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Oldest Living thing is under water





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Posted by jeff Shaw on February 07, 2012 at 17:48:41:

Oldest Living Thing.

Australian scientists have discovered a species of giant seagrass that might be the oldest living thing on Earth.

DNA analysis has determined that Posidonia oceanic, which grows in 2,000 miles underwater of meadows between Spain and Cyprus, is between 12,000 and 200,000 years old, with the most likely age somewhere over 100,000 years.

That’s significantly older than the previous oldest species, a Tasmanian plant believed to be 43,000 years old.

University of Western Australia Professor Carlos Duarte author of a paper on the seagrass, attributes the species’ longevity to its ability to reproduce asexually and create clones of itself. The seagrass also covers a large area, with some patches reaching nearly 10 miles wide, which gives it more space to gather nutrients.

Still, researchers say the species is in danger, declining at an estimated rate of 5% per year.



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