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NatureSurprise 5/5Difficulty 3/5Reviewed on September 18, 2026

From a genetic point of view, fungi are closer to animals than to plants.

Why it is true

Fungi share with animals characteristics such as chitin in their cell walls and glycogen as an energy reserve. Molecular studies confirm that fungi and animals diverged from a common ancestor more recently than either did from plants.

Source: Nature

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