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Why is Ginkgo biloba considered a living relic?
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Gymnosperm
Pine cone and exposed seeds of the pinyon pine (Pinus edulis). Pinyon pines are gymnosperms and bear their edible seeds, known as pine nuts, in protective cones instead of fruit.
Ginkgo biloba is considered a "living relic" or "living fossil" primarily because it is the sole surviving representative of the division Ginkgophyta, a group that was once diverse and widely distributed during the Mesozoic Era.12
The term reflects several key factors:
- Evolutionary Longevity: The species has existed for approximately 250 million years, with fossil records showing leaves similar to those of the modern tree dating back to the Jurassic Period.31
- Lack of Close Relatives: While the ginkgo was once abundant, its close relativesāsuch as the extinct genera Ginkgoites and Baieraāhave long since disappeared, leaving G. biloba as the only living member of its order, Ginkgoales.312
- Morphological Stability: The tree has remained essentially unchanged from earlier geologic times, maintaining distinct characteristics like its fan-shaped leaves and unique reproductive system, which includes the use of motile spermāa rare trait among seed plants.14
Though likely extinct in the wild, the tree has been preserved for millennia through cultivation in temple gardens and is now grown worldwide.32