Morphological, molecular and ecological researches of fossil fungi for foundation of mycoarchaeology

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20713
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 3:History, archaeology, museology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Momohara Arata 千葉大学, 大学院園芸学研究院, 教授 (00250150)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 渡辺 洋一 千葉大学, 大学院園芸学研究科, 助教 (30763651) ; 糟谷 大河 慶應義塾大学, 経済学部(日吉), 准教授 (90712513) ; 工藤 雄一郎 学習院女子大学, 国際文化交流学部, 准教授 (30456636)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 菌類遺体 / 菌類考古学 / 古生態 / 大型植物遺体 / 放射性炭素年代測定

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to establish methods for identifying fungal remains and traces of plant diseases in sediment, thereby elucidating the relationship between fungal communities and climate as well as ancient, with establishing methodologies for high-precision dating using fungi and genetic studies using ancient DNA is. In the Early Pleistocene fungal fossils of the Uonuma Formation in Niigata Prefecture, stoma of the Xylariaceae were exceptionally well-preserved and identified into 7 species of 5 genera. Furthermore, examination of Last Glacial sediments revealed fungal structures such as sclerotia of Cenococcum and Typhula, as well as the spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, providing insights into their relationship with past environments. However, it became evident that fungal sclerotia formed underground are unsuitable for radiocarbon dating materials.

Free Research Field

植物考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

菌類は有機物の分解や植物の根の養分吸収を補助する役割を担う一方，植物病の蔓延により生態系や人間の生活に大きな影響を及ぼす．過去の堆積物には菌類遺体が含まれているが研究方法は確立していないため，その同定や古生態の研究方法が確立することで気候変動と菌類の消長との関係，菌類が植物や生態系に与えた影響や，菌類と人類との関係の歴史が明らかになる．本研究により，菌類が形成する硬く緻密な菌核や子実体は保存されやすく，胞子とともに保存されていたことが明らかになり，従来，花粉分析に伴って同定が行われてきた胞子だけではなく，子実体との比較により，より詳細な同定ができることが明らかになった．