Colossal Ancient Trees in Tanzania's Udzungwa Mountains Confirmed as New Species
Colossal Ancient Trees in Tanzania's Udzungwa Mountains Confirmed as New Species
Andrea Bianchi from the Muse Science Museum and Tanzanian scientists stumbled upon this rainforest giant in 2019 while mapping plant life in the Uluti and Boma la Mzinga reserves. Hidden in remote valleys, these towering trees with gray bark were unknown even to local botanists.
After careful surveys, Tessmannia princeps was confirmed as a new species:
Height: Can grow up to 40 meters tall
Trunk Width: Can reach 2.7 meters
Age: Growth ring analysis revealed that some of these ancient giants are over 3,000 years old, ranking them among the oldest living organisms on Earth, comparable to bristlecone pines and sequoias
With only about 100 mature trees remaining, confined to a small, high-altitude range, Tessmannia princeps is particularly vulnerable to climate change and human activities. Conservationists are urgently seeking habitat protection to ensure its survival.
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