This research reveals how different groups of fungi independently evolved complex multicellular structures like mushrooms using remarkably similar genetic tools, despite being separated by over 650 million years of evolution. The study shows that when organisms have similar genetic building blocks available to them, they may evolve similar traits even if they are very distantly related. Impacts on everyday life: – Helps explain why certain biological traits repeatedly evolve in nature – Provides insights into how complex organisms develop from simple ones – Advances our understanding of how mushrooms and other fungal structures evolve – Could inform genetic engineering approaches for controlling fungal growth – May help predict how organisms might evolve in response to environmental changes