ORIGIN OF BRYOPHYTES:
The bryophytes are quite soft and delicate and, therefore, they lack fossil records. There are no known
fossil bryophytes more primitive than the forms of today. However, there are two schools of thought
about their origin.
According to one school of thought they are evolved from the green algae(thallophyte); and
according to the other school they have been descended from the pteridophytes. Majority of the
workers support their origin from the algal ancestors.
(i) Algal origin of Bryophytes:
This view of the origin of bryophytes has been supported by most of the bryologists. Though there is
no fossil connection between algae and bryophytes yet there are so many points in support of this
view, such as the necessity of water for the act of fertilisation; their amphibian nature and the presence
of ciliated antherozoids.
These points support the view that they have been originated from aquatic ancestor. Lignier(worked
on fossil bryophyte) in 1903, pointed out that the algae gave rise to a connecting link known as ‘pro-
hepatics’ and thereafter bryophytes originated from this connecting link on one hand and the
pteridophytes on the other.
Bower (1908) also supported this view and said that the archegoniatae have been evolved from the
aquatic ancestors, i.e., the algae. The bryophytes resemble in many respects with the green algae, i.e.,
Chlorophyceae, and Fritsch (1916, 1945) has advocated that the Chaetophorales gave rise to the
bryophytes.
There seems no apparent relation between the antheridium and the archegonium of the bryophytes and
the antheridium and the oogonium of the algae. In none of the algae the egg is surrounded by any
cellular jacket as it is always enclosed within a protective layer (jacket layer) in the case of
bryophytes.
According to many workers, the sex organs of the bryophytes have been evolved from those of the
algae as follows: according to this view the antheridium and archegonium of bryophytes originated
from gametangia of a type similar to that of Ectocarpus. In Ectocarpus (Phaeophyceae) the
gametangium consists of a number of cells, each of which gives rise to a gamete. As soon as the
migration from the water to land took place, there arose the necessity for the protection of the gametes
from desiccation.
With the result the outer layer of the cells of the gametangium became sterile and functioned as a
protective layer. This way, the antheridium has been derived from the algal gametangium. For the
derivation of the archegonium from such structure, it has been suggested that after the formation of the
protective wall, further sterilisation took place, and in the centre an axial row of cells developed.
According to this view the neck canal cells were originally female gametes, which later on lost their
walls and cytoplasm. The ventral canal cell is the sister cell of the oosphere and very rarely it may be
fertilised. However, Ectocarpus is not a member of Chlorophyceae, but it is presumed that bryophytes
have been originated from green algae.
According to Smith (1938) the reproductive cells of Schizomeris and antheridia of Chaetonema are
quite alike to that of the gametangia of Ectocarpus.
According to Church (1919), the bryophytes have been originated from the marine ancestors and not
from the fresh water ancestors. This theory could not get general support because of the lack of
evidences from palaeobotany and geology. According to majority of workers the bryophytes have
been originated from Chlorophyceae which are commonly found in fresh waters and rarely in sea
waters.
(ii) Pteridophytic origin of Bryophytes:
According to other school of thought the bryophytes have been originated (descended) from
pteridophytes by means of reduction. Though this view could not get general support yet several
workers postulated the evidences in support of this view. According to Lang (1917), Kidston and Lang
(1917), Scott (1923), Halle (1936), Haskell (1949) and Christensen (1954) the bryophytes have been
descended by the process of reduction from pteridophytes. Kashyap (1919) also supported the view,
because of common resemblances of the two groups.
Similarities between sporangia of some members of Psilophytales (Rhynia, Horneophyton and
Sporogonites) with capsules of Anthocerotales, Sphagnum and Andreaea led to conclude this
hypothesis. The Psilophytales are the oldest pteridophytes in which the sporophytes were rootless,
leafless and dichotomously branched with terminal sporangia.
Such sporophytes resemble the bryophytes, especially the members of Anthocerotales and are thought
to have evolved by progressive reduction. Proskaeur (1960), thinks that if bryophytes are polyphyletic
in origin, at least Anthocerotales originated from Psilophytales like Horneophyton. According to
Kashyap (1919), “bryophytes represent a degenerate evolutionary line of pteridophytes or in more
correct term, the bryophytes are descendents of pteridophytes.”
