This life habit may seem terrible to us, but fungi like Pilobolus are very important in nature. Some bacteria and animals are also decomposers. Without them, we would be surrounded everywhere by piles of dead plants, animals and dung. To live in cow dung, the Pilobolus fungus must first get into the cow's dung. The cow has to eat the spores of Pilobolus while grazing.
Spores are very tough.
The cow cannot digest them. They pass through the animal's digestive system and are excreted in the dung, where they will grow. Pilobolus has evolved a way to shoot its spores on to the grass. Below the swollen tip is a light-sensitive area. The light sensing region affects the growth of Pilobolus by causing it to face toward the sun.