A fossilized fungus or fungal impression preserved in rock or sediment.
From Latin fungus + -ite (fossil suffix, from Greek lithos, stone), forming 'fossilized fungus.' This paleontological term appeared in the 19th century as scientists began identifying ancient fungal remains.
Fungites are incredibly rare fossils because fungi have soft bodies that don't preserve well—when paleontologists find them, they're discovering evidence of ancient ecosystems that would otherwise be completely invisible.
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