Re: Why are Birds Nest Fungi part of the Phylum Basidiomycota?

Bird’s nest fungi are a group of fungi in the genera Crucibulum and Cyathus. Their name comes from their unique appearance, like a nest full of little round eggs. Here are some excellent photos.

The unique shape of bird’s nest fungi might make you wonder what they’re related to. According to DNA studies, their closest relatives are Cystoagaricus and Psyathrella. Both these genera have a typical “mushroom” shape, with a stalk and a cap. Mykoweb is a site with excellent information on the evolution of the Basidiomycetes. You can see the most recent phylogeny, or evolutionary tree, for this group here.

In recent years, taxonomists (the scientists who study the classification of living things) have radically changed the way they look at groups of organisms. Traditional classifications are based on morphology—the shape and size of structures, how they fit together, etc. The advent of cheap and available DNA sequencing has allowed scientists to explore the descent of life in a new way. Molecular phylogenetics is the reconstruction of evolutionary histories through the examination of DNA. Minute changes in the DNA reveal the history of organisms: those that share the most DNA are most closely related, while those that share less are more distantly related. Molecular phylogenetics has revealed some interesting and unexpected relationships—including the fact that bird’s nest fungi, despite their unique morphology, belong to the group Basidiomyces.