The Most Direct Ancestors of Land Plants Were Probably

Question

The most direct ancestors of land plants were probably
A) photosynthesizing prokaryotes cyanobacteria).
B) any of the green algae that live in water.
C) certain groups of algae.
D) liverworts and mosses.

Accepted Answer

Recent research suggests that the most likely direct ancestors of land plants were certain groups of algae, such as charophytes. While green algae are closely related to land plants, they are not considered direct ancestors. Cyanobacteria are not plants, and liverworts and mosses are land plants themselves, not ancestors.