The early bird gets…the truffle? Birds hunt for fungi, too

[ScienceDaily]

Scientists used to think that only mammals sought out truffles, but a new study shows that birds also pursue these underground fungi. The researchers collected the feces of two common ground-dwelling bird species in Patagonia and found they contained truffle DNA and viable truffle spores. The spread of truffles is important to the health of forest ecosystems, where truffle species and other mycorrhizal fungi have a symbiotic relationship with trees.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/plants_animals/birds/~4/MGsZh5RBgpc

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