Open AccessHas the prehistoric ice‐man contributed to the preservation of living fungal spores?
Author(s) -
Gams W.,
Stalpers J.A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1994.tb06998.x
Subject(s) - spore , prehistory , biology , astrobiology , geography , archaeology , microbiology and biotechnology
There are arguments against the conclusion drawn by Haselwandter and Ebner that fungal spores have survived for some 5300 years on hay padding in the leather boots of frozen body discovered in the Austrian Alps. According to cryobiological experience, long‐term survival of fungal spores is very unlikely at temperatures fluctuating between zero and −40°C. It is quite possible that living spores of these common species have recently reached this substratum.