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Plane_Pea5434 t1_ity8vo3 wrote

As far as I know they use DNA to determine that it is the same organism, you take samples from various places and they all have the exact same DNA and about size it is simply a matter of mapping out where the samples are taken

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whittily OP t1_iu045km wrote

Seems like burden of proof that it’s the same organism would need to be higher than just matching DNA. Isn’t it possible for a fungus to reproduce in ways that multiple organisms would have the same DNA?

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atomfullerene t1_iu0w1zp wrote

Having the same DNA is pretty much the thing that defines what makes up a fungus organism.

Fungal colonies are big networks of filaments that spread through the soil (or something else) and grow by cells dividing and making more fungal cells. So if you get the same genetic signature, you know the cells must be different branches of that same fungal network. There's not really "individual organisms" in these fungus the way there is in animals, it's just what is genetically a part of the original colony, or what's a new colony produced by sexual reproduction.

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whittily OP t1_iu19ww2 wrote

Got it! Thank you for your responses. I need to do a deeper dive into fungal reproduction it sounds like.

Fungi get graded on a curve then compared to animals/plants when measuring total organism mass then. It’s a little like saying all banana trees are the same organism since they’re all asexually reproduced with the same dna.

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atomfullerene t1_iu1b71l wrote

Well, it's the same as Pando for example. Or coral heads. People don't usually count bananas because they aren't all connected to each other, but the fungus probably is (there's probably no way to verify that, but it's what you would expect)

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[deleted] t1_iu0c84l wrote

[removed]

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whittily OP t1_iu0cuhk wrote

Indeed—the details of what I don’t understand are included in my questions :) appreciate your contribution tho!

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atomfullerene t1_iu0vdrr wrote

In the old days, they'd take samples from different areas and see if they fuse in a a petri dish, which indicates they are the same individual. These days genetic testing is faster and easier though.

So basically you take samples from different areas and map out where the fungus matches out as genetically identical. Once you get an idea of the amount of ground surface it covers, you can estimate total mass by figuring how much fungus mass is in a given square meter of soil (or whatever) and multiplying by the total area.

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CactaurSnapper t1_iu3moun wrote

I get the feeling our current understanding of what fungi really are and do. Is just now beginning to be slightly realized. With the mushrooms we see being only the tips of living icebergs. To a degree that perhaps all life exists on a foundation of, and is supported by a scaffolding of fungal designs. 🤔

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