The dominant phase of the life cycle of seed plants is the sporophyte, or spore-producing plant. Like all plants, seed plants produce spores. However, the spores are never released from the body of the sporophyte. The spores remain inside of the cones of gymnosperms and the flowers of angiosperms, where they develop into the male and female gametophytes. In what ways has this change in the plant life cycle been an evolutionary advantage to seed plants as they adapted to life on land?