Use the Following Information to Answer the Question

question 73

Multiple Choice

Use the following information to answer the question.
Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 25 centimeters per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this extremely arid zone to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss.
Upon closer inspection of the leaves of "flower of stone," one can observe tiny, cone-like structures. Each cone-like structure emits spores of two different sizes. Further investigation also reveals that the roots of "flower of stone" branch only at the growing tip of the root, forming a Y-shaped structure. Consequently, which of the following is the closest living relative of "flower of stone"?

• A) true moss
• B) club moss
• C) liverwort
• D) fern

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Definitions:

Double-Blind Procedure

A study or experiment design in which both the participants and the experimenters do not know who is receiving a particular treatment, to prevent bias.

Placebo Control Procedure

A method used in research where a group of participants receives a sham treatment, allowing for comparison with a group receiving the actual treatment to determine its effect.

Stereotaxic Procedure

A surgical technique that allows precise positioning of instruments or lesions within the brain using a three-dimensional coordinate system.

Single-Blind Procedure

A research experiment in which only the participants do not know which group (control or experimental) they belong to.