Phylogeny of Land Plants deduced from 5S rRNA Sequences

Abstract

We have constructed a phylogenic tree for land plants by comparing the 5S rRNA sequences. The tree suggests that the Bryophyta and the Pteridophyta separated from each other after the emergence of the Spermatophyta. In the Pteridophyta, Psilotum (whisk fern) firstly separated, and a little after Lycopodium (clubmoss) separated from the ancestor common to Equisetum (horsetail) and Dryopteris (fern). During the Spermatophyta evolution, the gymnosperms ( Cycas and Ginkgo have been studied here) and the angiosperms (flowering plants) separated, followed by the separation of Cycas (cycad) and Ginkgo (maidenhair tree) on one branch, and various flowering plants on the other. Nitella (stonewort) separated at about the same time of the Spermatophyta and the Pteridophyta/Bryophyta separation. © 1984, The Japan Academy. All rights reserved.