Phylogeny
As of February 2013, molecular phylogenetic studies have produced at least six different placements of Ginkgo relative to cycads, conifers, gnetophytes and angiosperms. The two most common are that Ginkgo is a sister to a clade composed of conifers and gnetophytes or that Ginkgo and cycads form a clade within the gymnosperms. A 2013 study examined the reasons for the discrepant results, and concluded that the best support was for the monophyly of Gingko and cycads, these being the earliest diverging gymnosperms.
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