400-Million-Year-Old Giant Organism May Belong to Unknown Branch of Life
2025-03-28
Scientists are challenging the long-held belief that Prototaxites, a massive organism that lived 400 million years ago, was a giant fungus. New research, analyzing the fossil's unique internal structure and chemical composition, suggests it may represent an entirely new and extinct branch on the tree of life, distinct from all known fungi, plants, animals, and protists. This groundbreaking discovery adds a layer of mystery to the history of life on Earth and highlights the potential for undiscovered biodiversity in the deep past.
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