Did you know a new mushroom species was just discovered hiding in plain sight? Join us on this episode of the Deep Dive as we explore the fascinating, microscopic, and messy world of coprophilous fungi. We unpack the groundbreaking discovery of Bolbitius corrugatus and Bolbitius excoriatus right inside Highland cow dung in Scotland! We dive deep into the intense fungal turf wars happening on a microscopic level, how modern DNA sequencing (like ITS and LSU regions) is changing mycology, and why citizen science and open databases like GenBank are crucial for uncovering cryptic species around the globe—from the Scottish Highlands to Arizona. Discover why the classic yellow field cap (Bolbitius titubans) might have been keeping genetic secrets for centuries.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Coprophilous Fungi and Looking Down

03:15 The Cinderella Mushroom: Exploring the Yellow Field Cap (Bolbitius titubans)

06:30 Alfred's Damp Chambers and the Highland Cow Dung Experiment

10:45 The Spore Surprise: Hexagonal Spores vs. Smooth Ovals

14:20 Unlocking Genetic Secrets with ITS and LSU DNA Sequencing

18:10 The Official Introduction of the Wrinkled Cap: Bolbitius corrugatus

22:00 The Global Connection: Bolbitius excoriatus found in Hungary and Arizona

26:15 The Competition Hypothesis and the Intense Dung Turf War

28:30 How Citizen Science and GenBank are Democratizing Mycology

30:15 Episode Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts

new mushroom species, fungi discovery, coprophilous fungi, mycology podcast, Bolbitius corrugatus, Bolbitius excoriatus, Bolbitius titubans, Highland cow dung, Scottish Highlands nature, DNA sequencing fungi, cryptic species, citizen science biology, fungi turf war, mushroom spores, fungal biodiversity, deep dive podcast

#Fungi #Mycology #NewSpecies #Mushrooms #CitizenScience #BiologyPodcast #ScottishHighlands #ScienceDiscovery