Phylogenetic analysis of
nucleotide sequences of chloroplast rDNA internal transcribed spacer (cpITS)
regions (cpITS2-4) of 14 species of liverworts, 4 species of hornworts, 20
species of mosses, 7 species of lycopods and 2 species of algae was carried
out. Phylogenetic trees constructed by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood
and neighbour-joining methods indicated that bryophytes are not monophyletic.
The cpITS data suggest that the hepatic lineage branches most deeply in the
land plant topology and that mosses are monophyletic, forming the sister group
of lycopods and hornworts. Within the mosses, a conspicuous deletion with distinct
phylogenetic distribution was observed in the cpITS3 region. This deletion is
absent in other land plants, including the enigmatic genus Takakia, and
marks Takakia as an evolutionary lineage distinct from mosses.