This tiny, pioneering
fungus was among the first organisms to populate dry land, sparking an explosion in plants and animals.
Without this fossilised Scottish fungus you probably would not exist.
Some
440 million years ago this tiny organism was among the first to make its way out of the seas and begin colonising the land. It is the oldest example of a land-dwelling species ever discovered in the fossil record. Only sea creatures have been found which are older. Crucially for humans, this early pioneer kick-started the process of rot and soil formation which eventually allowed plants to flourish and tempted animals on to dry land.
Examples of the diminutive
Tortotubus fungus - shorter than the width of a human hair - were discovered on the
Scottish Inner Hebridean island of Kerrera, and in
Gotland, Sweden by scientists from the University of Cambridge.
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1 comment:
This neatly disposes of the theory that Carb. coal seams accumulated because of the absence of fungi.
Bruce
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