Toads = Fungi? Mark 2.

[Rex]

Toads and goombas are related to mushrooms. But other than shape, how are they simmilar to fungus baced orrganisims?

We can also talk about how beanish people are related to plants.

[Meta Black Yoshi]

Perhaps they just look like that to blend in with similar plants growing in and around the respective areas. But I think goombas may actualy be closer related to plants, or fungi.

[Jellyfloater]

I think that when toads are born they are similar to spores, but their parents look after them.

[Rex]

Do they have any relationship with plants the way real mushrooms do?

[shadowgoomba]

What's a mushroom's relation with plants? They eating the dead ones is all I can think of. But in actuality, fungi and plants are two very different classifications of organisms, mostly because plants use photosynthesis and fungi don't.

[Meta Black Yoshi]

Maby it's cause they mostly grow on the ground and are immobile. But there are lots of plants and fungi on ME, not including toads and or goobas, that can move around freely.

[shadowgoomba]

Sponges grow on the ground and are immombile, but they are considered animals. I think fungi has more in common with animals than plants.

[Meta Black Yoshi]

I thought we were talking about plants and fungi, not animals and fungi....Sponges neither use photosynthisis nor decompose dead material.

[Rex]

Fungi decomposes dead material, so douse evolved fungi do that to?

[shadowgoomba]

It would have to, or else it wouldn't be considered fungi.

[Meta Black Yoshi]

Toads or at least goombas have been called mushrooms but have they ever been called fungi before? And I guess that must meen that at least funguy can decompose stuff, as well as all the mushroom powerups but besides there extra nutritioness and seemingly magical effects there's really nothing else verry special about them.

[shadowgoomba]

Nothing really explains why the mushroom unexplicately move and seem to prefer to go of a cliff than get eaten by you either.

[Meta Black Yoshi]

O yea, I forgot that some of those Mushrooms move too. I hate to do it, but I might have to just chalk this one up to magic...

[Rex]

Do toads and goombas reproduce by spores? Maybe the storks collect the spores and return them to their parents.

[shadowgoomba]

Again, they would have to, or else they wouldn't be considered fungi. (The only exception is yeast)

[Meta Black Yoshi]

Fungi don't have to reproduce by spores, that's just a common trait among most of them. Just like all mammals don't have to have live births.

[shadowgoomba]

Other than the aforementioned yeast, I can't think of anything. And yes, there are exceptions to every rule, but we have to go with the most likely explanation unless evidence suggests otherwise.

[Meta Black Yoshi]

Evidence is suggested otherwise......you said it yourself.....Yeast....if even one form of fungi can reproduce without spores and still be considered a fungus then who knows how manny other undiscovered forms of like fungi are out there. Plus, you should always leave a little extra theory room when talking about the Mario Universe.

[shadowgoomba]

I meant evidence in the games. But if there is undeniable proof that Toads don't reproduce with spores resulting from one of those theories, I'd be more than happy to go along with it. For now, though, I think it's best to go with the route that is the most likely to actually happen.

[Rex]

I just thought of something. Paragoombas drop down micro-goombas on you. Perhaps thats how they reproduse, sending down their spores onto a host.