Artículos de revistas
The first fossil fungus gardens of Isoptera: oldest evidence of symbiotic termite fungiculture (Miocene, Chad basin)
Fecha
2006-08-22Registro en:
Duringer, Philippe; Schuster, Mathieu; Genise, Jorge Fernando; Likius, Andossa; Mackaye, Hassan Taisso; et al.; The first fossil fungus gardens of Isoptera: oldest evidence of symbiotic termite fungiculture (Miocene, Chad basin); Springer Verlag Berlín; Naturwissenschaften; 93; 12; 22-8-2006; 610-615
0028-1042
Autor
Duringer, Philippe
Schuster, Mathieu
Genise, Jorge Fernando
Likius, Andossa
Mackaye, Hassan Taisso
Vignaud, Patrick
Brunet, Michel
Resumen
Higher termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae (fungus-growing termites) are known to build fungus gardens where a symbiotic fungus (Termitomyces sp.) is cultivated. The fungus grows on a substrate called fungus comb, a structure built with the termites’ own faeces. Here we present the first fossil fungus combs ever found in the world. They were extracted from 7-million-year-old continental sandstone (Chad basin). Fossilized fungus combs have an ovoid morphology with a more or less flattened concave base and a characteristic general alveolar aspect. Under lens, they display a typical millimetre-scale pelletal structure. The latter, as well as the general shape and alveolar aspect, are similar to the morphology of fungus combs from extant fungus-growing termites.