The multispecies coalescent model and land plant origins: a reply to Springer and Gatesy

The diverse plant life on Earth—consisting of nearly 400,000 species—can be divided into three broad categories based on biological characteristics: nonvascular, seedless vascular, and seed plants.

From Water to Land

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.

Asexual reproduction allows plants to reproduce without growing flowers, attracting pollinators, or dispersing seeds. Offspring are genetically identical to the parent and produced without the fusion of male and female gametes.

Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.