According to a new study, an ancient allergy tree known as the "great grandfather" in southern Chile may be more than 5,000 years old.
Scientists were unable to determine an exact age based on the tree's circles due to the extremely large trunk, Euronews reports. But they have come to the conclusion that this is the oldest tree in the world.
Normally, a wooden cylinder with a diameter of 1 meter is taken out to count the circles of trees, but the tree trunk in Chile has a diameter of four meters. Jonathan Barichivich, the scientist who led the study, said that by analyzing the tree's circles as well as other methods used to determine the date, they think the tree is up to 5,484 years old.
"This method tells us that 80% of all possible growth trajectories give us an age of this tree more than 5,000 years," Barichivich said. "There is only a 20% chance the tree will be younger."
This tree looks set to overthrow a pine tree in California, which holds the current record as the oldest tree in the world - 4,853 years old.
Barichivich is concerned about the continuity of the tree because many people come to visit it every year, trampling on its roots as well as taking bark at home, which damages the tree.
