Chapter 32.2, Problem 2CC

Summary Introduction

To determine: If the common ancestor of fungi and animals used to live 1 billion years ago and whether the first fungi lived 990 million years ago, and whether the extant animals survived at that period.

Concept introduction:

Certain phylogenetic analyses have speculated that all the fungi, sponges, and other animals have evolved from protists. The early protists were single-celled and flagellated. They evolved between 1.6 to 2.7 billion years ago. The common ancestor protist diverged into fungi and animals.