New giant fungus from Yunnan reveals a distinct evolutionary lineage

Phys.org reports a study describing Dianjunus rex, a Yunnan fungus with fruiting bodies up to 50 centimeters tall and 2.2 kilograms. Genetic and morphological analysis supports a new genus and family. Researchers estimate the lineage diverged about 65 million years ago; that age is a molecular-clock estimate, rather than the age of a discovered specimen.