# evol: when the dinosaurs died, lichens thrived ...

AA << results imply that multiple historical events during the transition from Mesozoic to Cenozoic eras, including the K-Pg mass extinction event, impacted the evolutionary dynamics in lichen-forming fungi. >>

Jen-Pan Huang, Ekaphan Kraichak, et al.   Accelerated diversifications in three diverse families of morphologically complex lichen-forming fungi link to major historical events. Scientific Reports.  volume 9, Article number: 8518 (2019).   https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44881-1  

<< We thought that lichens would be affected negatively, but in the three groups we looked at, they seized the chance and diversified rapidly, (..) Some lichens grow sophisticated 3D structures like plant leaves, and these ones filled the niches of plants that died out. >> Jen-Pang Huang.

When the dinosaurs died, lichens thrived. Mass extinction hurt land plants, but DNA shows that some fungus/plant combo organisms rose up. Field Museum, Academia Sinica, Taipei.  - ScienceDaily. Jun 28, 2019.   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190628120432.htm

K-Pg mass extinction event   https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous%E2%80%93Paleogene_extinction_event