From: rokimoto557@gmail.com   
      
   On 10/2/2025 11:50 PM, Pro Plyd wrote:   
   >   
   > https://phys.org/news/2025-09-fungi-stage-life-hundreds-millions.html   
   >   
   > "New research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution   
   > sheds light on the timelines and pathways of evolution   
   > of fungi, finding evidence of their influence on   
   > ancient terrestrial ecosystems. The study, led by   
   > researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and   
   > Technology (OIST) and collaborators, indicates the   
   > diversification of fungi hundreds of millions of   
   > years before the emergence of land plants."   
   >   
   > Long story short   
   >   
   > "The analysis suggests a common ancestor of living   
   > fungi dating to roughly 1.4–0.9 billion years   
   > ago—well before land plants. That timing supports   
   > a long prelude of fungi–algae interactions that   
   > helped set the stage for life on land."   
   >   
      
   Makes sense because land plants evolved from fresh water algae that   
   evolved after other algae.  Fungi would have been evolving and   
   diversifying living off the bacteria that first adapted to terrestrial   
   conditions.  We still find these anaerobic photosynthetic bacteria in   
   mud and thermal conditions.  Fungi need to live off autotrophic primary   
   carbon fixers.  So as soon as such autotrophic bacteria and eukaryotic   
   algae adapted to living at least partly on land fungi could have followed.   
      
   Ron Okimoto   
      
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