Skip to main content

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.

The mystery of prehistoric giant mushrooms

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.

The mystery of prehistoric giant mushrooms

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.

The mystery of prehistoric giant mushrooms

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.

The mystery of prehistoric giant mushrooms

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

Etiquetas:

Comments

  1. Optimus PrimeMay 26, 2021 at 4:02 AM

    I admire what you have done here. I like the part where you say you are doing this to give back but I would assume by all the comments that this is working for you as well. Magic Mushroom Shop Canada

    ReplyDelete
  2. silent.johnAugust 11, 2021 at 4:27 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJanuary 28, 2022 at 5:29 AM

    I really impressed after read this because of some quality work and informative thoughts . I just wanna say thanks for the writer and wish you all the best for coming!. Mycology supplies

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownFebruary 4, 2022 at 12:20 AM

    Thanks for every other informative site. The place else may just I get that kind of information written in such an ideal means? I have a venture that I’m just now operating on, and I have been on the look out for such information. mushroom grow kit uk

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do you know the gay bomb project?

It is not an invention or a film of the eighties, when the homophobic humor was still socially accepted, or when the scripts of American cinema were not very demanding, nor is it a porn movie, but a real story of the decade of the nineties that has come to light thanks to the "Freedom of Information Act" ( Freedom of Information Act ), which allows access to secret documents after a certain number of years , which vary according to the importance of the secret or to the damages that its diffusion may cause. Using this law, Edward Hammond of the University Berkeley had access to documents from the Wright Laboratories of Ohio, a US Air Force research laboratory that in 1994 proposed, among other unconventional weapons, the development of a "gay bomb" . The “make love and not war” bomb, designed for war Stop speculating: the exploding bomb was supposed to release a non-lethal chemical that would cause an uncontrollable sexual attraction by his companio...
Post a Comment
Read more

A diet to fight cancer?

Today I would like to share with you, curious readers, the amazing story of a cancer patient who decides to fight the disease following a rigorous diet vegan .What drives him to make this "reckless" decision? What results do you get? What is this extraordinary diet that I use to fight cancer? These are the points that we will analyze next. A diet to fight cancer? The patient I am talking about is called Antonio and is originally from Calabria, a region south of Italy with a rich culinary tradition in both meat and fish, since this man is diagnosed with a metastasis in the brain in 2011, after having fought hard to overcome two other lung tumors.To begin this new battle, doctors propose radiotherapy sessions to reduce the volume of the tumor and the surrounding edema. Three months later make a check and although the result is positive , the tumor has not disappeared, so they suggest a cycle of chemotherapy.Antonio, tired of strong and aggressive treatments, r...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the age of planet Earth?

The age of planet Earth is something that scientists have been discussing for a long time.The first calculation was made in the middle of the century XVII from the data extracted from the book of Genesis.Since that time other experiments and calculations have been carried out that, with greater or lesser scientific rigor, have tried to clarify this question. Already in 1654 , A scholar named John Lightfoot , whose calculations were based on the book of Genesis in the Bible, proclaimed that the Earth had been created precisely at 9 o'clock.tomorrow, Mesopotamia time, on October 26 of the year 4004 BC . At the beginning of the XVIII century, a scientist, the count of Buffon , warmed a small replica of the planet he created and measured the speed to which it cooled.Based on these data I estimate that the Earth was about 75,000 years old. In the 19th century, the Physical Lord Kelvin I use different equations to establish that the Earth was between 20 and 4...
Post a Comment
Read more

Scientists find a GENETIC relationship between personality and psychiatric disorders

In the fight that the scientific community has declared to the diseases, it would be an invaluable weapon to have a pathological development map of each patient, to be able to fight the diseases even before they manifest themselves.study that is being carried out on the Genetics of Personality, which is laying the groundwork so that through genetics you can predict personality and psychiatric disorders. Scientists find a GENETIC relationship between personality and disorders psychiatric According to the latest studies on the human genome, like other diseases are hereditary, mental illnesses and even some features of our personality are already predetermined.Yes, features like the kindness, the responsibility, the extroversion, the neuroticism and the openness to the experience they already have a precise genetic marker that, if present in our DNA, will make us possess this specific quality. Of course, although the genetic predisposition in the qualities of the per...
1 comment
Read more

These 13 social skills are very simple, but they will make you more pleasant

Introverts or extroverts… humans, by nature, are social beings.We need to interact with others to feel that we fit in somewhere, that we feel understood, and at the same time, share with them moments that are integrated into the album of memories of our life. Either to build a new circle of friends or to introduce yourself to a new work environment, a simple key to socializing leaving a very good image in the attempt consists of be nice .And how to achieve it? Based on advice from experts in labels and civility and from authors of books on human relationships, we present 13 basic social skills that will help you improve with interactions. These 13 social skills are very simple, but they will make you more pleasant Maintain eye contact The eyes being the windows of the soul, undress our true intentions without the need to pronounce any word.Hence lies the importance of maintaining eye contact while we talk, since it is a way of saying , "I am attentive to what you say,...
Post a Comment
Read more

5 nightmares you sure have suffered. Do you know what they mean?

In the mysterious and fascinating world of our dreams, as in surrealist paintings, a pen is not just a pen.Symbolic and metaphorical codes are being used to analyze our subconscious world. Decipher Dreams are not an easy task, even for the most qualified psychologists.But what about nightmares? 5 nightmares that you have surely suffered.Do you know what they mean? While that common dreams usually represent our most intimate desires, our nightmares represent our inner fears and anxieties. There are not many psychologists who believe that nightmares always have a deep meaning.Most believe that sometimes they are constructions created rather at random, however, there are some general guidelines to keep in mind. 1.Fall from a great height This type of nightmare happens to people whose anxiety is linked to the feeling that they are not in charge of their own life or even of themselves. This can be caused by the person's work, intimate relationships, money, etc.After a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nemesis, the Death Star that would bring extinction to Earth

When we heard the "Death Star" think of the space station of the Star Wars movie series designed by Darth Sidious and capable of destroying small planets, space stations, cities or enemy fleets.That is, it was conceived as a war weapon of annihilation.Translating this idea to the real sphere, some scientists have launched the hypothesis of the existence of Nemesis, the Star of Death that would bring extinction to Earth and be a real star .Join us to know this interesting and terrifying theory. Nemesis, the Death Star and the extinction hypothesis The hypothesis from which these scientists start is that the sun has a companion at a distance of 1.5 light years.This star would have an ellipse-shaped orbit and every 26 million years Approximately when approaching our planet would send matter and would cause a series of phenomena that would lead the Earth to mass extinction.This hypothesis was formulated because evidence was found in the geological record that such ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Toxic foods! Be careful what you give your dog!

When we have a pet at home the routine changes completely, from the time to get up to the cleaning.If it is cats, we have to have the special arenas to make their needs, and if it is dogs, accommodate our schedule to take them out for a walk. And if there are children, because things do not vary much, unless there are more hands to help in their care.We tend to humanize the animals, and the We consider one more of our family , so much, that there are those who even feed them the same as what is eaten at the table, from spiced meats to delicious chocolate and cream sweets. And we think that what we like our dogs, or what is good for a person is also for an animal.Nothing further from the reality and good health of that ot ro family member.Many times, for not having the right information, we do more harm than good, and we believe that by giving them everything about our dishes they will be well fed. And anyone who has a dog knows how greedy it can be , eats almost anything we ...
Post a Comment
Read more

5 things that only those of us who love music know

We could say, almost without error, that music is more than a language , that it is a whole universe of emotions, an umbilical cord that makes us vibrate and enriches us as human beings. What kind of music do you like? Are you faithful to a style or are you open to all kinds of trends? The truth is that it does not matter too much if the latest hits in pop music sound every day in your headphones or if your fingers drum in raptors of jazz.We are sure that as a good music lover, you will identify yourself with any of these dimensions. 1.Our refuge, our daily motor and the relief of sorrows Music is that daily breath that receives us when we start the day.It's so revitalizing like coffee , and there's no time when you get out of bed, don't give "play" on that list of favorites on your player. When life brings you sadness, you find relief with it, with that perfect song that calms you, that clothes you and that takes root with you.We all have a favor...
Post a Comment
Read more