Which of the following options lists the correct sequence of the appearance of the four major groups of plants in the fossil record, from most ancestral to most recent?
a) bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, angiosperms
b) bryophytes, gymnosperms, seedless vascular plants, angiosperms
c) bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, angiosperms, gymnosperms
d) seedless vascular plants, bryophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms

Option-A

Explanation:

The plant kingdom comprises of five divisions which are the algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes gymnosperms and angiosperms.

The studies on the evolution of plant show that the bryophytes evolved from the Chara, a species of algae. The bryophytes are non-vascular plants and are known as the amphibians of the plant kingdom.

The bryophytes evolved o the pteridophytes with the vascular system but do not contain the seeds. Later these pteridophytes evolved into the gymnosperms with seeds formed but not enclosed are naked. These gymnosperms evolved into the angiosperms with flowers.

Thus, Option-A is the correct answer.