Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T09:46:15.223Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Fungal Remains in Pleistocene Ground Squirrel Dung from Yukon Territory, Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Kris A. Pirozynski
Affiliation:
Paleobiology Division, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa K1A 0M8, Canada
Adrian Carter
Affiliation:
Paleobiology Division, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa K1A 0M8, Canada
Richard G. Day
Affiliation:
Paleobiology Division, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa K1A 0M8, Canada

Abstract

Fungi in dung of the Arctic ground squirrel (Spermophilus parryii) collected near Dominion Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada, have a radiocarbon age of 12,200 ± 100 yr B.P. Most of the fungal remains are assignable to modern taxa, and most of these are either widespread saprobes or nonspecific coprophiles. However, specimens identified as Chaetomium simile and Thecaphora deformans represent fungi that may be more characteristic of rodent dung than that of other animals, inviting consideration of dung fungi as a potential source of paleontological data.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ager, T.A. (1983). Vegetational history of western Alaska during the Wisconsin glacial interval and the Holocene Hopkins, D.M. Matthews, J.V. Jr. Schweger, C.E. Young, S.B. Paleoecology of Beringia Academic Press New York/London 75 94 Google Scholar
Ahmed, S.I. Cain, R.F. (1972). Revision of the genus Sporormia and Sporormiella Canadian Journal of Botany 50 419 477 Google Scholar
Cain, R.F. Mirza, J.H. (1972). Three new species of Arnium Canadian Journal of Botany 50 333 336 Google Scholar
Carter, A. (1982). A Taxonomic Study of the Ascomycete Genus Chaetomium Unpublished Ph.D. thesis University of Toronto Toronto Google Scholar
Davis, O.K. Kolva, D.A. Mehringer, P.J. Jr. (1977). Pollen analysis of Wildcat Lake, Whitman County, Washington: The last 1000 years North-west Science 51 13 30 Google Scholar
Ellis, M.B. (1971). Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes Commonwealth Mycological Institute Kew Google Scholar
Fischer, G.W. (1953). Manual of the North American Smut Fungi Ronald Press New York Google Scholar
Fogel, R. Trappe, J.M. (1978). Fungus consumption (mycophagy) by small animals Northwest Science 52 1 31 Google Scholar
Harborne, J.B. 2nd ed. (1982). Introduction to Ecological Biochemistry Academic Press New York/London Google Scholar
Harington, C.R. (1977). Pleistocene Mammals of the Yukon Territory Unpublished Ph.D. thesis University of Alberta Edmonton Google Scholar
Harington, C.R. (1978). Quaternary vertebrate faunas of Canada and Alaska and their suggested chronological sequence Syllogeus 15 1 105 Google Scholar
Jeng, R.S. Krug, J.C. (1977). New records and new species of Arnium Canadian Journal of Botany 55 83 95 Google Scholar
Jeng, R.S. Luck-Allen, E.R. Cain, R.F. (1977). New species and new records of Delitschia from Venezuela Canadian Journal of Botany 55 383 392 Google Scholar
Khan, R.S. Cain, R.F. (1979). The genera Sporormia and Sporormiella in East Africa Canadian Journal of Botany 57 1174 1186 Google Scholar
Krug, J.C. Cain, R.F. (1972). Additions to the genus Arnium. Canadian Journal of Botany 50 367 373 Google Scholar
Luck-Allen, E.R. Cain, R.F. (1975). Additions to the genus Delitschia Canadian Journal of Botany 53 1827 1887 Google Scholar
Lundquist, N. (1972). Nordic Sordariaceae Symbolae Botanicae Upsalienses 20 1 374 Google Scholar
Malloch, D.W. (1979). Dung and other specialized habitats The Whole Fungus Kendrick, B. National Museum of Natural Sciences Ottawa 2 628 629 Google Scholar
Maser, C. Trappe, J.M. Nussbaum, R.A. (1978). Fungal-small animal interrelationships with emphasis on Oregon coniferous forests Ecology 59 799 809 Google Scholar
Melchior, H.R. (1964). Ecological relationships of Arctic ground squirrels to burrow site features Program and Abstracts, 15th Alaskan Science Conference University of Alaska 28 Google Scholar
Morton, F.J. Smith, G. (1963). The genera Scopulariopsis Bainier, Microascus Zukal, and Doratomyces Corda Mycological Paper. 86 Common-wealth Mycological Institute Kew Google Scholar
Pirozynski, K.A. (1976). Fossil fungi Annual Review of Phytopathology 14 237 246 Google Scholar
Richardson, M.J. (1972). Coprophilous ascomycetes on different dung types Transactions of the British Mycological Society 58 37 48 Google Scholar
Richardson, M.J. Watling, R. (1968). Keys to fungi on dung Bulletin of the British Mycological Society 2 18 48 Google Scholar
Simmons, E. (1967). Typification of Alternaria, Stemphylium, and Ulocladium Mycologia 59 67 92 Google Scholar
Terasmae, J. Hughes, O.L. (1966). Late Wisconsinan chronology and history of vegetation in the Ogilvie Mountains, Yukon Territory, Canada The Paleobotanist 15 235 242 Google Scholar
van Geel, B. Bohncke, S.J.P. Dee, H. (1981). A palaeoecological study of an upper late glacial and Holocene sequence from “De Borchert”, The Netherlands Review of Palacobotany and Palynology 31 367 448 Google Scholar
Walker, J.C. 3rd ed. (1969). Plant Pathology McGraw-Hill Google Scholar
Webster, J. (1970). Coprophilous fungi Transactions of the British Mycological Society 54 161 180 Google Scholar
Wolf, F.A. (1966). Fungus spores in East African lake sediments Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 93 104 113 Google Scholar
Wolf, F.A. (1967a Fungus spores in East African lake sediments. V Mycologia 59 379 404 Google Scholar
Wolf, F.A. (1967b Fungus spores in East African lake sediments. VII Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 94 480 486 Google Scholar
Wolf, F.A. (1968). Fungus spores in Lake Singletary sediment Journal of Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 84 227 232 Google Scholar
Zogg, H. Schwinn, F.J. (1971). Surface structures of spores in the Ustilaginales Transactions of the British Mycological Society 57 403 410 Google Scholar