Cretaceous entomopathogenic fungi illuminate the early evolution of insect<bold>-</bold>fungal associations

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F25%3A00636738" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/25:00636738 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2025.0407" target="_blank" >https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2025.0407</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.0407" target="_blank" >10.1098/rspb.2025.0407</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Cretaceous entomopathogenic fungi illuminate the early evolution of insect<bold>-</bold>fungal associations

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Throughout evolution, entomopathogenic (insect-pathogenic) fungi have played a pivotal role in regulating insect populations. However, little is known about ancient entomopathogenic fungi due to the scarcity of fossils displaying typical pathogenic structures on their presumed hosts. Here, we report two new fungi, Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae sp. nov. and Paleoophiocordyceps ironomyiae sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (approx. 99 million years old). They share common traits with Ophiocordyceps and are associated with an ant pupa and a fly, respectively. These fossils are among the oldest fossil records of animal-pathogenic fungi. In addition, we performed a divergence time estimation analysis showing that Ophiocordyceps likely originated during the Early Cretaceous. We further compiled the hosts of extant Ophiocordyceps and inferred the evolution of host associations within the genus based on ancestral character state reconstruction. Our results suggest that Ophiocordyceps made a host jump from Coleoptera to Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera during the Cretaceous, and its subsequent speciation was probably related to the increase in diversity and abundance of its moth and ant hosts. Our results not only highlight the ecological significance of pathogenic fungi in Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems, but also provide new insights into the coevolution between entomopathogenic fungi and host insects.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Cretaceous entomopathogenic fungi illuminate the early evolution of insect<bold>-</bold>fungal associations

Popis výsledku anglicky

Throughout evolution, entomopathogenic (insect-pathogenic) fungi have played a pivotal role in regulating insect populations. However, little is known about ancient entomopathogenic fungi due to the scarcity of fossils displaying typical pathogenic structures on their presumed hosts. Here, we report two new fungi, Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae sp. nov. and Paleoophiocordyceps ironomyiae sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (approx. 99 million years old). They share common traits with Ophiocordyceps and are associated with an ant pupa and a fly, respectively. These fossils are among the oldest fossil records of animal-pathogenic fungi. In addition, we performed a divergence time estimation analysis showing that Ophiocordyceps likely originated during the Early Cretaceous. We further compiled the hosts of extant Ophiocordyceps and inferred the evolution of host associations within the genus based on ancestral character state reconstruction. Our results suggest that Ophiocordyceps made a host jump from Coleoptera to Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera during the Cretaceous, and its subsequent speciation was probably related to the increase in diversity and abundance of its moth and ant hosts. Our results not only highlight the ecological significance of pathogenic fungi in Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems, but also provide new insights into the coevolution between entomopathogenic fungi and host insects.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10616 - Entomology

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/GA21-06446S" target="_blank" >GA21-06446S: Řídí entomopathogenní houby gradienty diverzity členovců přes negativní závislost na hustotě hostitelů?</a><br>

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences

ISSN

0962-8452

e-ISSN

1471-2954

Svazek periodika

292

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

2048

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

11

Strana od-do

20250407

Kód UT WoS článku

001505532400005

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105008098625