Early fungi probably formed mutualistic associations with early plants, providing nutrients to the plant and receiving energy-containing compounds. Evidence that plants' ability to form a mutualistic association with fungi is due to ancient genes includes which of the following occurrences?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The restoration of the ability to form mycorrhizae with fungi by a flowering plant after biologists transferred a gene from a liverwort to the flowering plant provides evidence that plants' ability to form a mutualistic association with fungi is due to ancient genes. This is because the gene transferred from a liverwort to a flowering plant is a homolog of a gene that likely existed in the common ancestor of liverworts and all other land plants.

Early Fungi Probably Formed Mutualistic Associations with Early Plants, Providing