EVOLUTION OF PLANTS-
, What were early fungi like?
Early fungi probably lived in water. And they were most
likely single-celled organisms. Maybe they lived on dead and
decaying material. Obviously, at least in overall size and
structure, a mold is very different than a mushroom. Could
early fungi have been similar to a mold?
Evolution of Fungi
DNA evidence suggests that almost all fungi have a single
common ancestor. The earliest fungi may have evolved about
600 million years ago or even earlier. They were probably
aquatic organisms with a flagellum.
Fungi first colonized the land at least 460 million years ago,
around the same time as plants.
Fossils of terrestrial fungi date back almost 400 million years.
Starting about 250 million years ago, the fossil record shows
fungi were abundant in many places.
They may have been the dominant life forms on Earth at that
time.
, The algal ancestry of plants
Evolutionists believe that first plants evolved from the green algae (Chlorophyta).
The important morphological and biochemical similarities between green algae and plants are
the following;
Fritschiella, a mud-dwelling green algae has rhizoids that penetrate the ground and maintains
branched multicellular filament features ancestral to land plant.
A number of green algae, like Ulva, Caulerpa appear like high vascular plants.
Coleochaete, a land dwelling alga bear morphological similarities with Parka, a fossil plant
from upper Silurian (400 mya).
Both green algae and higher plants use chlorophyll a and b, and carotenoids.
Both green algae and higher plants have rigid, cellulose-rich cell wall and both
have starch as the primary food storage product.
Details of cell divisions are similar in both groups.
Beside plants, the only organisms forming a cell plate during cytokinesis are a few
green algae.
One of the significant adaptations of plants on land is to prevent loss of water or
desiccation. Fritschiella seems to maintain a waxy cuticle on their air-borne
parts.This character indicates that they are pre-adapted to land life.
, What were early fungi like?
Early fungi probably lived in water. And they were most
likely single-celled organisms. Maybe they lived on dead and
decaying material. Obviously, at least in overall size and
structure, a mold is very different than a mushroom. Could
early fungi have been similar to a mold?
Evolution of Fungi
DNA evidence suggests that almost all fungi have a single
common ancestor. The earliest fungi may have evolved about
600 million years ago or even earlier. They were probably
aquatic organisms with a flagellum.
Fungi first colonized the land at least 460 million years ago,
around the same time as plants.
Fossils of terrestrial fungi date back almost 400 million years.
Starting about 250 million years ago, the fossil record shows
fungi were abundant in many places.
They may have been the dominant life forms on Earth at that
time.
, The algal ancestry of plants
Evolutionists believe that first plants evolved from the green algae (Chlorophyta).
The important morphological and biochemical similarities between green algae and plants are
the following;
Fritschiella, a mud-dwelling green algae has rhizoids that penetrate the ground and maintains
branched multicellular filament features ancestral to land plant.
A number of green algae, like Ulva, Caulerpa appear like high vascular plants.
Coleochaete, a land dwelling alga bear morphological similarities with Parka, a fossil plant
from upper Silurian (400 mya).
Both green algae and higher plants use chlorophyll a and b, and carotenoids.
Both green algae and higher plants have rigid, cellulose-rich cell wall and both
have starch as the primary food storage product.
Details of cell divisions are similar in both groups.
Beside plants, the only organisms forming a cell plate during cytokinesis are a few
green algae.
One of the significant adaptations of plants on land is to prevent loss of water or
desiccation. Fritschiella seems to maintain a waxy cuticle on their air-borne
parts.This character indicates that they are pre-adapted to land life.
