All articles tagged with #multicellularlife
New analyses of Prototaxites fossils from Scotland’s Rhynie chert show the 400-million-year-old giant—up to about 9 meters tall—likely wasn’t a plant, animal, or fungus, but an as-yet unknown form of multicellular life, with biomarkers unlike fungi and other features not matching any modern group, leaving its biology unresolved and warranting further study.
A new study published in Science Advances argues that Prototaxites, a 400-million-year-old fossil that could reach about 9 meters tall, is not a plant, fungus, or algae but likely an unknown form of multicellular life. Researchers analyzed fossils from the Rhynie chert in Scotland and found biomarkers that differ from fungi and other structural features, suggesting Prototaxites may occupy an entirely different branch of the tree of life; the team cautions that only a few specimens have been examined and plans follow-up work on related tubular fossils to broaden understanding.