Archive for April, 2008
The Pando Tree
April 1st, 2008
Pando (or The Trembling Giant) is a clonal colony of a single male Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) tree located in the U.S. state of Utah, all determined to be part of a single living organism by identical genetic markers and one massive underground root system. The plant is estimated to weigh collectively 6,000 tonnes (6,615 tons), making it the heaviest known organism. The root system of Pando is claimed by some to be among the oldest known living organisms in existence at 80,000 years of age…
The clonal colony encompasses 43 hectares (107 acres) and has around 47,000 stems, which continually die and are renewed by its roots. Many of the stems are connected by its root system…
In comparison to Pando’s most widely held total age of 80,000 years, the most accepted view among anthropologists is that Homo sapiens first migrated out of Africa to Eurasia and Oceania only 40,000 years ago and finally to the Americas 10,000 years ago…
Tree experts also note that the organism’s age cannot be determined with the level of precision found in tree rings; some claim Pando’s age is closer to 1 million years.”