Angiosperm Evolution

Angiosperm Evolution

Woody angiosperms probably developed first from early woody gymnosperms and then plants that die down each year (herbs) gradually evolved. How one group evolved from another is not at all clear. There are many cases where distantly-related life forms develop a common characteristic independently and so look as if they are closely related. This is called "parallel evolution". Most botanists agree that Magnolias represent fairly primitive flowering plants and orchids (like the one shown) are highly evolved, but looked at as a whole the "evolutionary tree" is more of a tangled bush. [CH] {EN}