Wollemi pine, a living fossil
Pino de Wollemi, fósil viviente
- Date
- 1994 · confidence high
- Place
- Wollemi National Park, New South Wales, Australia
- Credited to
- David Noble
- Field
- Life & health
What was discovered
A park ranger found in a gorge of Wollemi National Park a tree of an araucariaceous species known only from fossils more than 90 million years old. It was recognised as a new genus and species and its location is kept secret.
About 100 adult trees are known in the wild; their DNA shows very low genetic variability. The exact location is kept secret, so coordinates are approximate.
What it led to
- propagation in botanic gardens to avoid extinction
- conservation studies of relict species
- DNA studies and genetic variability in a very small population