Actually, the period between the development of woody plants and the development of wood-eating fungi was approximately 60 million years, and is known as the ca

Actually, the period between the development of woody plants and the development of wood-eating fungi was approximately 60 million years, and is known as the carboniferous because of all of the carbon that got sequestered. Also, the key chemical wasn't cellulose, but rather lignin. Lignin is an astoundingly complex polymer* that plants use as "concrete" to create their woody cells. As far as I know, white rot fungi is the only group that can break it down. *seriously, look at that thing: http://cse.ksu.edu/REU/S11/emd4y8/breakdown.html http://cse.ksu.edu/REU/S11/emd4y8/breakdown.html. That's a big goddamn molecule.