The world’s oldest living tree on record is a nearly 10,000 year-old spruce. It was discovered in central Sweden, Umeaa University researchers announced earlier this month.
The researchers discovered the tree in 2004 on Fulu Mountain in Dalarna. They were carrying out a census of tree species when they came across it.
The researchers said it dates back about 9,550 years. That means it started growing around 7,542BC.
PHOTO: AP
“It was a big surprise because we thought until (now) that this kind of spruce grew much later in those regions,” said Leif Kullmann, a professor at the university.
The discovery of the ancient tree has led to “a big change in our way of thinking,” he added.
Scientists had previously believed the world’s oldest trees were 4,000 to 5,000 year-old pine trees found in North America.
The tree’s age was calculated using carbon dating at a laboratory in Miami.
(STAFF WRITER, WITH AFP)
優米亞大學的研究學者本月初宣布，他們發現了全世界有史以來最高齡的一棵活樹，這棵樹齡將近一萬歲的雲杉生長在瑞典中部。
研究學者二ＯＯ四年在達拉納地區的富魯山上發現了這棵樹，當時他們正在進行一項樹種個體數調查。
研究學者表示，這棵樹的歷史可以追溯至九千五百五十年前，意味著這棵樹約在西元前七五四二年就開始生長了。
該大學的列夫．庫爾曼教授說：「這個發現令我們感到相當意外，因為我們一直以為那些地區的這類雲杉樹齡較為年輕。」
他說，發現這棵古樹「大大改變了我們的想法」。
科學家之前相信，全世界最高齡的樹是生長在北美的松樹，樹齡約界在四千到五千歲間。
這棵雲杉的樹齡是由邁阿密一間實驗室利用碳-14年代測定法計算出來的。
（法新社�翻譯：袁星塵）
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