The mystery of prehistoric giant mushrooms

Imagine a primitive scenario , halfway between fantasy and mystery.It is a time where Earth has only two continents: Euramerica , to the north, and Gondwana , to the south.Imagine now that you are walking on a soil almost devoid of vegetation, there are hardly any plants, and your steps explode in the thicket of a rocky stage, where they stand...

The authentic giants of the Earth: the prototaxites.These giant mushrooms were like strange mastiffs that could reach almost 8 meters.The higher the height, the greater the possibility of escaping their spores, and hence their sovereignty In these scenarios of Silurico and Devonico , almost 420 million years ago...

But, what were they? Trees, bushes? ...The prototaxites were fungi.If you have felt a chill or have been stung by curiosity, do not hesitate to know more about these creatures worthy of appearing in the "Lost World" of Jules Verne.

The era in which the Prototaxites, giant fungi, dominated the Earth

Scientists tell us that the true fungus was underground.It is suspected that its filaments were what went outside in tree shape or "phallic structure" , so that you can escape the spores at a greater distance.

Seen in detail and under the lens from a telescope, the fossil remains of the prototaxiles are more like mushrooms, especially those tubes called hyphae.First of all, its existence was not known until in 1859 a group of archaeologists found some very curious «tree» fossils in Canada.

Image courtesy QT Luong

What could you think of seeing these strange remains? That they were coniferous.And so I certify the Canadian paleontologist John William Dawson , however, I leave a little doubt open...His appearance was so unique that he was never fully sure of his own classification.In 1872, the Scottish botanist William Carruthers suggested no, that those remains were not coniferous...But seaweeds of gigantic sizes! In fact, I provide evidence that brown algae, for example, could reach up to 70 meters, and develop very striking trunks.So...what if they were really algae and not conifers?

Later , in 1919 and after a debate of almost a century, it was suggested that neither conifers nor giant algae: a lichen...but could lichens of similar dimensions exist in the past? He looked incredible, but now you may wonder if today it is only possible to find Prototaxil fossils in Canada.The answer is no.The problem that they have been classified relatively late, is due to their appearance.When one is by chance with a fossil of these characteristics, the first thing you think is that is petrified wood .? You can even see the rings that every tree has inside.

However, these titans were not trees...But mushrooms of more than 8 meters! And there are on the beaches of Saudi Arabia , even in New York .The scientific community found unanimity in 2001, when Francis Hueber proposed that the Prototaxites was actually, An authentic and wonderful giant mushroom.In the days of the Devonian the Prototaxiles had no greater enemy than the wind.Even there were no large herbivores that could destroy them, hence they were the most abundant form of terrestrial life, in a scenario where only microbes, worms, scorpions moved.and gigantic centipedes.

On the other hand, our giant mushrooms, the Prototaxiles, fed on those cryptobiotic soils that gave them so much dominance, until the plants began to evolve and consume the resources of these «giant mushrooms», worthy of appearing in any good science fiction novel.

Representation of these ancient giant mushrooms

So imagine...imagine how fascinating our planet should be in those times when Prototaxiles, dominated the Earth And remember, if you liked this article, also discover the terrifying oceanic depths during prehistory.

Image: Sabrina Setaro