Science News : What scientists thought to be the largest tree on Earth so far may also be the oldest. Yes, the world calls the huge network of Quakeking aspen (Populus tremuloides) by the name Pando. Pando, located in the US state of Utah, is the largest animal in the world. After examining hundreds of samples from here, scientists estimate that this 106-acre (43 hectare) forest may have begun as a single seedling long before the end of the last ice age (around 34,000 years ago). Other estimates say it is several thousand years old.

The study has not yet been peer-reviewed. However, its findings may put an end to speculation about how long this clonal organism has existed. Pando has already been attracting the attention of biologists due to its size. Some consider it to be the largest organism on the planet.

Panda: The roots of thousands of trees are interconnected

The Quakeking aspen, or pando, appears to be a group of 47,000 different trees that rise above the soil. But all of them share the same genetic heritage and share a web of interconnected roots. Pando is unique because the genome of its chromosome triplets does not blend easily with other members of its species. This restricts plant reproduction to asexual clones, which remain attached to the environment, taking roots.

World's oldest lone tree

The age record for a single tree is named after an anonymous bristlecone pine in the White Mountains, California, which is thought to be more than 5,000 years old.