So.
None of you thought it *might* be important to tell me that ferns have sperm that swim??? I just had to find all this out on my own?
And, (apparently, & no one thought to bring this up either) fern plants are only one form... they have this 'other form' (tiny, ephemeral, difficult to find in the wild) alternates generations-- Fern spores don't grow into ferns! (WHAT) they grow into 'gemetophytes' (WHAT) THEN you get a fern.
Feel like I've uncovered a massive scandal.
@futurebird How so? They teach us this thing in schools?
Edit: I'm really sorry if this reads as condescending. It wasn't my goal. I was surprised and fascinated and should have worded it better...
We had the option to opt out of taking biology in HS and take advanced physics and chem instead.
Since these were the "harder sciences" that's where I got pushed. So all the biology I learned in school was under 8th grade.
And I'm starting to think that was BAD. It's also bad that kids who are good at math and excited about STEM get steered away from geology, biology, etc. we are messing up big time with this move.
Though I'm delighted to be 40 and finding childlike wonder in what I could have learned in a decent honors bio class. If my school HAD one. pfffft.