[Campbell Biology P.671] Based on the provided text, which statement correctly describes the... | Practice Question

Based on the provided text, which statement correctly describes the evolutionary relationships of plant groups?

  • A: Bryophytes form a monophyletic clade.
  • B: Seedless vascular plants form a monophyletic clade.
  • C: All vascular plants together form a monophyletic clade.
  • D: Lycophytes and Monilophytes are considered nonvascular plants.

Explanation

The text explicitly states: "Although the term bryophyte is commonly used to refer to all nonvascular plants, molecular studies and morphological analyses of sperm structure have concluded that bryophytes do not form a monophyletic group a clade ." It also mentions, "However, notice in Figure 29.10 that, like bryophytes, seedless vascular plants do not form a clade." In contrast, for vascular plants, it clearly states, "Vascular plants, which form a clade that comprises about 93% of all extant plant species, can be categorized further into smaller clades."