The first groups of land plants to evolve were liverworts, mosses, and hornworts. these plants were small and grew close to the ground because they relied on water being able to move on its own through the plant bodies. the next groups of land plants to evolve were ferns, which could grow bigger and taller because they could transport water and food. what trait most likely evolved in ferns that was not present in the earlier groups? 1)cuticles 2)seed shells 3)vascular tissues 4)photosynthesis

Today, ferns are the second-most diverse group of vascular plants on Earth, outnumbered only by flowering plants. With around 10,500 living species (PPG 1), ferns outnumber the remaining non-flowering vascular plants (the lycophytes and gymnosperms) by a factor of 4 to 1. How did ferns become so diverse, and what are the secrets to their success? What traits do they share in common, and how are they different from other groups of plants? What follows is a short primer on the biology of ferns, starting at the beginning, with how ferns first originated and evolved into the plants we see in the present, making special note of some of the groups that went extinct along the way. There are separate sections that cover topics ranging from fern morphology, phylogenetic relationships, and the fern lifecycle, along with the important role gametophytes play in the biology of ferns.

Your answer is 3

Vascular Tissue.

Explanation:

Ferns are seedless, vascular plants. They contain two types vascular tissues. The first type of vascular tissue is xylem, which transports water from the soil to the various parts of the plant.

The second part of the vascular tissue is phloem that carries glucose from the leaves to the various parts of the plants.