Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts
Did you know that land plants were the first multicellular organisms to colonize the land? If they didn't do this, animals wouldn't have been able to follow! Living on land made a bunch of new possibilities available, and gave many advantages. Some advantages plants would receive on land would be unlimited sunlight, abundant oxygen, and initially there were few pathogens and herbivores. Of course, with pros also come cons. Some disadvantages plants faced is that they would require a constant water supply and require sunlight supply for photosynthesis. Plants would also need a transport system to move nutrients from bottom to top and balance carbon dioxide in and oxygen out. All while avoiding water loss at the same time, too! Lastly, plants would become fully terrestrial, which means they'd reproduce in an environtment that lacks water. This means the zygotes and/or embryos would be in danger of drying out.
Phylum Bryophyta Unifying Characteristics
Phylum Bryophyta includes the mosses, of which there are more than 10,000 species, as well as the liverworts and hornworts. Some of their unifying characteristics include:
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