The shared genes of various species, and a comparison their DNA sequences, make it possible to determine how closely related various species are. Mushroom DNA shares more commonalities with human DNA than it does with plant DNA. Mushrooms and humans share about 42% of their DNA. Does that mean that somewhere, once upon a time, a pretty mushroom met a really fun guy?

It simply means that, about a billion years ago, humans and mushrooms shared a common ancestor. That number, of course, can only be an informed guess; we do know for certain that there was (thank God!) an amicable separation and continuing evolution of the two life forms.

Mushrooms are the fruit of an underground and much larger fungal system. It is the sexually active part of a mycelium biomass that is ten, a hundred, even a thousand times larger than the mushroom itself. There are giants in the earth!

This one was found this week in Chialpis, the southernmost state of Mexico. It is 41 lb.! Which means, I guess, that we should hope it is not too promiscuous.