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STUDIES OF CARBONIFEROUS FUNGI. II. THE STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF MYCOCARPON, SPOROCARPON, DUBIOCARPON, AND COLEOCARPON (ASCOMYCOTINA)
Author(s) -
Stubblefield Sara P.,
Taylor Thomas N.,
Miller Charles E.,
Cole Garry T.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1983.tb10852.x
Subject(s) - carboniferous , biology , pennsylvanian , taxon , genus , paleontology , botany , taxonomy (biology) , sporangium , zoology , spore , structural basin
The problematic organism, Sporocarpon, was among the first fossil fungi to be described. The genus was actually a heterogeneous assemblage of fungal forms, and was eventually divided into several taxa including Sporocarpon, Dubiocarpon, and Mycocarpon. In the present paper these organisms, as well as a similar, previously undescribed genus, Coleocarpon; are described from Lower, Middle, and Upper Pennsylvanian strata in North America, and from Upper Carboniferous sediments in England. Although initially considered to be radiolarian‐like protozoa, these structures show far more similarity to ascomycetous cleistothecia. All forms are ornamented, spherical bodies with a complex wall which encloses scattered asci and ascospores. Taxa are distinguished primarily by differences in the organization of the cleistothecial wall. Structurally similar organisms are found today among the Eurotiales.