Learn about Prototaxites, a bizarre group of prehistoric organisms that fall within an unknown lineage of extinct life.

All species on Earth, both living and extinct, are related. We know this because of a biological tool called the tree of life. This "tree" takes the form of a diagram that maps the relationships ...

The classification of animal groups is essential to the development of modern biology—but it's extremely complicated. Trying to shoehorn the messy, complicated web of interrelationships that is ...

Researchers studying exquisitely preserved Scottish fossils say Prototaxites represents an entirely extinct eukaryotic lineage - a “new form of life” in the sense that it does not fit into known major ...

Scientists have debated where Prototaxites belong in the tree of life for over a century, but now a new study suggests it might represent a whole new branch. Reading time 2 minutes Hundreds of ...