Swedish Researchers Find World's Oldest Living Tree

YAHOO ^ | 4-17-08

[SMARTY]

The world's oldest living tree on record is a nearly 10,000 year-old spruce that has been discovered in central Sweden, Umeaa University said on Thursday.

Researchers had discovered a spruce with genetic material dating back 9,550 years in the Fulu mountain in Dalarna, according to Leif Kullmann, a professor of Physical Geography at the university in northwestern Sweden.

That would mean it had taken root in roughly the year 7,542 BC.

"It was a big surprise because we thought until (now) that this kind of spruce grew much later in those regions," he said.

Scientists had previously believed the world's oldest trees were 4,000 to 5,000 year-old pine trees found in North America.

The new record-breaking tree was discovered in Dalarna in 2004 when Swedish researchers were carrying out a census of tree species in the region, Kullman said.

The tree's genetic material age had been calculated using carbon dating at a laboratory in Miami, Florida.

Spruces, which according to Kullmann offer rich insight into climate change, had long been regarded as relatively newcomers in the Swedish mountain region.

The discovery of the ancient tree had therefore led to "a big change in our way of thinking," he said.

[SMARTY]

I wonder how this will affect the 'global warming' theory

[mgc1122]

Wonder if they cut it down to find this out? LOL ...

[Red Badger]

I wonder how this will affect the 'global warming' theory

Headline:

ANCIENT TREES IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION BY GLOBAL WARMING............

[theDentist]

Counting the rings!

[RandallFlagg]

(quickly closes thread’s window before the Helen Thomas pics arrive)

[mnehring]

Tales of Interest Bump

[SMARTY]

I hope not. However, when I read the article, I didn’t think the picture of the tree was a very good one. I wish there was a better shot of the specific tree.

[ASA Vet]

Bill, Thanks for posting this five days ago.

[saganite]

Wonder if they omitted the close up pic on purpose. There’s some idiot out there who would want to get his name in the papers for cutting it down, I’m sure.

[SMARTY]

What I meant was... if as the scientists say, global warming is a recurring environmental process AND we still see trees that have survived for 10,000 years... how much of a threat to life on earth IS ‘global warming’? I meant that the envirowacko’s really have outdone their typical panicky hysterics and alarmist song and dance this time!

[MuttTheHoople]

Really pushes back the date of The Flood.

[ASA Vet]

How does a tree in Sweden effect the date of the regional flooding of the Black Lake?

[count-your-change]

The postings on this story are getting older than the tree in question.

[Menehune56]

Interesting that the world's oldest tree is found by Swedish researchers to be located in Sweden. One wonders where else they may have looked.