Tag

Clonal Reproduction

All articles tagged with #clonal reproduction

Utah's Ancient Pando: Earth's Oldest Living Organism?

Originally Published 1 year ago — by Livescience.com

Featured image for Utah's Ancient Pando: Earth's Oldest Living Organism?
Source: Livescience.com

Pando, a massive quaking aspen in Utah, is potentially one of the oldest and largest organisms on Earth, with new research suggesting it could be between 16,000 and 80,000 years old. This clonal organism, consisting of around 47,000 stems connected by a vast root system, has shown remarkable resilience to environmental changes over millennia. The study, which is not yet peer-reviewed, highlights Pando's genetic stability and suggests its age could provide insights into plant resilience and biology. Efforts to protect Pando from grazing have led to signs of its recovery.

Unlocking Ancient Tree Secrets: Clonal Mutation Insights

Originally Published 1 year ago — by Phys.org

Featured image for Unlocking Ancient Tree Secrets: Clonal Mutation Insights
Source: Phys.org

A team of researchers has sequenced the Pando aspen, one of the world's oldest trees, to study mutations in clonally reproducing organisms. The Pando aspen, a triploid species that reproduces by cloning, occupies 42.6 hectares in Utah's Fishlake National Forest and is estimated to be between 16,000 and 80,000 years old. The study identified approximately 4,000 genetic variants in the tree, highlighting its unique evolutionary traits, such as larger cells and enhanced fitness, which contribute to its longevity.