Name: The world's oldest living things
Uploaded: 2010-09-03T08:52:00Z
Duration: 13 min 51 s
Description: Rachel Sussman shows photographs of the world's oldest continuously living organisms -- from 2,000-year-old brain coral off Tobago's coast to an "underground forest" in South Africa that has lived since before the dawn of agriculture.

Rachel Sussman shows photographs of the world's oldest continuously living organisms -- from 2,000-year-old brain coral off Tobago's coast to an "underground forest" in South Africa that has lived since before the dawn of agriculture.

The world's oldest living things

Life on Earth stretches back far beyond human civilization, with organisms like 80,000-year-old aspen forests in Utah and 400,000-year-old Siberian bacteria still alive today. These living beings have endured millennia of environmental changes and natural disasters, yet many now face threats from climate change and human activity. Their survival depends on delicate ecosystems and serves as a living record of Earth's deep history. Protecting them means preserving both biological wonder and the planet’s memory.

Ancient Life Reveals the Resilience And Fragility Of Earth

Gallery: Ancient flora and fauna

*The Oldest Living Things in the World*

biodiversity

biology

environment

nature

photography

trees

fungi

TED Stage Talk

Rachel Sussman: The world's oldest living things