Molecular clock
The flowering plants have long been assumed to have evolved from within the gymnosperms; according to the traditional morphological view, they are closely allied to the gnetales. However, recent molecular evidence is at odds to this hypothesis, and further suggests that gnetales are more closely related to some gymnosperm groups than angiosperms, and that gymnosperms form a distinct clade to the angiosperms. Molecular clock analysis predicts the divergence of flowering plants (anthophytes) and gymnosperms to ~