Spanning nearly 10 square kilometers beneath an Oregon forest, a single honey fungus is the largest known organism by area.
Nicknamed the 'Humongous Fungus,' Armillaria ostoyae spreads via underground thread-like filaments that share identical DNA and has likely been growing for several thousand years.
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Quick Guess: What holds the title for the largest known living organism by area on Earth?
Verified Answer: An underground honey fungus in Oregon
Quiz Question: What holds the title for the largest known living organism by area on Earth?
Correct Answer: An underground honey fungus in Oregon
The Armillaria ostoyae fungus spreads underground across nearly 10 square kilometers.
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Trees use microscopic fungal networks around their roots to send sugars to neighbors and warn them of insect attacks.
Living in frigid Arctic waters, this shark's central eye lens locks in embryonic proteins at birth—preserving Cold War nuclear bomb carbon signatures.
Despite having brains smaller than a sesame seed, honeybees can learn and remember human faces.