Temporal range: Late Silurian–Famennian Possible record from Darriwilian
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Branching apex of P. loganii, "Schunnemunk tree"
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Fungi
Stem group:
Ascomycota
Family:
†Prototaxitaceae Hueber
Genus:
†Prototaxites Dawson 1859
Type species
Prototaxites loganii
Dawson, 1859
Species
P. caledonicus (Lang 1926) Schmidt & Teichmüller 1954
P. clevelandensis Chitaley 1992b
P. forfarensis (Kidston 1897) Pia
P. hicksii (Etheridge 1881) Dawson 1881
P. honeggeri Retallack 2019
P. loganii Dawson, 1859
P. ortoni (Penhallow 1896)
P. psygmophylloides Kräusel & Weyland 1930 ex Kräusel & Weyland 1931
P. saharianum (Chiarugi 1934)
P. southworthii Arnold, 1952
P. storriei (Barber 1892)
P. taiti (Kidston & Lang 1921)
Synonyms
Celluloxylon Dawson 1881
Germanophyton Høeg 1942
Nematophycus Carruthers 1872
Nematophyton Dawson 1888
Nematoxylon Dawson 1863
Prototaxites/ˌproʊtoʊˈtæksɪtiːz/ is an extinct genus of terrestrial fossil fungi dating from the Late Silurian until the Late Devonian periods.[1][2]Prototaxites formed large trunk-like structures up to 1 metre (3 ft) wide, reaching 8 metres (26 ft) in length,[3] made up of interwoven tubes around 50 micrometres (0.0020 in) in diameter, making it by far the largest land-dwelling organism of its time.
The taxonomy of Prototaxites has long been the subject of debate. It is widely considered a fungus, but the debate is ongoing.[3] Its exact relationship with extant fungus lineages is uncertain. It was almost certainly a perennial organism that grew over multiple years. Several ecologies have been proposed, including that it was saprotrophic like many modern fungi, or that it was a lichenised autotroph.[1]
^ abNelsen, Matthew P.; Boyce, C. Kevin (2022-07-01). "What to Do with Prototaxites ?". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 183 (6): 556–565. doi:10.1086/720688. ISSN 1058-5893. S2CID 249145404.
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^ abCite error: The named reference Boyce2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
long-awaited paper which attempted to put Prototaxites in its place. The paper deduced, based on its morphology, that Prototaxites was a fungus. This idea was received...
largest land organism at the beginning of this period was the enigmatic Prototaxites, which was possibly the fruiting body of an enormous fungus, rolled liverwort...
land flora likely consisted of only non-vascular bryophyte-like plants. Prototaxites, which was probably a fungus or lichen, would have been the tallest organism...
has been demonstrated that Silurian-Devonian fossils Nematothallus and Prototaxites were lichenized. Thus lichenized Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were a...
(2012). "Evidence for a fungal affinity for Nematasketum, a close ally of Prototaxites". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 168 (1): 1–18. doi:10.1111/j...
N. D.; Edwards, D. (1988). "A new Palaeozoic plant closely allied to Prototaxites Dawson". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 97 (2): 189–203. doi:10...
proven to be inorganic rather than true fossils. The Devonian megafossil Prototaxites, which consists of masses of filaments grouped into trunk-like axes,...
Palmgren, Kristoffer; Krüger, Ashley; Ivarsson, Magnus (2023-01-01). "Prototaxites reinterpreted as mega-rhizomorphs, facilitating nutrient transport in...
bryophyte-like plants; but these have been dismissed as contamination. Prototaxites, which was probably a fungus or lichen, would have been the tallest organism...
underestimated Glomeromycota abundance due to amplification biases. Prototaxites Cavalier-Smith, T. (1998). "A revised six-kingdom system of Life". Biol...
wood. These are the oldest known trees of the world's first forests. Prototaxites was the fruiting body of an enormous fungus that stood more than 8 meters...
needed. The first evidence of wildfires is fossils of the giant fungi Prototaxites preserved as charcoal, discovered in South Wales and Poland, dating to...
Jonker (1973), who proposed that Nematothallus represented leaves of Prototaxites, which he interpreted as a red alga. Further work failed to draw together...
described the new genus Pterygotus 1859 Dawson described the new genus Prototaxites 1937 W. H. Lang described the new genus Cooksonia 1972 Kjellesvig-Waering...
First creature to breathe air. First ray-finned fish and land scorpions. Prototaxites, tree-like organism, probably a fungus or lichen. First clear evidence...
largest organism present in Rhynie was probably a fungus, the enigmatic Prototaxites, growing as a mound a metre or more taller than anything in the community...
Mycorrhizae and changing climate Mycorrhizal fungi and soil carbon storage Prototaxites The International Collection of (Vesicular) Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi...
– type locality for species †Productorthis †Productorthis mainensis †Prototaxites †Psilophyton †Psilophyton dapsile – type locality for species †Psilophyton...
were published in the year 2022. A study on the anatomy of specimens of Prototaxites from the Heider quarry in Germany and the Bordeaux quarry in Canada is...
(2012). "Evidence for a fungal affinity for Nematasketum, a close ally of Prototaxites". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 168 (1): 1–18. doi:10.1111/j...
from drill cuttings. Finally, well-preserved, silicified fossils of Prototaxites have been observed and collected from the black shales of the Kettle...
diet characteristics in fossilized specimens. A Paleozoic fossil of Prototaxites has attracted attention dating back to 1859 due to its odd tree-like...
N. D.; Edwards, D. (1988). "A new Palaeozoic plant closely allied to Prototaxites Dawson". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 97 (2): 189–203. doi:10...
least as early as the Silurian. Similar structures have been noted in Prototaxites, which would imply that this giant land organism was not a simple fungus...
on several enigmatic fossils such as Nematothallus, Tortilicaulis and Prototaxites. She is the author or co-author of a considerable number of botanical...
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