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After reviewing this jpg (link below) with my class - it came to our attention that the conifer dates back further than the ginkgo but the ginkgo comes before the conifer on the timeline. Why is this? Which is older? Your help is greatly appreciated - I can’t find anything helpful that will clarify on the internet.

https://cdn.britannica.com/59/6559-050- ... lution.jpg

Hi,

Is this a question for a science project? The Ask an Expert forums are for questions about science projects or experiments. Please provide more information so that we can better assist you.

Thank you!

It is because I am a science teacher and I used the graphic (linked in initial post) with my class and was confused by it. Is this not a place I can ask this type of question?

Hi Laurella - what article or resource were you using with students that included this image?

I do see the confusion the image may cause -- unless there is some additional information in the resource that explains the way this has been presented, it looks like to interpret this chart, you want to date each type using the vertical bar -- not necessarily where the image appears.

Based on the bars that position each type's initial appearance on the timeline, the conifers are presented as older than ginko.

Does this help?

Amy
Science Buddies