Question

Why are pteridophytes better adapted to dry land than bryophytes? Were pteridophytes always less abundant than phanerogamic plants?

Answer 1

Pteridophytes are better adapted to dry land than bryophytes becuase they possess conductive vessesls. Because of the presence of conductive vessels, the pteridophytes are able to absorb water from the moist soil and reach it to the aerial parts of the plant. Whereas due to the lack of conductive vessels in bryophytes, they need to flourish in humid or rainy places inorder to supply water to the aerial parts of the plant.

Pteridophytes were more dominant before the evolutionary development of phanerogamic plants. Pteridophytes were abundant during the Carboniferous period that occured between 290 and 360 million years ago. The large coral deposits in Europe, Asia and North America are the remains of pteridophytes. However phanerogamic plants soon outcompeted pteridophytes and became more dominant.