a fossilized basidiomycete fungus (Synaptomitus) in an alleged relationship with this orchid, encased in 15–20 million year old Dominican amber (Poinar, G. 2017. Two new genera, Mycophoris gen. nov., (Orchidaceae) and Synaptomitus gen. nov. (Basidiomycota) based on a fossil seed with developing embryo and associated fungus in Dominican amber. Botany, 95: 1–8). From the working knowledge of extant orchid seeds, seedlings, and mycorrhiza shared among us, we cannot support these interpretations. Here we analyse: (i) why Mycophoris may not be an orchid seed, (ii) why Mycophoris is not a germinating seed, (iii) why fungal hyphae and a symbiotic fungus are absent in Mycophoris, and (iv) why Synaptomitus is likely not a fossil basidiomycete.",

author = "Marc-Andre Selosse and Mark Brundrett and John Dearnaley and Merckx, {Vincent S. F. T.} and Rasmussen, {Finn N.} and Zettler, {Lawrence W.} and Rasmussen, {Hanne Nina}",

year = "2017",

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doi = "10.1139/cjb-2017-0038",

language = "English",

volume = "95",

pages = "865--868",

journal = "Botany",

issn = "1916-2790",

publisher = "N R C Research Press",

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T1 - Why Mycophoris is not an orchid seedling, and why Synaptomitus is not a fungal symbiont within this fossil

AU - Selosse, Marc-Andre

AU - Brundrett, Mark

AU - Dearnaley, John

AU - Merckx, Vincent S. F. T.

AU - Rasmussen, Finn N.

AU - Zettler, Lawrence W.

AU - Rasmussen, Hanne Nina

PY - 2017/9

Y1 - 2017/9

N2 - A recent publication in Botany introduced two new taxa: a fossil orchid seed (Mycophoris) and a fossilized basidiomycete fungus (Synaptomitus) in an alleged relationship with this orchid, encased in 15–20 million year old Dominican amber (Poinar, G. 2017. Two new genera, Mycophoris gen. nov., (Orchidaceae) and Synaptomitus gen. nov. (Basidiomycota) based on a fossil seed with developing embryo and associated fungus in Dominican amber. Botany, 95: 1–8). From the working knowledge of extant orchid seeds, seedlings, and mycorrhiza shared among us, we cannot support these interpretations. Here we analyse: (i) why Mycophoris may not be an orchid seed, (ii) why Mycophoris is not a germinating seed, (iii) why fungal hyphae and a symbiotic fungus are absent in Mycophoris, and (iv) why Synaptomitus is likely not a fossil basidiomycete.

AB - A recent publication in Botany introduced two new taxa: a fossil orchid seed (Mycophoris) and a fossilized basidiomycete fungus (Synaptomitus) in an alleged relationship with this orchid, encased in 15–20 million year old Dominican amber (Poinar, G. 2017. Two new genera, Mycophoris gen. nov., (Orchidaceae) and Synaptomitus gen. nov. (Basidiomycota) based on a fossil seed with developing embryo and associated fungus in Dominican amber. Botany, 95: 1–8). From the working knowledge of extant orchid seeds, seedlings, and mycorrhiza shared among us, we cannot support these interpretations. Here we analyse: (i) why Mycophoris may not be an orchid seed, (ii) why Mycophoris is not a germinating seed, (iii) why fungal hyphae and a symbiotic fungus are absent in Mycophoris, and (iv) why Synaptomitus is likely not a fossil basidiomycete.

U2 - 10.1139/cjb-2017-0038

DO - 10.1139/cjb-2017-0038

M3 - Comment/debate

SN - 1916-2790

VL - 95

SP - 865

EP - 868

JO - Botany

JF - Botany

IS - 9

ER -

Why Mycophoris is not an orchid seedling, and why Synaptomitus is not a fungal symbiont within this fossil

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