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Fungal Underground Alliance

By Michael Alan Prestwood

Sun 22 Feb 2026
Published 2 months ago.
Updated 2 months ago.
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By 450 million years ago, fungi and plants started a rich dirt alliance. Forests grew because fungi fed them. Plants exchanged sugars for fungi phosphors and minerals.

Fungal Underground Alliance

~450 Million years ago (+/- 10 million)
Arbuscular mycorrhizae (Glomeromycota symbiosis)

Early plants struggled on barren land. Fungi partnered with them. In exchange for sugars, fungi delivered phosphorus and minerals through vast underground networks. This mutualism — mycorrhizae — became one of the most important biological alliances in Earth’s history.

— map / TST —

Michael Alan Prestwood
Author & Natural Philosopher
Prestwood writes on science-first philosophy, with particular attention to the convergence of disciplines. Drawing on his TST Framework, his work emphasizes rational inquiry grounded in empirical observation while engaging questions at the edges of established knowledge. With TouchstoneTruth positioned as a living touchstone, this work aims to contribute reliable, evolving analysis in an emerging AI era where the credibility of information is increasingly contested.
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This Week @ TST
April 8, 2026
»Column Archive
WWB Research….
1. Story of the Week
Pragmatism
2. Quote of the Week
“Our statements about the external world face the tribunal of sense experience not individually, but only as a corporate body.”
3. Science FAQ »
Why do scientific models work if they aren’t literally true?
4. Philosophy FAQ »
Is agnosticism a ludicrous position to occupy?
5. Critical Thinking FAQ »
Do my people and culture help or harm my critical thinking?
6. History FAQ!
Did Berger and Luckmann really say reality is just made up?
Bonus Deep-Dive Article
TST Doxastic Formation: Public Belief, Tribe, and Worldview
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