Question

Members of the phylum ____ are considered by many researchers to be the living plants most closely related to vascular plants, based on their morphology and mitochondrial gene sequence data.

Answer 1

Answer: The answer is Anthocerophyta

Explanation: Anthocerophyta are widespread and occur in the temperate & tropical zones. The species of plants in this phylum have horn-shaped sporophytes which are known as "flower horn". As in other bryophytes, the sporophyte of this phylum remains attached to its parent gametophyte throughout its life, but unlike these other plants, the sporophyte continues to grow throughout its life; this happens as a group of cells at the base of the horn divide repeatedly. They also possess stomates, which exchange gases between the plant and the air.

The mitochondrial genome evolution in Anthocerophyta is closer to that of seed plants but not as dynamic.