Question

Why are green algae considered as ancestors of land plants?

Answer 1

Green algae:

1. Land plants are thought to be the most closely related to green algae, more specifically, a group of green algae known as charophyceans.
2. Not only do both land plants and green algae produce chlorophyll a and b;
3. Land plants, for example, have cellulose cell walls, as do green algae.
4. Land plants, like certain green algae, are multicellular, eukaryotic, photosynthetic autotrophs.
5. Green algae and land plants form a monophyletic lineage (the chlorophytes) that includes both protistan and higher taxa.
6. The identity of the green algal remains an important issue in the evolution of this green lineage (i.e., flagellate)
7. The following are some similarities between green algae and land plants:

• Both contain the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll.
• Both contain a cellulose cell wall.
• Starch is the most common carbohydrate stored in both.
• Green algae are thus the ancestor group from which land plants evolved..