Ancient fungi ruled Earths landscapes billions of years before plants, secretly shaping the first ecosystems

New research reveals fungi, not plants, were Earth's first land colonizers, emerging hundreds of millions of years earlier. These ancient fungi partnered with algae, recycled nutrients, and built proto-soils, stabilizing surfaces and releasing essential elements. This groundbreaking discovery shows fungi created the foundational ecosystems that paved the way for plants and all terrestrial life.