Re: Coprolites/fungi

[Dino Guy Ralph <ralph.miller@alumni.usc.edu>]

> > Kar, R. K., Sharma, N, and Kar, R,. 2004, Occurrence of fossil fungi in
> > dinosaur dung and its implication on food habit: Current Science, v. 87, 
> > n. >8,
> p. 1053-1056.

See the abstract for the Kar et al. paper at 
http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bsa-abst/section8/abstracts/35.shtml.

A genetic study of living plants by Hedges et al., published in _Science_ on 
August 10, 2001, (see 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/010810070021.htm)  suggests 
that fungi first appeared around 1.3 billion years ago, although the fossil 
record for fungi only goes back to the Vendian period in the Late 
Precambrian (see http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fungi/fungifr.html).

--------
"Dino Guy" Ralph W. Miller III
Docent at the California Academy of Sciences
proud member of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology