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
Lyndon Ferns world-renowned sprint coach, Rick DeMont. Lyndon completed his eligibility as a 24-time All-American, NCAA record holder, 3-time relay national champion as well as national champion in the 100y butterfly. Lyndon now lives in South Africa. Lyndon Ferns Lyndon Ferns (born 24 September 1983 in Pietersburg, South Africa) is a retired Olympic gold-medalist and former world record swimmer from South Africa. He swam for South Africa at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he was a member of the South Africa's Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay that won the event in a world record. Three of the team