Where does this come from, and can I check it?

The fungus releases scent to attract mammals that dig it up and spread spores. The figure is taken from Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

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Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

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The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Truffles evolved to be found by animals

The fungus releases scent to attract mammals that dig it up and spread spores A truffle is the underground fruiting body of a fungus that lives in partnership with tree roots. Instead of releasing spores into the air, it produces volatile compounds that attract wild boars, rodents and insects, which dig it up and scatter spores in their dung. Pigs and dogs can be trained to detect the same aromas for harvesters. It sits in Mondo's food collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Nature & Animals trivia

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Tags: truffle, fungi, scent

Truffles evolved to be found by animals: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: The fungus releases scent to attract mammals that dig it up and spread spores. The figure is taken from Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a food fact?: Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.