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Largest Living Organism Is A Fungus

Posted by michael on from the as-long-as-it-isn't-among-us dept.

Makarand writes "A single enormous underground fungus found growing in a Canadian forest and estimated to between 2000 and 8500 years old could easily be the largest known living organism on earth. This fungus is believed to have begun its life as a microscopic spore and then grown to cover an area of around an area of 9.65 square kilometers. That it is a single organism was confirmed by collecting samples of the fungus from different parts of the forest and observing their reactions as they were grown together on Petri dishes. Fungal growths have the ability to distinguish their own growths from other fungal individuals."

7 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. It thas been rumored.. by ewhenn · · Score: 3, Funny

    That the guiness book of world records is sponsoring an event to use it to attempt create the worlds largest pizza.

  2. Yes, but how many Volkswagen bugs... by Ieshan · · Score: 4, Funny

    The article does give some very interesting statistics, but I'd be interested to know if any Astronomers can estimate how many Volkswagen Bugs this fungus might occupy...

  3. So, what did one moss say to another? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "I heard you're a fun guy!'

    1. Re:So, what did one moss say to another? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      Since when is moss a fungus?

      Why, when it takes a lichen to you!

  4. The fungus... by SixArmedJesus · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Look Mario! I think the fungus is trying to help us!"

    --

    *slight crashing sound*
  5. Standard units people! by Sentry21 · · Score: 3, Funny

    From the article:

    The clone of Armillaria ostoyae--the tree-killing fungus that causes Armillaria root disease--covers an area of 9.65 square kilometres, about the size of 6000 hockey rinks or 1600 football fields.

    Talk about frustrating. Hockey rinks? Football fields? I thought the standard unit of area was olympic-sized swimming pools now. Can journalists just not keep up?

    --Dan

  6. Canadian/American unit conversion by jakedata · · Score: 3, Funny

    This article shed some light on a different subject as well.

    The typical American unit of area, the football field converts to the Canadian (metric?) unit of area, the hockey rink with a ratio of 6000hr/1600ff or 3.75 to 1

    Very helpful information.