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Homospory versus Heterospory

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State

A homosporous plant produces one spore type growing into a bisexual gametophyte; a heterosporous plant produces separate microspores and megaspores forming male and female gametophytes.

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Most ferns are homosporous; some lycophytes are heterosporous, foreshadowing the pollen-and-ovule split seed plants later evolved.

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Heterospory evolved independently in more than one lineage — it does not show those lineages share one ancestor.