this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2024
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[–] [email protected] 86 points 9 months ago (2 children)

This reminds me of when genetic researchers found that the human genome contains less genes than a tomato

[–] [email protected] 71 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I always knew tomatoes were unoptimized

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Someone compiled tomatoes without -O3

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Go with -Os to optimise for codesize

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Often faster anyways as the CPU is eating through instructions faster than the RAM can keep up with. May or may not require compiling as x86-64-v2, depending on code. In general, never trust performance you didn't benchmark.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

And yet there are people that will argue that every nucleotide has an exact purpose, as if they were all divinely placed and mutations never occur.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

It has a tetrapolar mating system with each cell containing two genetic loci (called A and B) that govern different aspects of the mating process, leading to 4 possible phenotypes after cell fusion. Each locus codes for a mating type (a or b) and each type is multi-allelic: the A locus has 9 alleles for the a type and an estimated 32 for its b type, and the B locus has 9 alleles each for both its a and b types. When combined this gives an estimated 23,328 potential mating type specificities. While all mating types can initially fuse with any other mating type, a fertile fruitbody and subsequent spores will result only if both the A and B loci of the merging cells are compatible. If neither the A nor B are compatible the result is normal monokarytic mycelium, and if only one of A or B are compatible, the result is either two mycelia growing in opposite directions (only A compatible) or a "flat" phenotype with no mycelia (only B compatible).

[–] [email protected] 25 points 9 months ago (1 children)

So I guess the advantage is that they can produce tons of "genetic" variations very quickly and adapt to new environments within one generation?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Correct, the downside is lots of nonviable offspring. I would guess the fungus needs to be able to colonize widely without sexual reproduction as well in order to take advantage of that rapid adaptation.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

Fascinating, I feel like I just caught a good glimpse of how fungus paved the way for the rest of life on Earth - wherever plant and animal life arrive, the fungus got there first.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 52 points 9 months ago (8 children)
[–] [email protected] 71 points 9 months ago

Extremely well, apparently.

[–] [email protected] 57 points 9 months ago

I think we just witnessed the birth of a mycologist.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 32 points 9 months ago

sporeplay, before the main deed

[–] [email protected] 35 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You just fuck, no questions asked.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago

My spirit fungi

[–] [email protected] 22 points 9 months ago

ALL ORGIES ALL THE TIME

[–] [email protected] 20 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Hilarious as all the other answers are, my guess is that this species has more complex sex chromosomes than the XX/XY variations we're familiar with -- perhaps there are more than 2 slots for the chromosomes to go, and then there are more than 2 options per slot, resulting in the humongous number of options stated in the post.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

The number 23328 is at least equal to 2^5 *3^6 so that is likely a good clue to what exactly is going on.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

It keeps inbreeding down while having a large number of mates to choose from, none of whom can breed with themselves.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

There 👏 are 👏 23,328 👏 genders 👏

[–] [email protected] 14 points 9 months ago

I am colonised by fungus amongst other things.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'm curious, what's the definition of sex in the context of fungi?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

Gamete fertilization.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

There are at least supermale(XYY) and superfemale(XXX) and more.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

So many options for disappointment.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Mahakala's orgy.