“D. Rex: Giant New 'King' Fungus Discovered in China, Dating Back 65 Million Years” — what this page in the network covers. Scientists have identified a giant new species of fungus in the forests of Yunnan Province, China, named D. The discovery, published in Frontiers in Fungal Biology by Song et al., describes fruiting bodies that stand as tall as a traffic cone. rex one of the largest fungi known, rivaling the iconic titan of the fungal world.
The species traces its evolutionary roots to 65 million years ago, around the time dinosaurs went extinct, offering a living window into deep fungal history. Why it matters: large fungi play critical roles in forest ecosystems as decomposers and symbionts, and discovering such a conspicuous species highlights how much remains unknown in biodiversity hotspots like Yunnan. The find underscores the value of field research in understudied regions. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.