Question

Ginkgo biloba is called a living fossil. Justify.

Answer 1

Hint: Living fossils are species found first as a fossil and accepted as extinct, but which is later spotted living, an organism that has stayed unchanged over geological times. Any living species which very nearly matches fossil relatives in most anatomical features.

Complete answer: Ginkgo trees- these plants have a very long history; their earliest relatives can be seen in the fossil record about a quarter-billion years ago. So, this whole group of plants is older than the dinosaurs. They used to be many more kinds of them than there are now. So, now we only have one species in the whole world, that is Ginkgo biloba. It is also unique because it’s a seed plant, but it doesn't have flowers. Ginkgo biloba is a dioecious plant- this means they have separate male flowers and female flowers on each plant. They are a bit of a paradox. Unusually, they are still with us at all, even this one species, after a quarter billion years of history on this planet. The ginkgo group survived the asteroid strike that killed dinosaurs. They must be strong because a stand of ginkgo trees survived the Hiroshima bombing. Ginkgo seems to have been saved entirely by horticulture.

Note: In the scientific research study, Ginkgo biloba helps to improve memory and cognition, increase reaction time, restore the availability of dopamine and other neurotransmitters. It improves blood flow, reduces stress, boosts mood, helps to prepare brain cells and acts an antioxidant to eliminate free radicals.