TOP 10
Oldest continuously living
things in Australia
The average human life span of 82 years is a mere blip in time compared with these long-lived entities.
F
ROM ANCIENT trees to primitive cyanobacteria,
Australia’s landscapes and seascapes are home
to some exceptionally old living things.
There’s something about long-lived beings that
surprises, delights and humbles us. Perhaps it’s the
countless perils they have endured or the stupen-
dous stories they would tell (if they could talk). Or
perhaps it’s simply that they illuminate a slower way
of existence. Our list of ‘oldest continuously living
things’ includes both individuals and clone clusters- genetically identical plant colonies descended
from a single continuously living organism.
26 Australian Geographic
Stromatolites at
Shark Bay, WA.
BY ELLEN RYKERS