A Global Catastrophic Event Wiped Out Ancient Forests by Brian
Thomas, M.S. * Fungi are single or multi-celled organisms that
break down organic materials, such as rotting wood, in order to
absorb their nutrients. Neither plant nor animal, they range
from mushrooms to single-celled yeast. Scientists were
investigating organic chemicals trapped in an Italian
sedimentary rock formation when they found evidence that an
extinct fungus feasted on dead wood during a time when the
world’s forests had been catastrophically eradicated.1 What
could have caused such a universal effect on forests, and why
does organic material remain in rocks that are supposedly 251.4
million years old?2 Researchers from the U.K., U.S., and the
Netherlands collaborated to identify the organic microfossils of
tiny remains. The cell shapes are still discernable, including
their chain-like fibrous forms. These organisms, called
Reduviasporonites, have been the subject of a longstanding
debate: were they fungi or filamentous algae? Chemical