Table of Contents

1. Chapter 1: Present day communities
2. Chapter 2: Evolutionary origins
   1. Life, the Universe and everything
   2. Planet Earth: your habitat
   3. The Goldilocks planet
   4. The tree of life has three domains
   5. The Kingdom Fungi
   6. The opisthokonts
   7. Fossil fungi
   8. The fungal phylogeny
   9. Chapter 2 References and further reading
   10. Buy a PDF of Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3: Natural classification of fungi

Chapter 2: Evolutionary origins

The evolutionary origins and phylogenetics of fungi are the topic of this chapter, and we present it against the background of global evolution in the hope of improving appreciation of the timescales involved.

Reading this chapter could be the longest task you’ll have in your life as a student, because we plan to deal with all the time that has ever existed. We are doing this to provide some context to the enormous lengths of time that we must think about when discussing the origins of one of the major eukaryotic Kingdoms. Using some of the most recent molecular phylogenetic analyses, we describe fungi as an ancient and successful lineage, arguably the first terrestrial eukaryotes. To do this we have to talk in billions (10⁹) of years, and we find it difficult to envisage a billion years. It’s even less easy, given the amazing changes witnessed during a pitifully short human lifetime, to imagine the sorts of changes that can occur in a billion years.

It’s slightly easier to think in terms of fractions and percentages and to take in the lifetime of the Universe by equating a billion years to a little over 7% of the total age of the Universe and extending that to realise that the lifetime of our Sun is about one-third of the age of the Universe.

Well, we did say only slightly easier!

From there we go on to consider planet Earth as a habitat (our habitat, your habitat) and the unique series of events that make this planet (the ‘Goldilocks planet’) so suitable for the sustained evolution of life. Following discussion of the three domains that make up the tree of life, we outline the origin of Kingdom Fungi from the opisthokonts, discuss some fossil fungi and introduce the fungal phylogeny.

For the price of a Coffee & Chocolate Croissant ($5) you can buy yourself a PDF file of this chapter from 21st Century Guidebook to Fungi Online. Our PDFs feature an elegantly simple text layout that is easily readable on your mobile or other device, and all hyperlinks are live so you can continue to enjoy your Internet experience. Chapter 2: Evolutionary origins: Life, the Universe and everything. This chapter includes the appendix items: The story of Planet Earth; Some terminology explained; Outline Classification of Fungi 2018; A fungal root for the eukaryote tree; making a 66-page PDF file priced at FIVE US$ ($5) Delivered to you by SendOwl Not convinced yet? Download a FREE sample HERE

Updated July, 2019