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I agree, I was also disappointed. Meanwhile the oldest known living tree is a still astonishing 4,800 years old https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuselah_(tr

I agree, I was also disappointed. Meanwhile the oldest known living tree is a still astonishing 4,800 years old https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuselah_(tree) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuselah_(tree)

TACIXAT 7y ago
When I went there I asked a ranger if there was something special about bristlecone pines that allows them to live for so long. She first told me what it means for a tree to be alive. Apparently, as long as there is a connection from root, through bark, to leaves, it's still alive. So a lot of bark could be missing, but if there is a path it's good. For the longevity, it's just the perfect environment in the White Mountains. Trees don't die of old age. Pests, disease, and erosion are what kill them. That area, being California high desert, there just aren't really any pests or disease. Erosion and weather are the biggest threat to the trees. That place is totally cool, in that I really like it but don't think anyone I'd drag up there would enjoy it as much, ha.
- randycupertino 7y ago
  If you like Bristlecone Pines, I highly, highly recommend checking out Great Basin National Park and hiking up to the Bristlecone Pine Grove. It's a lovely day hike - I did it over Thanksgiving weekend and used those little snowtrax grippers over my hiking shoes. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-bristlecone-pines-of-the-great-basin-baker-nevada https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-bristlecone-pines-of... Could be done around now-ish in snowshoes as well. One of the least visited and most beautiful national parks in the US! Sparkling stars and dark skies make for great meteor viewing, and the bristlecone pine trail has a loop through all the interesting trees with little signs and "biographies" about each tree. One of the largest is Prometheus: https://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/historyculture/the-prometheus-story.htm https://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/historyculture/the-prometheus...
8bitsrule 7y ago
The root system of clonal colony 'Pando' (in Utah), still alive (barely,thanks to us), dates to 80,000 ya. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree)
- quixoticelixer- 7y ago
  There is unlikely to be any alive material that is that old though
  - 8bitsrule 7y ago
    Not on the individual cell level. Human cells last days to months ... continually replaced by division. Over time all of our cells are replaced. I guess all other cellular organisms are like that. Question of definition whether clones are the 'same individual organism'. More details here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest-living_organisms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest-living_organis... Then there's this possibly immortal jellyfish. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_dohrnii https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_dohrnii

TACIXAT 7y ago

When I went there I asked a ranger if there was something special about bristlecone pines that allows them to live for so long. She first told me what it means for a tree to be alive. Apparently, as long as there is a connection from root, through bark, to leaves, it's still alive. So a lot of bark could be missing, but if there is a path it's good. For the longevity, it's just the perfect environment in the White Mountains. Trees don't die of old age. Pests, disease, and erosion are what kill them. That area, being California high desert, there just aren't really any pests or disease. Erosion and weather are the biggest threat to the trees. That place is totally cool, in that I really like it but don't think anyone I'd drag up there would enjoy it as much, ha.

randycupertino 7y ago
If you like Bristlecone Pines, I highly, highly recommend checking out Great Basin National Park and hiking up to the Bristlecone Pine Grove. It's a lovely day hike - I did it over Thanksgiving weekend and used those little snowtrax grippers over my hiking shoes. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-bristlecone-pines-of-the-great-basin-baker-nevada https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-bristlecone-pines-of... Could be done around now-ish in snowshoes as well. One of the least visited and most beautiful national parks in the US! Sparkling stars and dark skies make for great meteor viewing, and the bristlecone pine trail has a loop through all the interesting trees with little signs and "biographies" about each tree. One of the largest is Prometheus: https://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/historyculture/the-prometheus-story.htm https://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/historyculture/the-prometheus...

8bitsrule 7y ago

The root system of clonal colony 'Pando' (in Utah), still alive (barely,thanks to us), dates to 80,000 ya. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree)

quixoticelixer- 7y ago
There is unlikely to be any alive material that is that old though
- 8bitsrule 7y ago
  Not on the individual cell level. Human cells last days to months ... continually replaced by division. Over time all of our cells are replaced. I guess all other cellular organisms are like that. Question of definition whether clones are the 'same individual organism'. More details here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest-living_organisms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest-living_organis... Then there's this possibly immortal jellyfish. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_dohrnii https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_dohrnii