Maximum likelihood phylogeny, generated using FastTree, showing phylogenetic relationship between Mucor piriformis NRRL 3318 and related species.

Mucor piriformis NRRL 3318 is a member of the Mucoraceae family from the order Mucorales, and was sequenced as part of Proposal 1978: "Genomics of the early diverging lineages of fungi and their transition to terrestrial, plant-based ecologies". As stated in the proposal, this project aims to resolve the earliest branches in the fungal genealogy, identify the genomic characteristics of the ancestral fungi, determine traits that emerged at the dawn of terrestrial ecosystems, and obtain an accurate assessment of the homologies that culminate in the fungal lifestyle.