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World’s oldest tree? Genetic analysis traces evolution of iconic Pando forest
A vast colony of aspen clones could hold clues about how ancient organisms protect their genomes from harmful mutations.
DNA samples from one of the world’s largest and oldest plants — a quaking aspen tree ( Populus tremuloides) in Utah called Pando — have helped researchers to determine its age and revealed clues about its evolutionary history. “It’s kind of shocking to me that there hasn’t been a lot of genetic interest in Pando already, given how cool it is,” says study co-author William Ratcliff, an evolutionary biologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. The researchers collected samples of roots, bark, leaves and branches from across the Pando clone, as well as from other, unrelated quaking aspen trees for comparison.
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