One of the oldest trees on Earth, more than 5,000 years old, showcased in Chile
Rare footage has been released in South America showing a Patagonian cypress whose age, according to scientists, is estimated to exceed 5,000 years. This unique natural monument is located in a national park in Chile’s southern Los Ríos Region.
The giant tree is known as the “Great Grandfather.” Standing 28 meters tall with a trunk more than 4 meters in diameter, this magnificent tree belongs to Fitzroya cupressoides, the largest tree species on the South American continent.
Experts first discovered the giant cypress in 1972, but detailed scientific research on the tree began only in 2020. Analysis of samples showed that there is an 80% probability that the “Great Grandfather” is more than 50 centuries old. This means the tree first took root at a time when humanity was only beginning to develop writing on papyrus and domesticate camels.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Patagonian cypresses were extensively logged because of their valuable wood, which was used in construction and shipbuilding. As a result, such ancient specimens have become exceptionally rare on our planet.
Today, the Patagonian cypress in Chile is under strict protection. Studying the “Great Grandfather” helps scientists better understand how Earth’s climate has changed over the past five thousand years and how rare species adapt to global environmental changes.
ORIENT
