Answer: It has changed very little from its ancestors 280 million years ago and has features of both ferns and gymnosperms.
- A It is sometimes mistakenly thought to produce true flowers bearing petals adapted for insect-mediated pollination
- B It has changed very little from its ancestors 280 million years ago and has features of both ferns and gymnosperms
- C It is sometimes mistakenly thought to develop true fleshy fruits that fully enclose its mature seeds
- D It is sometimes mistakenly thought to be seedless, reproducing mainly through the dispersal of spores
Correct answer: B. It has changed very little from its ancestors 280 million years ago and has features of both ferns and gymnosperms
Explanation: Cycas is called a living fossil because it is morphologically similar to its Mesozoic ancestors (~280 mya). It shows features linking ferns and gymnosperms: motile sperm (like ferns), compound leaves resembling tree ferns, but has ovules and seeds.
Plants evolved from water-dependent algae through increasingly land-adapted groups, gaining vascular tissue (Pteridophyta), then seeds (Gymnosperms), and finally fruit-enclosed seeds (Angiosperms) - each step reducing dependence on water for reproduction.
Concept context
Classification of plants from algae to angiosperms. Understanding plant diversity is essential for NEET.