Bristlecone pine

The Bristlecone Pine is the oldest living organism on the Earth. The Methuselah, one kind of a Bristlecone Pine, is 4767 years old and is held up as an obstacle by evolutionists through tree-ring dating regarding biblical chronology. Scientists say that they can live longer than 5000 years. They are in family Pinaceae, genus Pinus.

Anatomy
Compared to other trees, the Bristlecone Pine is medium sized. Most of them are 5-15 meters tall. The trunk diameter is about 2.5 meters. However, some bristlecone pines have 3.6 meters diameter. There is a bark at the base of the trunk, and its color is bright orange-yellow. They are also thin and scaly. The leaves are about 2.5-4 centimeters long and their color is green. Each fascicle has five leaves, and has the appearance that is like bottlebrush on branches.

Reproduction
The cones of a Bristlecone Pine are ovoid-cylindrical. When maturity takes place, the cones open and release the seeds. During this, the size of cones become about 4-6 cm long. The size of the seed is 5mm long and has a wing, which is 12-22 mm long. They are mostly spread by wind. A Clark's Nutcracker is another source that helps the seeds spread by breaking the cones making the seeds come lose. To Clark's Nutcrackes, the seeds are the most important food source. For this reason, when they have a chance to get seeds, they store many for the future. However, they do not eat all the stored seeds. They drop some of them and the dropped ones grow in where they are dropped. The reproduction rate of a bristlecone pine is very slow. The bristlecone pine is one of those trees that are exterminating.

Ecology
The best place for Bristlecone Pines to grow well is isolated groves, which is located just below tree-line. Bristlecone Pines are one of those trees that has slow growing rate, because the place they mostly live has cold temperature. Dry soils and high winds are other things that make their growing rate slow. The body of a Bristlecone Pine is very hard so that its hardness protects it from insects, fungi, and other invaders.

Related References

 * Bristlecone Pine by Bryce Canyon National Park
 * Bristlecone Pine by The Ancient Bristle Pine
 * Variable Production of Growth Rings in Bristlecone Pines More Creationist Research PART II: BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH by Duane T. Gish Ph.D. Creation Research Society Quarterly 26(1):5 June, 1989