Study
The Paleozoic origin of enzymatic lignin decomposition reconstructed from 31 fungal genomes
Floudas, Dimitrios; Binder, Manfred; Riley, Robert; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Hibbett, David S.
Science, 2012
Thirty-one fungal genomes were compared and the gene families responsible for lignin-degrading peroxidases were reconstructed onto a dated phylogeny to estimate when the enzymes first appeared.
- Studied in
- Agaricomycetes
- Sample size
- 31 fungal genomes, twelve newly sequenced
The expansion of class II lignin peroxidases dates to roughly the end of the Carboniferous, coinciding with the sharp decline in the rate of coal formation.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
The evolution of fungal lignin decomposition may explain the end of the great Carboniferous coal deposits.
How NatureHQ reads it
A striking claim — that the world stopped making coal because something evolved that could eat wood — and one that has been actively argued about since. The competing explanation is geological: coal formation needs specific basin and climate conditions, and those changed too. The dating is also uncertain enough that the coincidence is suggestive rather than tight. NatureHQ records it as a compelling hypothesis, which is what it is.
- Molecular clock dating carries wide confidence intervals.
- A competing tectonic and climatic explanation for the coal decline is well argued.
- Genome sampling is uneven across the fungal tree.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: American Association for the Advancement of SciencePublished in Science or Science Advances (AAAS).
doi.org/10.1126/science.1221748
This reference was resolved automatically against Crossref on 2026-08-11.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-08-09.