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Ginkgo Fossil - British Columbia, Canada

From Steve Nix, About.com

Ginkgo is called a "living fossil tree". It's genetic line spans the Mesozoic era back to the Triassic. Relatives have existed for over 200 million years.
Ginkgo Fossil - British Columbia, Canada

Ginkgo Fossil - British Columbia, Canada

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Also known as maidenhair-tree, Ginkgo biloba's leaf shape and other vegetative organs are identical to fossils found in the United States, Europe and Greenland. The contemporary ginkgo is cultivated and does not exist anywhere in the wild state. Scientists think that native ginkgo was destroyed by glaciers that ultimately covered the whole Northern Hemisphere.

More on Ginkgo Biloba

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  • Take a Ginkgo Quiz
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