Abstract
Higher termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae (fungus-growing termites) are known to build fungus gardens where a symbiotic fungus (Termitomyces sp.) is cultivated. The fungus grows on a substrate called fungus comb, a structure built with the termites’ own faeces. Here we present the first fossil fungus combs ever found in the world. They were extracted from 7-million-year-old continental sandstone (Chad basin). Fossilized fungus combs have an ovoid morphology with a more or less flattened concave base and a characteristic general alveolar aspect. Under lens, they display a typical millimetre-scale pelletal structure. The latter, as well as the general shape and alveolar aspect, are similar to the morphology of fungus combs from extant fungus-growing termites.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Ministère Tchadien de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche and the Centre National d’Appui de la Recherche (CNAR), the Ministère Français des Affaires Etrangères (SCAC, N’Djaména and DCSUR, Paris), Ministère de l’Education Nationale et de la Recherche (CNRS, Programme Eclipse and Faculté des Sciences de l’Université de Poitiers) and Région Poitou Charentes and the National Science Foundation (NSF/RHOI). We thank the French Army (MAM, Epervier), all the MPFT members and G. Florent for secretarial support and A. Bouzeghaia for artwork support. The help of many colleagues is gratefully acknowledged: A. Richard, A. Peppuy, and Ch. Bordereau from the University of Dijon, Dijon, France. We wish to thank particularly C. Lefevre-Rouland (University of Paris XII, Paris, France) and Dr. Ch. Noirot for endless constructive discussions and for the interpretation of the termite fossil fungus combs. The investigation complies with the current law of the country in which it was performed.
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Duringer, P., Schuster, M., Genise, J.F. et al. The first fossil fungus gardens of Isoptera: oldest evidence of symbiotic termite fungiculture (Miocene, Chad basin). Naturwissenschaften 93, 610–615 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-006-0149-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-006-0149-3