Scientists Identify 20-Inch Dianjunus rex in China as Post-Dinosaur Fungus Family Emerges
Updated
Updated · CNN · Oct 23
Scientists Identify 20-Inch Dianjunus rex in China as Post-Dinosaur Fungus Family Emerges
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Oct 23
Summary
Dianjunus rex, a newly identified giant fungus found in Yunnan, grows up to 20 inches tall and nearly 5 pounds, making it the largest known member of the Ascomycota phylum.
Genetic analysis placed it in a new family, Dianjunaceae, which researchers say likely emerged about 1 million years after the asteroid impact that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs and roughly 75% of life.
Surveys in 2024 and 2025 recorded the pale yellow fungus around a dead tree after a local resident sent photos to scientists; the study was published September 28 in Frontiers in Fungal Biology.
Researchers suspect its unusual height helps spores clear the densely littered forest floor, offering a reproductive advantage in habitats where plant debris could otherwise trap them.
The find underscores how little is known about fungi: about 150,000 species have been described, while estimates for the global total range from 2 million to 13 million.