The origins of fungi are shrouded in the mists of time, but evidence suggests that they emerged as distinct organisms approximately one billion years ago. While their precise ancestry remains a topic of scientific debate, some believe that fungi evolved from a common ancestor shared with animals, while others propose that they originated from protists, a diverse group of eukaryotic organisms. Fossil records reveal that fungi have inhabited the Earth for hundreds of millions of years, playing crucial ecological roles as decomposers, nutrient cyclers, and symbiotic partners with plants and animals.
