Fern plants. Like all other vascular plants, the diploid sporophyte is the dominant phase or generation in the life cycle. The gametophytes of ferns, however, are very different from those of seed plants. They are free-living and resemble liverworts, whereas those of seed plants develop within the spore wall and are dependent on the parent sporophyte for their nutrition. A fern gametophyte typically consists of: Ferns first appear in the fossil record in the early Carboniferous period. By the Triassic, the first evidence of ferns related to several modern families appeared. The great fern radiation occurred in the late Cretaceous, when
Michael Ferns working on commercial pieces for clients such as the NHS and Diabetes UK, Ferns also directed the music video 'The Clown' for Beecake, the band of Lord of the Rings star Billy Boyd. The video was also screened at the 2013 Raindance Film Festival. Recently, Ferns was approached by the Aberlour Children's charity to direct a promotional film to commemorate the First World War centenary. Using never before heard words from real soldiers, "Letter From An Old Boy" tells the story of young men fighting on the front line in World War One, writing back to the orphanage they called