26-Foot Devonian Fossil Baffles Scientists for 165 Years: A New Branch of Life?

• Prototaxites taiti, a 26-foot log-shaped fossil from the Devonian period, has puzzled researchers for 165 years.
• New research suggests this ancient giant may belong to a completely unknown branch of multicellular life, rewriting early terrestrial organism knowledge.
• Advanced analysis using 3D imaging, molecular chemistry, and machine learning revealed P. taiti lacked chitin (a key fungal molecule) and its composition is unlike any known plant or animal.
• Machine-learning analysis confirmed it does not match any living branch of life, suggesting it represents an extinct, unknown multicellular lineage.
• Prototaxites was the largest terrestrial organism of its time, towering up to 26 feet, and may have shaped Devonian landscapes before trees became common.