The 26-Foot Devonian Fossil Prototaxites Taiti: A 165-Year Scientific Enigma
Loading more articles...
26-Foot Devonian Fossil Baffles Scientists for 165 Years: A New Branch of Life?
M
Moneycontrol•17-02-2026, 16:14
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.