Tallest fungus ever

The tallest fungus in history, known as Prototaxites, stood up to 8 m (26 ft) tall and existed from the Late Silurian to the Late Devonian periods, roughly 420 to 350 million years ago. It spanned up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) wide, and was composed of numerous interwoven tubes (each of which was no more than 50 μm across). Its dimensions also meant that Prototaxites was by far the tallest organism of any kind known to have existed during that particular time period

The first specimens were identified in Gaspé Bay, Quebec, Canada, by the Canadian palaeontologist Charles Dawson in 1859.

Its identity has been a subject of debate, with some experts suggesting it was a massive plant. However, a recent study suggests that it was, in fact, a fungus (and most probably a lichen – a fungus symbiotically linked to an alga).

Some early researchers suggested that it was a kind of prehistoric yew tree (hence its name, Prototaxites, translating as "first yew").