Bry. Div. Evo. 043 (1): 284–306 ISSN 2381-9677 (print edition) DIVERSITY & https://www.mapress.com/j/bde BRYOPHYTEEVOLUTION Copyright © 2021 Magnolia Press Article ISSN 2381-9685 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/bde.43.1.20 Advances in understanding of mycorrhizal-like associations in bryophytes SILVIA PRESSEL1*, MARTIN I. BIDARTONDO2, KATIE J. FIELD3 & JEFFREY G. DUCKETT1 1Life Sciences Department, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; �
[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9652-6338 �
[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7101-6673 2Imperial College London and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew TW9 3DS, UK; �
[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3172-3036 3 Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK; �
[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5196-2360 * Corresponding author Abstract Mutually beneficial associations between plants and soil fungi, mycorrhizas, are one of the most important terrestrial symbioses. These partnerships are thought to have propelled plant terrestrialisation some 500 million years ago and today they play major roles in ecosystem functioning. It has long been known that bryophytes harbour, in their living tissues, fungal symbionts, recently identified as belonging to the three mycorrhizal fungal lineages Glomeromycotina, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Latest advances in understanding of fungal associations in bryophytes have been largely driven by the discovery, nearly a decade ago, that early divergent liverwort clades, including the most basal Haplomitriopsida, and some hornworts, engage with a wider repertoire of fungal symbionts than previously thought, including endogonaceous members of the ancient sub-phylum Mucoromycotina.