We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
The closest living relatives of land plants.
- Authors
Karol, K G; McCourt, R M; Cimino, M T; Delwiche, C F
- Abstract
The embryophytes (land plants) have long been thought to be related to the green algal group Charophyta, though the nature of this relationship and the origin of the land plants have remained unresolved. A four-gene phylogenetic analysis was conducted to investigate these relationships. This analysis supports the hypothesis that the land plants are placed phylogenetically within the Charophyta, identifies the Charales (stoneworts) as the closest living relatives of plants, and shows the Coleochaetales as sister to this Charales/land plant assemblage. The results also support the unicellular flagellate Mesostigma as the earliest branch of the charophyte lineage. These findings provide insight into the nature of the ancestor of plants, and have broad implications for understanding the transition from aquatic green algae to terrestrial plants.
- Publication
Science (New York, N.Y.), 2001, Vol 294, Issue 5550, p2351
- ISSN
0036-8075
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1126/science.1065156