Living BeingsCompare species
Black Bread Mold
Rhizopus stolonifer
African Savanna Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Evidence from the profiles
Compare their characteristics
| Trait | Black Bread Mold | African Savanna Elephant |
|---|---|---|
| Physical traits | Stolons spread across the substrate, with anchoring rhizoids and upright sporangiophores bearing rounded sporangia. | Broad ears, a long trunk and column-like legs give the animal its familiar outline. The trunk tip has two finger-like projections. Both sexes can develop tusks. |
| Habitat and range | Moist, nutrient-rich organic material, including damaged plant tissues, can support growth. | Savannas and open woodland provide a shifting mixture of browse, grass, shade and drinking water. Seasonal water availability influences the places that herds use. |
| Diet and nutrition | The fungus absorbs products released from organic substrates, including sugars and starch-containing material. | Grasses, leaves, bark and other plant material make up its diet. The trunk gathers food and moves it to the mouth. |
| Behavior and activity | Rapid hyphal extension spreads a colony; spores allow dispersal beyond the original substrate. | Female relatives and their young form long-lasting social groups. Older females hold knowledge of familiar routes and resources; adult males have a different pattern of association. |
| Reproduction and life cycle | Asexual spores form in sporangia. Compatible mating types can produce thick-walled sexual zygospores with a dormant phase. | Calves are born alive and depend on milk and extended social care. Learning from other elephants is an important part of growing up. |
| Geographic distribution | Spores and substrate-associated records are widespread. An individual indoor colony still requires identification before being called this species. | Native to sub-Saharan Africa. This account follows the savanna-elephant species concept rather than treating all African elephants as one species. |
| Ecological role | Decomposition and spoilage connect its growth with nutrient release from plant-derived material. | Feeding and movement alter vegetation, and dung transfers seeds and nutrients. Habitat fragmentation and killing for ivory threaten populations. |
| Distinctive adaptations | A spreading stolon system and distinct resting and dispersal structures support different phases of its life. | Data unavailable |
Classification
Shared ancestry
Closest shared taxon: Opisthokonta.