{"id":18089,"date":"2026-02-06T01:05:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T01:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/prototaxites-unknown-lifeform\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T01:05:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T01:05:01","slug":"prototaxites-unknown-lifeform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/prototaxites-unknown-lifeform\/","title":{"rendered":"Prototaxites fossils may represent an unknown multicellular life\u2011form, new study suggests"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>Lead: New chemical and structural analyses of three Prototaxites specimens from the Rhynie chert near Aberdeen suggest this 400\u2011million\u2011year\u2011old, tree\u2011sized organism cannot be confidently placed among plants, fungi or animals. The study, published last month in Science Advances, finds biomarker signatures and internal anatomy that differ from co\u2011occurring fungal fossils preserved under the same conditions. Researchers conclude Prototaxites\u2014first described about 160 years ago and known to reach about 9 meters (30 feet)\u2014may represent a distinct, previously unrecognized branch of multicellular life. The team cautions the result is preliminary and limited to a subset of known Prototaxites species.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Age and context: Prototaxites fossils date to the early Devonian, roughly 400 million years ago, from the Rhynie chert hot\u2011spring deposits near Aberdeen, Scotland.<\/li>\n<li>Size: Specimens can reach up to about 9 meters (30 feet) tall, towering over contemporary plants that were generally under 1 meter.<\/li>\n<li>Chemical evidence: Biomarker analysis found Prototaxites lacks chitin\u2011 and glucan\u2011derived compounds present in nearby fungal fossils preserved under the same conditions.<\/li>\n<li>Structural differences: Internal, branching spheroidal zones and interwoven tubular tissues differ from known fungal architectures, living or extinct.<\/li>\n<li>Metabolism inference: Earlier work indicates Prototaxites did not photosynthesize and likely acquired carbon from environmental sources, but metabolic mode remains unresolved for all species.<\/li>\n<li>Sampling scope: The new chemical study examined three Rhynie chert specimens and represents one species out of some 25 named Prototaxites types; broader sampling is needed.<\/li>\n<li>Scientific significance: If the findings hold across more specimens, Prototaxites would indicate a major, now\u2011extinct experiment in complex multicellularity early in terrestrial ecosystems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>The Rhynie chert is an exceptionally preserved early Devonian terrestrial site where hot\u2011spring silica cemented organisms quickly after death, retaining microscopic anatomy and molecular fossils. Excavations there have produced detailed fossils of some of the earliest land plants, fungi and small animals, making the deposit a key window into ecosystem assembly about 400 million years ago. Prototaxites was first described in the mid\u201119th century and for decades was variously identified as a conifer trunk, a giant fungus, or a lichen\u2011like consortium of fungus and algae.<\/p>\n<p>Over time, interpretations shifted as microscopic study showed the body was composed of interwoven tubes rather than plant\u2011type blocky cells; later chemical work and size arguments led some researchers to favor fungal affinities. However, fungal groups with complex macroscopic forms known today (for example, many mushroom\u2011forming lineages) appear much younger in the molecular record, complicating direct comparison. This long history of shifting hypotheses makes Prototaxites a focal point for debates about how multicellular life diversified on land.<\/p>\n<h2>Main event<\/h2>\n<p>Researchers led by Corentin Loron of the University of Edinburgh reanalyzed three Prototaxites specimens from the Rhynie chert using high\u2011resolution chemical and microscopic methods reported in Science Advances last month. The team targeted fossilization products\u2014stable molecular remnants that can preserve traces of original biomolecules\u2014and compared Prototaxites signatures with co\u2011buried fungal remains preserved in the same silica matrix. Because burial and diagenesis were essentially identical, the authors argue chemical contrasts are unlikely to be taphonomic artifacts.<\/p>\n<p>The contrasts were pronounced: fungal fossils from the same horizons contained compounds consistent with degraded chitin and glucan, canonical structural polymers of fungal cell walls, whereas Prototaxites lacked those biomarkers. Microscopy revealed internal dark, spheroidal regions with complex branching networks that the authors interpret as possible conduits for exchange of gas, water or nutrients\u2014architectures not matching known fungal hyphal aggregations. Taken together, the chemical and structural lines of evidence led the authors to conclude Prototaxites cannot be confidently placed within any extant kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>Independent experts praised the analytic rigor but urged caution. Kevin Boyce (Stanford University), who has previously investigated Prototaxites metabolism, noted the organism\u2019s size and apparent heterotrophy align with some fungal lifestyles but emphasized that modern analogues are not directly comparable to a 400\u2011million\u2011year\u2011old organism. Marc\u2011Andr\u00e9 Selosse (Natural History Museum, Paris) commended the new analyses yet highlighted that only a fraction of described Prototaxites species were sampled, leaving questions about diversity and function across the genus.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; implications<\/h2>\n<p>If Prototaxites represents a distinct lineage of complex multicellular life, it expands our picture of early terrestrial innovation and indicates multiple, independent experiments in large body plans occurred during the Devonian. Early land ecosystems were still assembling, with plants generally small and soils thin; a giant, nonphotosynthetic column would have occupied a unique ecological role, perhaps as a decomposer, nutrient conduit, or structural element in the landscape.<\/p>\n<p>From a phylogenetic standpoint, the absence of fungal biomarkers in these specimens challenges the practice of assigning deep time megascopic fossils to modern phyla by superficial similarity. Molecular clocks and modern diversity sampling both show many modern multicellular clades postdate the earliest macroscopic fossils, so deep branching, now\u2011extinct experiments may not map onto living groups. This result underscores the need for combined chemical, microstructural and contextual evidence when placing enigmatic fossils.<\/p>\n<p>Practically, the finding will prompt targeted sampling campaigns across Prototaxites species, stratigraphic horizons and preservation settings to test whether the observed chemical signature is widespread or restricted to particular taxa or taphonomic windows. If corroborated, textbooks will need to accommodate a now\u2011extinct, major multicellular lineage in reconstructions of Devonian ecology and terrestrialization processes. Conversely, alternative explanations\u2014such as loss or transformation of diagnostic biomarkers under specific conditions\u2014remain plausible until broader data arrive.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Feature<\/th>\n<th>Prototaxites (Rhynie specimens)<\/th>\n<th>Co\u2011occurring fungi (Rhynie)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Biomarkers (chitin\/glucan)<\/td>\n<td>Absent<\/td>\n<td>Present<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Photosynthetic evidence<\/td>\n<td>Absent<\/td>\n<td>Absent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Maximum preserved height<\/td>\n<td>~9 m (30 ft)<\/td>\n<td>generally <1 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Internal architecture<\/td>\n<td>Interwoven tubes + branching spheroids<\/td>\n<td>Hyphal networks with chitinous walls<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The table summarizes key contrasts used by the authors: chemical biomarkers, lack of photosynthetic signatures, size, and microstructure. Together these metrics form the basis for arguing Prototaxites does not match known fungal fossils from the same deposit. However, single\u2011site sampling and species coverage remain limitations, so the comparison should be read as provisional rather than definitive.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; quotes<\/h2>\n<p>The new paper has elicited careful interest across paleontology and mycology communities, with experts emphasizing both the novelty and the need for expanded sampling.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s so different from any modern group we have,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Corentin Loron, University of Edinburgh (co\u2011lead author)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Loron framed the result as a persuasive but incomplete reclassification effort, noting chemical and anatomical data together produce an unusual signal.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;You can compare it to mushrooms, but mushrooms just aren\u2019t that old,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Kevin Boyce, Stanford University (independent researcher)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Boyce emphasized evolutionary timing: superficially similar modern groups do not necessarily imply direct ancestry for ancient macroscopic forms.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;The sampling is not encompassing the diversity of Prototaxites species,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Marc\u2011Andr\u00e9 Selosse, Natural History Museum, Paris (independent researcher)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Selosse urged broader taxonomic sampling before declaring a final classification, reflecting a common theme among commentators.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: Why biomarkers and the Rhynie chert matter<\/summary>\n<p>Biomarkers are stable molecular residues derived from original biological compounds (for example, breakdown products of chitin in fungi). In exceptional deposits like the Rhynie chert, rapid silica permineralization can preserve both fine anatomy and chemical signatures that survive 400 million years. Comparing biomarker suites from co\u2011buried organisms helps control for diagenetic alteration, because taxa preserved in the same rock typically experience similar chemical histories. The Rhynie chert\u2019s hot\u2011spring setting contributed to unusual preservation quality, making it a prime locale to test hypotheses about early terrestrial life. However, not all molecular signals survive equally, and some compounds can be lost or transformed depending on microenvironments within the rock.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Whether the absent fungal biomarkers reflect genuine biological difference or selective molecular loss under microenvironmental conditions remains unresolved.<\/li>\n<li>It is unconfirmed how Prototaxites anchored itself or whether its upright posture was permanent during its lifespan.<\/li>\n<li>The study sampled three specimens from one locality and one named species; whether other Prototaxites species share the same chemistry is not yet shown.<\/li>\n<li>The metabolic pathways used to obtain carbon (decomposer, parasite, or other) are inferred but not directly demonstrated for all specimens.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom line<\/h2>\n<p>The new analyses strengthen the argument that Prototaxites does not comfortably fit within modern plant, fungal or animal categories\u2014at least for the sampled Rhynie specimens\u2014and raise the possibility of an extinct, distinct multicellular lineage in the early Devonian. The combination of absent fungal biomarkers and atypical internal anatomy is a persuasive line of evidence, but it is not yet conclusive across the diversity of Prototaxites.<\/p>\n<p>Definitive resolution will require wider geographic, stratigraphic and taxonomic sampling, replication of chemical results using independent labs and additional contextual data on growth form and ecology. Until then, Prototaxites remains an important, if enigmatic, reminder that Earth\u2019s early terrestrial biosphere experimented with forms and strategies that have no exact modern counterpart.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/02\/05\/science\/prototaxites-fossil-analysis-unknown-life-form\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN<\/a> \u2014 news report summarizing the new study and expert responses (news media).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/journal\/sciadv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science Advances<\/a> \u2014 peer\u2011reviewed journal where the study was published (peer\u2011reviewed journal).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.ac.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Edinburgh<\/a> \u2014 institutional affiliation of co\u2011lead author Corentin Loron (academic institution).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/earth.stanford.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stanford University Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences<\/a> \u2014 affiliation of Kevin Boyce, independent commentator (academic institution).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mnhn.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Natural History Museum, Paris<\/a> \u2014 affiliation of Marc\u2011Andr\u00e9 Selosse, independent commentator (museum \/ research institution).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lead: New chemical and structural analyses of three Prototaxites specimens from the Rhynie chert near Aberdeen suggest this 400\u2011million\u2011year\u2011old, tree\u2011sized organism cannot be confidently placed among plants, fungi or animals. The study, published last month in Science Advances, finds biomarker signatures and internal anatomy that differ from co\u2011occurring fungal fossils preserved under the same conditions. &#8230; <a title=\"Prototaxites fossils may represent an unknown multicellular life\u2011form, new study suggests\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/prototaxites-unknown-lifeform\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Prototaxites fossils may represent an unknown multicellular life\u2011form, new study suggests\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Prototaxites may be an unknown life\u2011form \u2014 DeepScience","rank_math_description":"New chemical and structural analyses of 400\u2011million\u2011year\u2011old Prototaxites fossils from the Rhynie chert suggest they differ from plants and fungi, possibly representing an extinct multicellular lineage.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Prototaxites,Rhynie chert,early Devonian,biomarkers,multicellular life","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18089"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18089\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}