NAME Palaeancistrus martinii
AGE Middle Pennsylvanian.   AGE span: 311.7...307.2 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Mycelia Sterilia.
FIGURE(S)
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FIGURE REFERENCE Dennis RL. 1970. A Middle Pennsylvanian basidiomycete mycelium with clamp connections; Mycologia, v. 62, p. 578-584.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY P. martinii Dennis 1970, p. 579, fig. 1.
LOCATION Sahara Coal Mine locality near Harrisburg, Illinois, USA.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Fossil, septate hyphae ranging in diameter from 2.7 to 4.8 µm and branching abundantly at right angles. Hyphal strands straight, as opposed to an intertwining or a sinuous habit. Lateral walls smooth except where preservation is poor. Cells extremely elongate due to infrequent occurrence of cross walls which are characteristically associated with clamp-connections. Hyphae producing both intercalary and terminal swellings (presumed to represent chlamydospores). Septa associated with presumed chlamydospores simple, lacking clamp-connections.
COMMENTS* Palaeancistrus martinii provides the first convincing evidence of the presence of Basidiomycetes in the Paleozoic. The apparently saprophytic nature of Palaeancistrus indicates that saprophytism arose among the Basidiomycetes much earlier than has been supposed (Savile, 1955). This supports the contention of some phylogenists (Martin, 1945) who proposed that saprophytism may have been the mode of existence of early Basidiomycetes. In contrast, Palaeancistrus does not support the contention of other phylogenists that clamp connections (Savile, 1955) and saprophytism (Linder, 1940; Savile, 1955) are features of advanced Basidiomycetes and are of relatively recent origin. To interpret these features as indicating phylogenetic advancement in the Basidiomycetes, one would have to presume that this class of fungi had arisen at a time considerably prior to the Pennsylvanian Period, a presumption that is not supported by the fossil record.
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Dennis RL. 1970. A Middle Pennsylvanian basidiomycete mycelium with clamp connections; Mycologia, v. 62, p. 578-584.
K&J REMARKS
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Palaeancistrus martinii
SERIAL NUMBER 1177
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.