The anthophytes are a paraphyletic grouping of plant taxa bearing flower-like reproductive structures. The group, once thought to be a clade,[1] contained the angiosperms – the extant flowering plants, such as roses and grasses – as well as the Gnetales and the extinct Bennettitales.[1]
Detailed morphological and molecular studies have shown that the group is not actually monophyletic,[2] with proposed floral homologies of the gnetophytes and the angiosperms having evolved in parallel.[3] This makes it easier to reconcile molecular clock data that suggests that the angiosperms diverged from the gymnosperms around 320-300 mya.[4]
Some more recent studies have used the word anthophyte to describe a hypothetical group which includes the angiosperms and a variety of extinct seed plant groups (with various suggestions including at least some of the following groups: glossopterids, corystosperms, Petriellales Pentoxylales, Bennettitales and Caytoniales), but not the Gnetales.[5][6]
More information Traditional view ...
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Cycads |
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Ginkgo |
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Conifers |
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Anthophytes |
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Bennettitales |
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Gnetales |
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Angiosperms |
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More information Modern view ...
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Phylogeny of anthophytes and gymnosperms based on Crepet et al. (2000)[3]