Ranger uncovers a living fossil in an Australian canyon: the Wollemi pine
Park ranger David Noble discovered a stand of trees in a Wollemi National Park canyon in 1994 that matched 90-million-year-old fossils, leading to the description of Wollemia nobilis—the Wollemi pine—as a new genus in 1995. Labeled a 'living fossil,' it has a tiny wild population across four stands (45 mature trees and 46 seedlings). To conserve it, cultivars were distributed worldwide, seed banks and living collections were created, and three genetic groups were identified to preserve diversity in a global 'meta-collection,' while the exact location remains secret to shield the species from fire, drought, and disease.
