The land, water and air around us are chock-full of DNA from fungi that scientists can’t identify

The land, water and air around us are chock-full of DNA fragments from fungi that mycologists can’t link to known organisms. These slippery beings are so widespread scientists are calling them “dark fungi.” It’s a comparison to the equally elusive dark matter and dark energy that permeates the universe.

  • treefrog@lemm.ee
    2·
    8 days ago

    That’s fair. I suppose I was overestimating the knowledge of the field guide writers.

    • EarthShipTechIntern@lemm.ee
      2·
      4 days ago

      As some of my myco-heroes (Stamets & Sheldrake) have mentioned, there were no mycology departments or colleges at universities. In many, there still aren’t.

      Writers, mycologists may have felt like stepping up & speaking truth about classification (at times, a scientific bureaucratic nightmare) was not the fight they wished to pursue over sharing knowledge they’ve learned about fungus (no bureaucratic dealings!)