Kickstarted the human race?

Tortotubus is the oldest fossilised land organism ever found. Photo: © National News and Pictures

Sarah Knapton reports at The Telegraph,

It might not look much, but without this fossilised Scottish fungus you probably would not exist.
Some 440 million years ago this tiny organism was among the first to make its way out of the seas and begin colonising the land.
It is the oldest example of a land-dwelling species ever discovered in the fossil record. Only sea creatures have been found which are older.

But crucially for humans, this early pioneer kick-started the process of rot and soil formation which eventually allowed plants to flourish, tempted animals on to dry land.
Examples of the diminutive Tortotubus fungus - shorter than the width of a human hair - were discovered on the Scottish Inner Hebridean island of Kerrera, and in Gotland, Sweden by scientists from the University of Cambridge.

Read more here.

h/t Dave Barry