To clone the oldest tree in the world

2002/10/11 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Botanika
• Genetika

In the mountain range between California and Nevada is the Matusal pine. As the name suggests, this pine is very old, in fact it is considered the oldest tree in the world. It belongs to the species Pinus aristata and, thanks to the heart sample they took in the 1950s, it has been discovered that it is about 4,767 years old. The exact age, however, cannot be known until the tree has been cut and all the rings have been counted.

To be so older, experts say you have good health. However, it seems that some do not want to see the endangered pine and members of the Senior Tree Project have collected samples from Matusalen to get a clone of it.

This group began work in 1996 and has tried to clone 70 international trees. Next to Matusalena, for example, it is expected to clone the pine called Aitalehena. The godfather belongs to the same species as Matusalén and both are in the same forest, but the difference is in the breaking record: It is the oldest of Matusal and the longest of its kind, Aitalehena, which measures 60 feet (18.24 m).

The photo is a younger power of Matusalen.