Chapter 29, Problem 9TYK

Bryophytes were the dominant plants in the first 100 million years of plant evolution. By the Carboniferous period, seedless vascular plants formed giant forests. Why could these plants out-compete bryophytes?

1. a. Their protected embryos were better able to withstand dry conditions, providing a selective advantage in dominating terrestrial habitats.
2. b. They did not require water for their sperm to swim to fertilize the eggs, allowing them to colonize dry)' habitats.
3. c. Their dominant generation was diploid, so they could grow faster than haploid bryophytes.
4. d. Their vascular tissue enabled them to grow tall, competing for light and more widely dispersing their spores.