Is this distinct as in it branched super early from other earth life and died out? Or distinct as in maybe came from another planet and is completely distinct? Can we tell? The journal is astrobiology.
Is this distinct as in it branched super early from other earth life and died out? Or distinct as in maybe came from another planet and is completely distinct? Can we tell? The journal is astrobiology.
The former ... and yes, we can tell. The fact that it is published in astrobiology is irrelevant--it's been published in many places.
"We therefore conclude that Prototaxites was not a fungus, and instead propose it is best assigned to a now entirely extinct ==> terrestrial <== lineage."