Spruce Gran Picea #0909 – 11A07 (9,550 years old; Fulufjället, Sweden)
Ours is a world of wonders. Among these are several ancient organisms, that have existed for thousands of years. However, several of these are now endangered as human settlement and climate change put pressure on their ecosystems. Of course, serious attempts are also being made to preserve these wonderful organisms.
Artist Rachel Sussman has been researching, and collaborating with biologists in order to photograph the oldest continuously living organisms of our planet. Since 2004, Rachel has visited some of the remotest places in the world, and braved harsh climates to photograph these wonders.
Her photographs have been put together in a book titled The Oldest Living Things in the World.
La Llareta (up to 3,000 years old; Atacama Desert, Chile)
Welwitschia Mirabilis #0707-22411 (2,000 years old; Namib-Naukluft Desert, Namibia)
Antarctic Moss #0212-7B33 (5,500 years old; Elephant Island, Antarctica)
Jōmon Sugi, Japanese Cedar #0704-002 (2,180-7,000 years old; Yakushima, Japan
Via Hyperallergic, Colossal