The post-fertilization archegonium gene network of seedless plants contributed to the origin of seeds

Nature Communications, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-74577-w The authors identify conserved gene networks across fern and angiosperm reproductive development, including between the sporophyte ovule and the fern gametophyte egg-chamber. Repurposing of this network could partly explain the ovule’s evolutionary origins.