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When did the earliest ginkgophytes appear in the fossil record?
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The earliest gymnosperms presumed to be ginkgophytes appeared in the fossil record as far back as the Permian Period (298.9 million to 252.2 million years ago). These ancient ginkgophytes typically possessed leaves that were more deeply divided than those of the modern Ginkgo biloba, bearing a closer resemblance to the leaves found on the new growth of living ginkgo trees.1