Ancient Fossil Unveils Oldest Disease-Causing Fungus

The oldest disease-causing fungus, Potteromyces asteroxylicola, has been discovered in a 407 million-year-old fossilized plant specimen at the Natural History Museum in London. The parasitic fungus had burst through the plant's outer wall, killing its host's cells and absorbing its nutrients. This is the earliest recorded evidence of a fungal parasite causing disease in a plant, shedding light on the early evolution of fungal species. The fungus is named after children's writer and mycologist Beatrix Potter.