From CNN · Mindy Weisberger · · 1m 30s
Giant Fungus D. rex Discovered After Dinosaur Extinction
Scientists find giant fungus D. rex in China's Yunnan province, a species that grew after dinosaurs died out.
In brief
Scientists find giant fungus D. rex in China's Yunnan province, a species that grew after dinosaurs died out. Scientists discovered D. rex, a giant fungus that grew in China after the dinosaur extinction event. Originally reported by CNN.
New Giant Fungus Found
Scientists discovered D. rex, a giant fungus growing from dying host plants in China's Yunnan province.
D. rex Shares Name with T. rex
D. rex belongs to a family of fungi that appeared after the mass extinction event that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs.
Size of D. rex
D. rex's fruiting bodies can grow 20 inches tall and weigh nearly 5 pounds, making it the largest known ascomycete.
Fungus Discovery Timeline
Scientists recorded D. rex in Yunnan province during fungal diversity surveys in 2024 and 2025, reporting findings September 28 in Frontiers in Fungal Biology.
Local Observations
Farmers in Yunnan saw D. rex's stromata around dead trees but didn't recognize its significance until locals sent photos to scientists.
Evolution After Extinction
The mass extinction event that killed dinosaurs created conditions for D. rex to evolve, as decomposers exploited dead organic matter.
Unique Fungal Family
D. rex belongs to a new family, Dianjunaceae, that likely emerged 1 million years after the asteroid impact ending the Cretaceous Period.
Why D. rex is So Large
D. rex's upright stromata may help disperse spores widely, improving reproductive success in dense forest floors.
The one thing
Scientists discovered D. rex, a giant fungus that grew in China after the dinosaur extinction event.
