Simran Vinaik
Last Activity: 6 Years ago
In the evolution of the first land plants the sudden appearance of multicellular sex organs with a sterile jacket of cells around the gametes (antheridia and archegonia) was the most remarkable events.
The evolution of these gametangia and, in particular, of female sex organs or archegonia, necessary for embryo development, constituted a complex evolutionary process .
For example, production of sex organs must be timed appropriately and must occur rapidly in response to fluctuating seasonal conditions.
Although the parallel evolution of antheridia was also required, the formation of archegonia was fundamental because these structures protect and nourish the young sporophyte (embryos) influencing its development.