The Nonvascular Land Plants (Liverworts,mosses,and Hornworts)are Considered to Be

Question

The nonvascular land plants (liverworts,mosses,and hornworts)are considered to be
A) a monophyletic group.
B) a polyphyletic group.
C) a paraphyletic group.
D) closely related to the glaucophytes.
E) the most highly derived (evolved)of the plants.

Accepted Answer

Nonvascular land plants are a paraphyletic group because they do not include all descendants of their common ancestor. They are defined as plants that do not have specialized tissues for transporting water and nutrients, but the ancestor of vascular plants likely did have these traits. Therefore, nonvascular plants are a group that includes some but not all descendants of the original ancestor of land plants.