According to the fossil record, the first land plants were most likely:

• A. woody trees with extensive root systems
• B. cone-bearing plants (gymnosperms)
• C. flowering plants (angiosperms)
• D. non-vascular plants similar to modern bryophytes

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of the problem: The question is asking about the earliest land plants based on fossil evidence. This requires knowledge of plant evolution and the characteristics of different plant groups.
2. Recall the major groups of plants: These include non-vascular plants (e.g., bryophytes), seedless vascular plants (e.g., ferns), gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants), and angiosperms (flowering plants). Non-vascular plants are the simplest and earliest group in evolutionary history.
3. Consider the adaptations required for plants to colonize land: Early land plants needed to survive in a terrestrial environment, which included challenges like desiccation and nutrient acquisition. Non-vascular plants, such as bryophytes, are small and lack specialized structures like roots and vascular tissue, making them well-suited for moist environments where they could absorb water directly.
4. Analyze the fossil record: Fossil evidence indicates that the first land plants were simple, non-vascular plants similar to modern bryophytes. These plants lacked woody structures, extensive root systems, cones, or flowers, which are features of more advanced plant groups.
5. Conclude that non-vascular plants similar to modern bryophytes were the first land plants, as they represent the earliest adaptations to terrestrial life according to the fossil record.