Scientists at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have proposed a new life form classification for ancient prototaxites fossils. The massive, tubelike organisms, which lived around 400 million years ago, were initially thought to be the remains of decomposed trees or fungi. However, recent analysis suggests that they may represent a unique and extinct lineage.
Researchers Corentin Loron and his team studied the chemical makeup of a specific type of prototaxites fossil found in Scotland. They compared its composition to that of surrounding fungal organisms and discovered significant differences. The prototaxites sample lacked chitin, a key component of fungal cell walls, and had an anatomy distinct from all known fungi.
The findings have led Loron and his colleagues to suggest that prototaxites deserve their own life form classification due to their unusual characteristics. This proposal challenges previous hypotheses that suggested they were either trees or fungi. While the exact cause of prototaxites’ extinction remains a mystery, this new research provides further insight into the bizarre and long-dead organism.
The study’s lead author, Corentin Loron, acknowledges that the data no longer supports the hypothesis that prototaxites are fungi. Instead, he sees them as a novel example of complex multicellularity that diverged from all living organisms today. The discovery deepens the mystery surrounding this ancient life form and highlights the need for further research into its origins and fate.
Source: https://futurism.com/scientists-puzzled-giant-ancient-lifeforms