[Campbell Biology P.709] According to the provided text, which statement best describes the ... | Practice Question
According to the provided text, which statement best describes the significance of fungi's early colonization of land and their interactions with plants?
A: Fungi primarily colonized land after plants, serving as decomposers for plant remains.
B: Fungi's extracellular digestion capabilities allowed them to form the first multicellular structures on land, preceding plants.
C: Fungi likely colonized land before plants, forming symbiotic mycorrhizal associations that were crucial for early plants to obtain soil nutrients due to their lack of roots.
D: Early land fungi formed parasitic relationships with the "green slime" organisms, hindering plant colonization.
Explanation
The text states that fungi may well have colonized land before plants, and that early plants lacked roots, relying on mycorrhizal associations with fungi to obtain soil nutrients. This symbiotic relationship was crucial for their survival.