Search research articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Gingkos and multituberculates: evolutionary interactions in the tertiary.

P Del Tredici¹

¹Department of Biology, Boston University, MA.

|January 1, 1989

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Method for growing plants aeroponically.

Plant physiology·1976

Same journal

Spatiotemporal bursting in simulated cultures of cortical neurons.

Bio Systems·2026

Same journal

A brief discussion on recent models shedding light on how life emerged.

Bio Systems·2026

Same journal

Memory-based strategy reputation and adaptive learning in spatial evolutionary games: A robust agent-based model for cooperation dynamics.

Bio Systems·2026

Same journal

Coherent Photonic Biofields: Revisiting Fritz-Albert Popp's Hypothesis.

Bio Systems·2026

Same journal

Ruliological Resilience: Pattern Restoration and Robustness in Wolfram Patterns. A Basis for Regeneration, Not Just in Cone Shells?

Bio Systems·2026

Same journal

The quantum-to-classical transducer: A thermodynamic and quantum mechanical framework for the emergence of bioenergetics.

Bio Systems·2026

See all related articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Ginkgo biloba seeds evolved a two-step dispersal strategy: toxic coats deter predators, while edible nuts attract dispersers. Fossil and modern evidence suggests mammals and rodents were key dispersers throughout its history.

Area of Science:

Paleobotany
Evolutionary Biology
Seed Dispersal Ecology

Background:

The genus Ginkgo, with fossil records from the early Jurassic, includes the living species Ginkgo biloba native to eastern China.
Ginkgo seeds feature a toxic, odoriferous coat and an edible inner "nut," indicating a specialized dispersal mechanism.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the historical and ecological factors influencing Ginkgo seed dispersal.
To identify plausible seed dispersers for Ginkgo throughout its evolutionary history.
To understand the evolutionary divergence in seed dispersal strategies within Coniferopsida.

Main Methods:

Analysis of fossilized Ginkgo leaves and wood.
Examination of anatomical and distributional evidence of extinct mammals.

Related Experiment Videos

Comparison of seed characteristics and dispersal agents in extant Coniferopsida genera.

Main Results:

Extinct mammalian multituberculates (Ptilodus) are identified as likely dispersers during the Paleocene-Eocene.
Seed-caching rodents are implicated as primary dispersers from the Oligocene to the Pleistocene.
Extant Coniferopsida with fleshy, animal-dispersed seeds show two distinct evolutionary lines based on diaspore size and dispersal agents (mammals vs. birds).

Conclusions:

Ginkgo biloba seeds employ a dual-stage dispersal strategy involving predator deterrence and disperser attraction.
Mammalian dispersers, including extinct multituberculates and later rodents, played crucial roles in Ginkgo dispersal across geological time.
The study highlights convergent evolution in seed dispersal strategies within gymnosperms, with distinct adaptations for mammalian or avian dispersal.