Quatsinoporites

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Quatsinoporites
Temporal range: Barremian
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Basidiomycota
Class:
Agaricomycetes
Order:
Hymenochaetales
Family:
Hymenochaetaceae
Genus:
† Quatsinoporites
Species:
Q. cranhamii
Binomial name
Quatsinoporites cranhamii

Quatsinoporites is an extinct monotypic genus of agaricomycet fungus in the Agaricomycetes family Hymenochaetaceae. At present it contains the single species Quatsinoporites cranhamii.

Contents

The genus is solely known from the Barremian aged, Apple Bay deposits of northwestern Vancouver Island. Quatsinoporites is one of only three known fossil fungus species found on Vancouver Island and the only to be described from the Apple Bay strata. The agaricomycete Appianoporites vancouverensis was described from an Eocene fossil at the same time as Quatsinoporites , while a third fungus, Margaretbarromyces dictyosporus was described three years later.

History and classification

The genus is known only from the single holotype, a partial bracket fungus fruiting body, or "conk." The specimen, P13021 E, is currently residing in the paleobotanical collections housed by the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. [1] The specimen was collected in Apple Bay, near Quatsino Sound on the northwestern shore of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The partial conk was preserved in a calcareous nodule recovered from a Greywacke sandstone matrix equivalent in age to the Longarm Formation. The nodules formed in a shallow marine environment along with abundant plant material. [1]

It was first studied by a group of researchers consisting of Selena Smith, Randolph Currah and Ruth Stockey, all from the University of Alberta. Smith and colleagues published their 2004 type description in the journal Mycologia volume 96. [1] The generic epithet Quatsinoporites coined from a combination of Quatsino in reference to the nearness of the type locality to Quatsino Sound and "porites" to reflect that it is a polypore fungus. The specific epithet "cranhamii" chosen in honor of Gerald Cranham in recognition of his contribution of a number of Vancouver Island plant fossils to the University of Alberta for study. [1]

When first described Quatsinoporites cranhamii was the first fungus species to be described from Vancouver Island and the third from British Columbia. Cryptodidymosphaerites princetonensis and Palaeoserenomyces allenbyensis were the first fossil fungi to be described from British Columbia, known only from the Early Eocene Allenby Formation near Princeton, B.C. [2] Appianoporites vancouverensis , an Eocene age agaricomycete, was described in the same paper from deposits along Appian Way on the eastern shore of Vancouver Island. Three years later the ascomycete Margaretbarromyces dictyosporus was also described from the Appian Way site. [3]

Description

The holotype of Quatsinoporites is a lone fragment of fruiting body 5.0 millimetres (0.20 in) by 2.0 millimetres (0.079 in) and 3.0 millimetres (0.12 in) deep, which was abraded by water transport before preservation in a calcareous nodule. The conk section has an average of three, 130 to 540 μm diameter tubes per millimeter. The fungus is composed of monomitic hyphae. Due to the abraded nature of the specimen the basidia and basidiospores are both unknown at this time. [1] The specimen was studied by cutting the calcareous nodule into slices with a rock saw and using the cellulose acetate peel technique to create slides that were examined under stereo microscope. [1]

Quatsinoporites is placed in Hymenochaetaceae based on the structure of the poroid hymenophore, the presence of setae and monomitic hyphal system lacking clamp connections. This placement is tentative due to limited characters available in the fossil the lack of diagnostic features such as the basidiospores. [1]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agaricomycetes</span> Class of fungi

The Agaricomycetes are a class of fungi in the division Basidiomycota. The taxon is roughly identical to that defined for the Homobasidiomycetes by Hibbett & Thorn, with the inclusion of Auriculariales and Sebacinales. It includes not only mushroom-forming fungi, but also most species placed in the deprecated taxa Gasteromycetes and Homobasidiomycetes. Within the subdivision Agaricomycotina, which already excludes the smut and rust fungi, the Agaricomycetes can be further defined by the exclusion of the classes Tremellomycetes and Dacrymycetes, which are generally considered to be jelly fungi. However, a few former "jelly fungi", such as Auricularia, are classified in the Agaricomycetes. According to a 2008 estimate, Agaricomycetes include 17 orders, 100 families, 1147 genera, and about 21000 species. Modern molecular phylogenetic analyses have been since used to help define several new orders in the Agaricomycetes: Amylocorticiales, Jaapiales, Stereopsidales, and Lepidostromatales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pleosporales</span> Order of fungi

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Aureofungus is an extinct monotypic genus of gilled fungus in the order Agaricales. At present it contains the single species Aureofungus yaniguaensis.

Margaretbarromyces is an extinct monotypic genus of pleosporale fungus of uncertain family placement. At present it contains the single species Margaretbarromyces dictyosporus.

Appianoporites is an extinct monotypic genus of fungus in the Agaricomycetes family Hymenochaetaceae. At present it contains the single species Appianoporites vancouverensis.

Mycetophagites is an extinct fungal genus of mycoparasitic in the order Hypocreales. A monotypic genus, it contains the single species Mycetophagites atrebora.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princeton Chert</span> Fossilized Flora

The Princeton Chert is a fossil locality in British Columbia, Canada, which comprises an anatomically preserved flora of Eocene Epoch age, with rich species abundance and diversity. It is located in exposures of the Allenby Formation on the east bank of the Similkameen River, 8.5 km (5.3 mi) south of the town of Princeton, British Columbia.

Pinus driftwoodensis is an extinct species of conifer in the pine family solely known from early Eocene sediments exposed in south central British Columbia. The species was described from an isolated fossil ovulate cone associated with a series of wood, needles and pollen cones in chert. P. driftwoodensis was the eighth pine species to be described from a permineralized ovulate cone and the second from the Okanagan highlands.

Suciacarpa is an extinct genus of asterid flowering plants in the order Cornales. It is known from the fossil species Suciacarpa starrii and Suciacarpa xiangae, both found in Western North America.

Daedalea ryvardeniana is a neotropical species of poroid fungus in the family Fomitopsidaceae. Found in Brazil, it was described as new to science in 2012.

Hughmillerites is a fossil cypress, found in the Late Jurassic of Scotland and Early Cretaceous of Canada.

The paleoflora of the Eocene Okanagan Highlands includes all plant and fungi fossils preserved in the Eocene Okanagan Highlands Lagerstätten. The highlands are a series of Early Eocene geological formations which span an 1,000 km (620 mi) transect of British Columbia, Canada and Washington state, United States and are known for the diverse and detailed plant fossils which represent an upland temperate ecosystem immediately after the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, and before the increased cooling of the middle and late Eocene to Oligocene. The fossiliferous deposits of the region were noted as early as 1873, with small amounts of systematic work happening in the 1880-90s on British Columbian sites, and 1920-30s for Washington sites. A returned focus and more detailed descriptive work on the Okanagan Highlands sites revived in the 1970's. The noted richness of agricultural plant families in Republic and Princeton floras resulted in the term "Eocene orchards" being used for the paleofloras.

Uhlia is an extinct genus of coryphoid palm containing a single species Uhlia allenbyensis. The species is known from permineralized remains recovered from the Princeton Chert in British Columbia, Canada. Leaves of Uhlia have "tar spot"-like fungal infections of the extinct ascomycete Paleoserenomyces, which in turn are hyperparasitized by the ascomycete Cryptodidymosphaerites.

Paleoserenomyces is an extinct monotypic genus of pleosporale fungus of uncertain family placement. When described it contained the single species Paleoserenomyces allenbyensis. The genus is solely known from the Early Eocene, Ypresian aged, Princeton Chert deposit of the Allenby Formation. Palaeoserenomyces is one of only three described fossil fungus species found in the Princeton Chert, being a tar spot like parasite of the fossil palm Uhlia allenbyensis, and is host for the hyperparasite Cryptodidymosphaerites princetonensis.

Cryptodidymosphaerites is an extinct monotypic genus of pleosporale fungus of uncertain family placement. When described it contained the single species Cryptodidymosphaerites princetonensis. The genus is solely known from the Early Eocene, Ypresian aged, Princeton Chert deposit of the Allenby Formation. Cryptodidymosphaerites is one of only three described fossil fungus species found in the Princeton Chert, and is a hyperparasite of Palaeoserenomyces allenbyensis, itself a tar spot-like parasite of the fossil palm Uhlia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Smith, S. Y.; Currah, R. S.; Stockey, R. A. (2004). "Cretaceous and Eocene poroid hymenophores from Vancouver Island, British Columbia". Mycologia. 96 (1): 180–186. doi:10.2307/3762001. JSTOR   3762001. PMID   21148842.
  2. ↑ Currah, R. S.; Stockey, R. A.; LePage, B. A. (1998). "An Eocene tar spot on a fossil palm and its fungal hyperparasite". Mycologia. 90 (4): 667–673. doi:10.2307/3761225. JSTOR   3761225.
  3. ↑ Mindell, R. A.; Stockey, R. A.; Beard, G.; Currah, R. S. (2007). "Margaretbarromyces dictyosporus gen. Sp. Nov.: A permineralized corticolous ascomycete from the Eocene of Vancouver Island, British Columbia". Mycological Research. 111 (6): 680–4. doi:10.1016/j.mycres.2007.03.010. PMID   17601718.
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