The world’s largest plant, the Pando tree, is located in Fishlake National Forest in Utah, USA. At first glance, it appears to be a forest made up of multiple trees, but in 2008, scientists confirmed that over 40,000 trunks are genetically identical and are essentially connected to the same root system.
In simple terms, it is a massive plant that spans 103 acres. Now, scientists have claimed that this plant is the oldest living organism on Earth. They estimate that the plant is at least 34,000 years old, with its life beginning before the end of the last Ice Age.
However, their unconfirmed estimate suggests that this plant may have been growing for millions of years. Official verification of its age is still pending. To verify its age, researchers collected 500 samples of roots, leaves, and bark and analyzed their DNA. Through the analysis of these samples, researchers identified 4,000 genetic variations and discovered several mutations. Their model suggests that the plant’s age could range from 16,000 to 80,000 years.
The results of this study have not yet been published in a scientific journal but were released on the preprint server bioRxiv.
It is worth noting that the title of the oldest known living organism on Earth currently belongs to a tree in the White Mountains of California, which is over 5,000 years old.
