Tortotubus protuberans

Fossils of Tortotubus protuberans, a filamentous fungus, date to the early Silurian Period (440 million years ago) and are thought to be the oldest known fossils of a terrestrial organism. However, in the absence of an extensive fossil record, biochemical characters have served as useful markers in…

The oldest, Tortotubus protuberans, which was discovered in early Silurian-age rocks of New York state, Scotland, and Gotland in Sweden, likely fed on detritus. Silurian-age decomposers, such as fungi and bacteria, are thought to have helped to stock the soil with nutrients capable of supporting terrestrial plant…