Now on ScienceBlogs: "Investigative science journalism" and books I like to read [All of My Faults Are Stress Related]

Seed Media Group

The Week In ScienceBlogs: Sign up for our newsletter.

Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

"The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." -- Eden Phillpotts.

Search

Concisus Vitae

GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist has written a blog about science since 4 August 2004 (the early years are archived here) and was part of the original invited group of 14 "SciBlings" -- her only claim to fame. If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, please help her pay her living expenses by clicking on the Paypal button below and by voting for her to be the official blogger on a month long adventure in Antarctica. If you read an essay that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for OpenLab2009.

Online interviews with GrrlScientist: Nature Blog Network and ScienceBlogs.

GrrlScientist's banner was designed by graphic artist, Jeff Hebert, whose other work can be viewed here.

Nominate your science, nature or medical writing to Scientia Pro Publica (Science for the Public) blog carnival using the widget above.

Meters and Counters






View blog authority

Help This $cientist-Blogger

Worthy Causes to $upport

Bookmarking/Networking

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Blog Bling

Archives

Deep archives

Rotating Drinking Pals

Rotating Reciprocal Links

Reading/Viewing

Listening

I've Contributed To

Miscellaneous

« Painted Cats | Main | NYC Condoms »

The Methuselah Plant

Topic Categories: Wow!
Posted on: February 15, 2007 1:05 PM, by "GrrlScientist"

A seed that was discovered in the 1970s in an archaeological site and was found to be 2,000 years old has sprouted, making it the oldest fertile seed known. This seed produced a date palm that was plentiful in Roman times -- a plant that has since disappeared.

"People tell me the tree I'm raising looks like a typical palm you might see in your dentist's waiting room," says Elaine Soloway, who teaches at Kibbutz Ketura's Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and who germinated the 2,000-year-old date seed that was found at Masada. "But that's not true." Soloway says the first leaves that have sprouted are extraordinarily long. "We don't know yet if it's a male or a female, but if it's a female, in another two or three years we'll be able to know how dates tasted in Judea in ancient times."

According to historical sources, that taste was splendid. The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder, who lived in the first century C.E., wrote that Judea's dates were known for their succulence and sweetness.

The palm tree has been named "Methuselah".


Cited story.

.

TrackBacks

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/33425

Comments

1

I think this is so interesting! I've often wondered if anyone did anything with the seed or grains found at archeological sites & pyramids. Sorta like a jurassic garden. I hope it lives to fruit.

Posted by: Diane in Ohio | February 15, 2007 2:51 PM

2

Pretty cool - any words on why the plant has since disappeared though?

Posted by: Kevin | February 15, 2007 3:59 PM

3

the story doesn't say why the plant disappeared.

Posted by: GrrlScientist | February 15, 2007 7:22 PM

4

Oldest? Didn't someone manage to sprout grains from the Egyptian pyramids?

Posted by: David Harmon | February 16, 2007 10:09 AM

Post a Comment

(Email is required for authentication purposes only. On some blogs, comments are moderated for spam, so your comment may not appear immediately.)





ScienceBlogs

Search ScienceBlogs:

Go to:

Advertisement
Advertisement

© 2006-2009 Seed Media Group LLC. ScienceBlogs is a registered trademark of Seed Media Group. All rights reserved.

Sites by Seed Media Group: Seed Media Group | ScienceBlogs | SEEDMAGAZINE.COM