Many Years Ago I was amazed to learn that the oldest thing still alive upon this Earth was the:-
"Californian Bristle Cone Pine Tree"
It started growing 5000 years ago, and is still growing.

http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/oldest/thing.html

Then a Creosote Bush was discovered living in the Mojave Desert, which after being examined by Scientists
was pronounced to be 7000 Years old.

Later, even older trees were discovered growing in Sweden, written about by Paul in these pages, some months ago.
These were a staggering 9950 years old.

http://veryveryfun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=1

And recently a Jurupa Oak tree has been found still growing in California, at 13,000 years old!
It began life during the last ice age, long before man turned to agriculture and built the first cities
in the fertile crescent of the Middle East.
It was already thousands of years old when the Egyptians built their pyramids,
and the ancient Britons erected Stonehenge.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/scienc...sm-1848009.html

The growing of seeds found in the Pyramids fade into insignificance against these 'Methuselah' trees.
Israeli researchers say they have succeeded in growing a date palm from a 2,000-year-old seed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4086348.stm

Then you get Headlines like this;-
"MICROBE WAKES UP AFTER 120,000 YEARS"
After more than 120,000 years trapped 2 miles beneath a block of ice in Greenland, a tiny microbe has woken up.

http://www.livescience.com/animals/090615-resurrected-microbe.html
Above item was found by our Forum Moderator Amaranth, some time ago.

***My thoughts

Not for me to say that a tree that Clones itself every few years, spreading itself over the ground, is'nt thousands of years old.
But the fact that the lonely Bristle Cone Pine Tree
has had its actual 5000 tree rings counted,
settles my mind better.

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"You will never find a real Human being - Even in a mirror." ....Mike Kremer.