On Earth lives a "living fossil" older than dinosaurs, and it’s virtually indestructible.

During the nuclear explosion over Hiroshima, everyone within the bomb's blast radius perished, buildings melted away, and a significant portion of the city turned to ashes. However, six ginkgo biloba trees that were just 1.5 kilometers from the epicenter managed to survive, reports Forbes.

The charred trees, stripped of all their leaves, revived within just a few months. This is merely one heroic chapter in the story of ginkgo, which has survived the Ice Age, mass extinctions, and periods of ecological upheaval.

These ancient trees are rightly regarded as "living fossils," as well as symbols of resilience, evolution, and survival.

The lineage of ginkgo spans over 290 million years, dating back to the Permian period. Thus, these trees existed on Earth long before dinosaurs appeared. They are distinguished by their fan-shaped leaves and robust structure, which have remained virtually unchanged over millennia.

Among the Jurassic period fossils, scientists found ginkgo leaves that were nearly identical to those of modern trees. For millions of years, ginkgo thrived across Laurasia – the northern supercontinent, until the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event wiped out the dinosaurs and much of the flora and fauna.

Yet, ginkgo managed to survive this mass extinction on the planet. However, their dominance weakened in the subsequent millennia as flowering plants increased, leading to competition for resources and space.

By the end of the Pleistocene, wild ginkgo could only be found in isolated areas of China. This species was on the brink of extinction but managed to recover thanks to its will to live and an unexpected ally: humans.

Many of the ginkgo trees that currently grow are very ancient. For example, in the Zhongnan Mountains of China, near the Gu Guanyin Buddhist temple, there is a 1400-year-old ginkgo tree, its golden leaves covering the temple grounds each autumn.

Throughout its long life, the tree has witnessed monumental events in history: the rise and fall of the Tang dynasty, the establishment of trade along the Silk Road, and the global upheavals of the Industrial Revolution.

Until the early 20th century, ginkgo were considered extinct in the wild, but suddenly small populations were discovered in remote areas of China. Scientists believe that some of these populations were preserved by Buddhist monks who revered the trees for their beauty and medicinal properties.

Today, ginkgo trees adorn many urban parks and streets around the world. Their incredible resilience makes them ideal for urban environments – they are resistant to pollution, pests, and severe weather.

However, such longevity in ginkgo is not mere coincidence; the key to this lies in their biology.

Ginkgo do not exhibit obvious signs of aging, a biological process that almost all organisms on Earth undergo. Even trees that are 600 years old retain the same vitality and immune responses as their younger counterparts.

These trees continue to produce antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds throughout their remarkably long lives. Their cambium – the layer of stem cells in the trunk – remains active and strong, ensuring the tree's continuous growth.

Some studies suggest that old ginkgo may even grow faster than younger trees. Their deep root systems also help them endure hardships, firmly anchoring them in the soil and allowing access to water and nutrients even under harsh conditions.

As a reminder, the largest organism on Earth is also the oldest. Researchers believe that the age of the largest organism on the planet will likely far surpass that of others.