Pando, a quaking aspen grove in Utah, may be the world’s oldest living organism. A new study estimates that Pando is between 16,000 and 80,000 years old. The research team genetically sequenced over 500 samples from Pando and its neighbors.
They looked at somatic mutations, which are changes to DNA that occur after a cell is conceived. These random mutations build up over an organism’s life. By analyzing the mutations, the team estimated Pando’s approximate age.
They created models showing how mutations were introduced into Pando over time. This gave them the age range of 16,000 to 80,000 years.
Age and evolution insights of Pando
Pando consists of over 40,000 individual trees, but it originated from a single seed. The exact age of that seed is still uncertain. The researchers’ estimate means Pando began sometime between the last ice age and the modern era.
The study also found that Pando’s genetic makeup is surprisingly uniform. Even though its roots are limited in spread, some unknown process seems to prevent mutations from building up across the grove. Pando is currently in decline due to browsing by deer and attacks from beetles and disease.
Foresters are working to encourage new tree growth to prevent this ancient organism from going extinct. The research on Pando is not yet peer-reviewed. The study provides new insights into the age and evolution of this iconic grove, which is the largest and densest known organism in the world.
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