Answer
Slime molds are close relatives of animals, but they have fruiting bodies and spores like fungi, giving rise to the term “fungus animal.” However, they are only convergent with fungi, and they are not animals at all.
Work Step by Step
Review the description of these organisms in Concept 28.5 and look for features that match up with animals and fungi for the first part of the answer. Then ask yourself: are they really fungi and animals? No— they do not fit into either of those groups taxonomically.
