Invasion of the French Paleolithic painted cave of Lascaux by members of the Fusarium solanispecies complex

A major fungal invasion was discovered in the prehistoric painted cave of Lascaux in France in Sep 2001. At least three species of the Fusarium solanicomplex were isolated and identified with a portion of the translation elongation factor 1α gene (EF-1α), a portion of the nuclear large subunit rDNA (LSU) and nuclear ribosomal intergenic spacer region (ITS). This study represents the first time that Fusariumspecies have been reported from a cave containing prehistoric paintings. Significant interspecific molecular variability was observed, suggesting that there might have been repeated introduction of the species, possibly carried by water from soils above the cave.