Abstract
Meiosis in homosporous ferns allows chromosomes to pair within homoeologous sets rather than restricting pairing to homologs; this allows homozygous spore mother cells to give rise to genetically heterogeneous meiospores. It is envisioned that such a meiotic system has evolved in homosporous ferns in response to a life cycle which allows the attainment of total homozygosity in one generation of selfing.
Funding Information
  • National Science Foundation (GB‐8721, GB‐39901)