3 ms·

I personally think that clonal colonies should belong in a separate category. Whilst all the individuals are connected, can communicate and gave the same geneti

I personally think that clonal colonies should belong in a separate category. Whilst all the individuals are connected, can communicate and gave the same genetics it is possible to split it into many individuals which would be capable of life independent of the colony. I'm also fairly sure that if other colonies were studied in more depth we could find some that are older and larger. I'd be interested to find out how the original age of the colony is estimated.

throwawaysea 5y ago
There’s also quaking aspen that is older (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree)). This article also lists clinal trees separately: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees
hexa22 5y ago
You can split up many plants in to individual pieces which will survive.
- ALittleLight 5y ago
  Along with some worms or starfish.
- hurril 5y ago
  Right but I think a point could be made that would say that a claim that a clonal species has lived a long time, also claims that _everything_ alive now is basically the same individual. It's merely "cloned" itself from the very first cell 2 billion years ago. Clearly that's not what we think.
  - pvaldes 5y ago
    Some of the roses that we culture currently were born in ancient times. They are basically immortal as long as we keep appreciating them. The Rosa mundi, Rosa Gallica versicolor for example is a mutation that sprouted from a seed before 1581 where Holland was a part of Spain and before Britons started to colonize America. Is a creature relatively easy to find in the specialized market still. Welwitschia mirabilis is a prehistoric unicorn that somehow managed to survive until today. There is not anything like that thing in the entire planet.

3 ms·

I personally think that clonal colonies should belong in a separate category. Whilst all the individuals are connected, can communicate and gave the same geneti

by barbegal 5y ago

throwawaysea 5y ago
There’s also quaking aspen that is older (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree)). This article also lists clinal trees separately: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_trees
hexa22 5y ago
You can split up many plants in to individual pieces which will survive.
- ALittleLight 5y ago
  Along with some worms or starfish.
- hurril 5y ago
  Right but I think a point could be made that would say that a claim that a clonal species has lived a long time, also claims that _everything_ alive now is basically the same individual. It's merely "cloned" itself from the very first cell 2 billion years ago. Clearly that's not what we think.
  - pvaldes 5y ago
    Some of the roses that we culture currently were born in ancient times. They are basically immortal as long as we keep appreciating them. The Rosa mundi, Rosa Gallica versicolor for example is a mutation that sprouted from a seed before 1581 where Holland was a part of Spain and before Britons started to colonize America. Is a creature relatively easy to find in the specialized market still. Welwitschia mirabilis is a prehistoric unicorn that somehow managed to survive until today. There is not anything like that thing in the entire planet.