Lichen-Like Symbiosis 600 Million Years Ago

@article{Yuan2005LichenLikeS6,
  title={Lichen-Like Symbiosis 600 Million Years Ago},
  author={Xunlai Yuan and Shuhai Xiao and Thomas N. Taylor},
  journal={Science},
  year={2005},
  volume={308},
  pages={1017 - 1020}
}
The fossil record of fungi and lichens is scarce. Here we report the discovery of lichen-like fossils, involving filamentous hyphae closely associated with coccoidal cyanobacteria or algae, preserved in marine phosphorite of the Doushantuo Formation (between 551 and 635 million years old) at Weng'an, South China. These fossils indicate that fungi developed symbiotic partnerships with photoautotrophs before the evolution of vascular plants. 
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247 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
10
Background Citations
99
Methods Citations
1
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247 Citations

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