Over 2,000 years ago Aristotle asked why some mushrooms glow in the dark, and scientists may have finally answered that question.
A recent study found the light emitted from the glowing fungi attracts insects such as beetles, wasps, and ants, Cell Press reported. These insects then help to spread the fungal spores to other areas. The findings also show the bioluminescence is linked with the mushrooms' circadian clocks
"Regulation implies an adaptive function for bioluminescence," said Jay Dunlap of Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine.
Only 71 of over 100,000 known species of fungus produce this glowing green light. In the past researchers thought the phenomenon was simply a metabolic byproduct that was active at all times, but these new findings suggest otherwise.
To make their findings, a team of researchers looked at the large glowing mushroom Neonothopanus gardneri, or "flor de coco." They found the bioluminescent quality was regulated by a "temperature-compensated" circadian clock, allowing the fungus to conserve energy by only lighting up when the effects will be seen.
The researchers created a fake mushroom using acrylic resin and LED lights, which were placed in forests where the actual species is found; non-glowing artificial mushrooms were also placed in the same locations as controls. The team observed the glowing objects attracted more staphilinid rove beetles, flies, wasps, ants, and "true bugs," than the dark mushrooms.
The findings provide insight into fungus dispersal, which is important because fungi play a crucial role in the ecosystems they inhabit.
"Without them, cellulose would be stuck in its form, which would impact the whole carbon cycle on Earth," said Cassius Stevani of Brazil's Instituto de Química-Universidade de São Paulo. "I dare to say that life on Earth depends on organisms like these."
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Current Biology.
