Lecture 21 - Plant Diversity (Part 1) Flashcards
Describe the greening of Earth
- Cyanobacteria emerged ~1.2 billion years ago
- Other fungi, algae, “plants” joined ~700 million years ago
- Earliest evidence of trees in Megouasag (Micmac for “red cliffs”)
Describe the earliest evidence of trees in Megouasag (Micmac for “red cliffs”)
- Archaeopteris is a historical tree
- Fossil beds are ~380 million years old
- Development of lignin
- Had fern-like leaves
Describe how plants are part of Archaeplastida
• Unicellular, multicellular and/or colonial members
• 2 main clades
1. Green algae
2. Red algae
• Use of photosynthetic pigments allows for the adaptation to different
environments and also identifies members
What are the 2 main clades part of Archaeplastida?
- Green algae (paraphyletic)
2. Red algae (monophyletic) -> have a holdfast, stipe, blade
Many plant traits appear in algae, some of which were acquired independently. What are the traits?
- Multicellularity
- Photosynthetic pigments (i.e. chlorophylls)
- Cell walls composed of cellulose
What is the 4 points of evidence that Charophytes (Supergroup Archaeplastida, Green algae) are closest relatives to terrestrial plants?
- Rings of cellulose-synthesising proteins
• Many algae produce cellulose in cell walls, but charophytes and land
plants have distinctive circular rings of proteins in the plasma membrane - Flagellated sperm
• In plant species that have flagellated sperm, they most resemble the
sperm in charophytes compared to other algae - Formation of phragmoplast
• Microtubules and associated proteins present in charophytes and land
plants after cytokinesis, guiding the assembly of cell plate formation
• Molecular analyses of nuclear, mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA also support this
Why is moving to land beneficial for plants?
- Sporopollenin is a polymer that prevents desiccation
* More unfiltered sunlight, carbon dioxide, nutrients in soil -> life is good!
Sporopollenin
is a polymer that prevents desiccation
• Common in charophytic algae living at the edge of shallow ponds
Why does moving to land for plants have challenges?
- Water is scare, harder to disperse sperm
* Have to grow against gravity
What are the wide range of adaptions to allow for survival on land for plants?
- Accessory pigments to help with UV protection, antioxidant effects
- Cuticle
- Stomata (pores)
- Formed SYMBIOTIC relationships with fungi (roots did not immediately happen)
- Developed MERISTEMS to allow for vertical growth
- Alternation of generations life cycle
Analysis of fossilized spores shows…
plants colonized land ~450 million years ago
Plants can be broadly classified based on the presence of what?
vascular tissues
Which are Non-vascular plants?
- Liverworts
- Mosses
- Hornworts
What falls under Vascular plants?
- Seedless vascular plants
* Seed plants
Which are Seedless Vascular Plants?
- Lycophyta (club mosses, spike mosses, quillworts)
* Monilophytes (ferns, horsetails, whisk ferns)
Which are Seed Plants?
- Gymnosperms (ginkgos, cycads, gnetophytes, conifers)
* Angiosperms (flowering plants)
Describe the Haplo-Diplontic Life Cycle or the Alternation of Generations of Plants
1) Gametophyte produces haploid gametes (1n) via mitosis
2) Two gametes (1n) come together via fertilisation to produce a diploid zygote (2n)
3) The zygote (2n) develops into the multicellular sporophyte
4) The sporophyte (2n) produces unicellular haploid spores (1n) by meiosis
5) The spores (1n) develop into multicellular haploid gametophytes (1n)
Bryophytes have a dominant haploid or diploid stage?
haploid stage!
Describe phylogenetic analyses that suggest bryophytes diverged early in plant
lineage evolution
• Earliest spores of plants (450-470 million years ago) more similar to
liverwort spores
• ~430 million years ago spores similar to mosses and hornworts showed up
in the fossil record
Describe the Bryophyte gametophytes (gamete producing bodies)
• Haploid (1n), dominant stage • Protonema • Gametophore • Rhizoids • Gametangia - Archegonia - Antheridia
Protonema
threadlike filaments that develop into “buds” which grow via a meristem to produce the gametophores
- part of the bryophyte gametophytes (gamete producing bodies)
Gametophore
“gamete bearer”, produces gametes via mitosis
- part of the bryophyte gametophytes (gamete producing bodies)
Rhizoids
“root-like” filaments that anchor the gametophyte
- part of the bryophyte gametophytes (gamete producing bodies)
Gametangia
produces the gametes
- part of the bryophyte gametophytes (gamete producing bodies)
Archegonia
female, produces the egg
- part of gametangia
- part of the bryophyte gametophytes (gamete producing bodies)
Antheridia
male, produces sperm
- part of gametangia
- part of the bryophyte gametophytes (gamete producing bodies)
Gametophytes
gamete producing bodies
- part of bryophyte
Describe Bryophyte sporophytes (spore producing bodies)
- Diploid (2n), reduced stage
- Seta
- Foot
- Capsule
- Peristome
Sporophytes
spore producing bodies
- part of Bryophytes
Seta
stalk supporting the sporangium
- part of Bryophyte sporophytes