Emma Wilson
Fungi, which include mushrooms, mould, and yeast, are among the most abundant organisms on the planet. They are the third-largest contributor to global biomass after plants and bacteria. In 2019, scientists discovered fossils of fungi dating back to around one billion years, making them the oldest organisms ever found. This discovery reshaped our understanding of how life evolved on land. Previously, the oldest known fungi were thought to have appeared around 460 to 500 million years ago. The discovery of one-billion-year-old fungi suggests that other plants and animals may have existed during that time as well, significantly altering our timeline of evolution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Age of the oldest mushroom fossils | 460 million years old |
| Age of the oldest non-controversial fungal fossils | 400 million years old |
| Age of the oldest fossil with microscopic features resembling modern-day basidiomycetes | N/A |
| Age of the oldest terrestrial lichen fossil | 400 million years old |
| Age of the oldest fungal fossils | 715 million years old |
| Age of the oldest fossil fungi on record | 460 million years old |
| Age of the earliest known fungi | 500 million years old |
| Age of the oldest terrestrial fungus fossils | 635 million years old |
| Age of the earliest fossils possessing features typical of fungi | 2,400 million years old |
| Age of the earliest terrestrial fungi | 1 billion years old |
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What You'll Learn
The oldest mushroom fossils
The discovery of this fossil is significant because mushrooms are rarely preserved in the fossil record. They have short lifespans and their soft bodies decay quickly, making it challenging for them to be fossilized. Before this find, the oldest mushroom fossils were preserved in amber and dated back to around 99 million years ago, discovered in Southeast Asia.
While the oldest mushroom fossils date back to 115 million years, the history of fungi extends much further back in time. Fungi branched off from animals over 1 billion years ago, and fossils dating back to this period may provide insights into their early evolution. For example, a 1 billion-year-old fossil from the Canadian Arctic was identified as a microscopic fungus, and a fossil from the Democratic Republic of Congo dating back at least 715 million years was found to be filamentous fungi.
Fungal fossils are challenging to identify, and their distant history remains largely a mystery. However, recent discoveries and advancements in identification techniques are helping to shed light on the evolution of fungi and their role in the history of our planet.
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Fungi fossils in Canada
In May 2019, scientists discovered the earliest known fossils of fungi in the Canadian Arctic. These fossils, named Ourasphaira giraldae, date back to between 900 million and 1 billion years ago, during the Proterozoic era. They were discovered in the Grassy Bay Formation in the Brock Inlier in Canada's Northwest Territories, in the shallow water shale of a river or lake.
The fossils are microscopic and multicellular, with branching filaments and spherical spores. They possess a unique fibrous compound called chitin, which forms their twin-layered cell walls. Chitin is also present in the exoskeletons of invertebrates such as insects and crustaceans. The presence of chitin was identified using a technique called confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy, which uses a dye that binds to chitin and glows green.
The discovery of these fossils fills a gap in the fossil record, as previously, the oldest non-controversial fungal fossils were from 400 million years ago. The Canadian Arctic fossils are half a billion years older than the previous record holder, a 450 million-year-old fungus found in Wisconsin.
The study of these ancient fungi provides valuable insights into the evolution of life on Earth. It suggests that fungi evolved long before plants and may have played a crucial role in the spread of plants across the planet by breaking down detritus and releasing nutrients for photosynthetic organisms.
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Fungi fossils in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Fungi fossils play a crucial role in understanding the evolution of life on Earth, including the transition to land and the development of symbiosis with plants. While Precambrian fossils of fungi are rare, recent discoveries in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have shed light on the ancient history of these organisms.
In the DRC, fossils dating back to the Neoproterozoic era, approximately 810 to 715 million years ago, have been found in dolomitic shale from the Mbuji-Mayi Supergroup. These fossils consist of carbonaceous filaments that exhibit low-frequency septation and high-angle branching, forming dense, interconnected mycelium-like structures. Using advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, researchers identified the presence of vestigial chitin in these fossil filaments, confirming their fungal nature.
The discovery of these ancient fungal fossils in the DRC challenges previous understandings of fungal evolution and their role in the colonization of land. It suggests that fungi may have been present and playing a significant part in the Earth's ecosystems much earlier than previously thought. This finding contributes to the growing body of knowledge about the importance of fungi in the planet's history.
Moreover, the identification of chitin, a material unique to fungi, in these fossils provides compelling evidence of their fungal origin. This discovery underscores the importance of advanced chemical and microscopic techniques in unraveling the mysteries of ancient life forms. The presence of chitin indicates that these fossils belonged to a fungal network, possibly interacting with photosynthetic bacteria or other microorganisms in their paleoenvironment.
The fungal fossils discovered in the DRC provide valuable insights into the early evolution of fungi and their ecological roles. They highlight the importance of further research and exploration to fill in the gaps in our understanding of fungal history and their impact on the development of life on Earth. These fossils represent a fascinating piece of the puzzle in Earth's biological history, inviting further investigation and a deeper appreciation for the ancient origins of fungi.
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Basidiomycetes fossils
Basidiomycetes are one of the major groups of extant fungi. They are important contributors to multiple levels of ecosystem functioning, especially in the carbon cycle by decaying organic matter. Molecular data estimate that basidiomycetes originated at least 500 million years ago (Ma) and probably played an important role in ancient continental ecosystems. Basidiomycetes fossils are rarely discovered in the upper Palaeozoic. The earliest fossils possessing features typical of fungi date to the Paleoproterozoic era, some 2,400 million years ago. These multicellular benthic organisms had filamentous structures capable of anastomosis, in which hyphal branches recombine.
The fossil record of fungi is meagre compared to plants and animals. This is due to the nature of fungal fruiting bodies, which are soft, fleshy, and easily degradable tissues, and the microscopic dimensions of most fungal structures, which are not readily evident. The early fossil record of fungi is also sparse because fungi do not biomineralise, so they do not readily enter the fossil record.
Fungi form a sister group to animals, and the two lineages must have diverged before the first animal lineages, which are known from fossils as early as the Ediacaran. Molecular data suggests that all fungi are descended from a most recent common ancestor that lived at least 1.2 to 1.5 billion years ago, and probably in water with flagella. A 2.4-billion-year-old basalt from the Palaeoproterozoic Ongeluk Formation in South Africa containing filamentous fossils in vescicles and fractures that form mycelium-like structures may push back the origin of the Kingdom by over one billion years.
The earliest terrestrial fungus fossils, or at least fungus-like fossils, have been found in South China from around 635 million years ago. Researchers suggested that these organisms may have played a role in oxygenating the Earth's atmosphere after the Cryogenian glaciations. About 250 million years ago, fungi became abundant in many areas and could have been the dominant form of life on Earth at that time. A rich diversity of fungi is known from the lower Devonian Rhynie chert, but an earlier record is absent.
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The evolution of fungi
Fungi are believed to have branched off from animals more than 1 billion years ago, making them more closely related to us than plants. They are part of the Eukaryota group of organisms, which includes plants and animals. The earliest fossils with features typical of fungi date back to the Paleoproterozoic era, around 2.4 billion years ago. These early fungi likely lived in water and had flagella.
The transition from an aquatic to a terrestrial lifestyle led to the development of various ecological strategies for obtaining nutrients, including parasitism, saprobism, and the formation of mutualistic relationships such as mycorrhiza and lichenization. The earliest terrestrial fungus fossils, or fungus-like fossils, have been discovered in South China and date back approximately 635 million years. These early fungi may have contributed to the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere following the Cryogenian glaciations.
More recently, in 2019, scientists discovered fossilized fungi in the Canadian Arctic, dating back about 1 billion years. This discovery reshaped our understanding of how life evolved on land and suggested that fungi evolved long before plants. These early fungi may have played a crucial role in the evolution of plants by breaking down detritus and releasing nutrients, creating conditions conducive for photosynthetic organisms to thrive.
While the specific details of the evolution of fungi, including mushrooms, remain elusive, ongoing research and the discovery of older fossils continue to provide valuable insights into the ancient history of these organisms and their impact on the development of life on Earth.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the oldest fungi (the group of eukaryotic organisms that mushrooms belong to) fossils found date back to 715 million years, while the oldest mushroom fossils are 460 million years old. The oldest terrestrial lichen fossil is 400 million years old.
Finding ancient fungi fossils helps us understand the evolution of plants and animals on Earth. It also sheds light on the evolution of fungi and their role in breaking down detritus and releasing nutrients, which is essential for photosynthetic organisms.
Ancient fungi fossils have been discovered in various locations, including Canada, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South China. These fossils provide valuable insights into the early evolution of life on our planet.
Scientists use advanced techniques such as confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy and chemical analysis to identify ancient fungi fossils. These techniques help distinguish fungi from other microorganisms by detecting the presence of chitin, a substance unique to fungal cell walls.
