A 407-million-year-old ancient fungus was found on the ground

Scientists from the Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge have discovered the fossil of a fungus that lived 407 million years ago in Scotland, New Phytologist reported.

The find, uncovered in the Winfield shale layers, confirmed the existence of one of the earliest biological partnerships between fungi and plants — mycorrhiza. In this mutually beneficial relationship, fungi helped plants absorb water and minerals, while plants provided them with sugars. Mycorrhiza remains one of the fundamental systems supporting many modern ecosystems.

The newly identified species was named Rugososporomyces lavoisierae. It existed in symbiotic association with the ancient plant Aglaophyton and was recorded as the second fungus species linked to that plant.

Using advanced microscopy, scientists studied the fossilized tissues and successfully distinguished fungal cells from plant cells. Even though the DNA had not been preserved, the team proved the presence of the fungus through the optical signatures of the ancient tissues.

According to the head of the research, Dr. Christine Strullu-Derrien, the fungus’s branching structure showed that it was not parasitic but lived in a mutually beneficial relationship with plants.

“This discovery is crucial for understanding how fungi and plants jointly adapted to life on land and created the earliest ecosystems that laid the foundation for life on Earth today,” she said.