Ginkgo biloba, often called a 'living fossil', is the only surviving species of the division Ginkgophyta. While native to China today, fossils of ginkgo-like plants have been found on every continent except Antarctica.
These fossils date back to the Permian period, over 270 million years ago. Ginkgo fossils have been discovered in locations as diverse as North America, Europe, and Australia.
Explain how this widespread fossil distribution of Ginkgo, compared to its limited native range today, supports the theory of evolution by natural selection. (4 marks)
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