What about clonal trees and plants such as Pando, King Clone, Mount Read Huon Pines, and Old Tjikko? I would say eighty thousand years old is pretty immortal.
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, ErgoSum88, we’re glad to have you with us. When you start a thread, it’s helpful to other readers to provide a link to the column in question: helps keep us on the same page, and saves searching time. Providing the title is helpful, thanks for that, but the link just makes it a li’l easier. In this case: Do trees ever die of old age? - The Straight Dope
No biggie, you’ll know for next time, and, as I say, welcome!
(I assume others will comment on the substance of your post. I’m just doing the welcoming and house-keeping.)
Oh ok, thank you.
I noticed in that article that Cecil was assuming a person wouldn’t live past, say, 120.
The article was written in 1990.
In 1997, Jeanne Calment died in France, aged 122 years, 164 days.
May I also extend a warm welcome to you, ErgoSum88!
You are in hallowed company among some of the smartest and nicest people on the Internet.
Have fun!
Personally, I really like the explanation about non-hierarchical systems leading to extreme longevity in certain individual trees. That makes more sense than many other explanation that I have read elsewhere.
I think Pando is pretty amazing, but I don’t think you can call it immortal. Clonal colonies aren’t one living organism, they are a group of clones.
If you call clonal colonies immortal, than any plant that can be propagated by cuttings or rhizome division is also immortal. There are grape cultivars that have been propagated from cuttings since roman times. They are genetically identical to the roman era vines, but nobody says their vines are 2000 years old.
Hell, by that definition Dolly the sheep can be considered immortal as long as they keep cloning her.
It is worth noting that there is already another thread on the same subject, most recently posted in yesterday.