3,000 Year-Old Fortingall Yew Undergoing Sex Change

What's 3,000 years old, lives in Scotland and has recently begun transitioning from male to female? This tree!



Wikipedia - Fortingall Yew

Modern expert estimates put the age of the tree at between 2,000 and 3,000 years, although it may be a remnant of a post-Roman Christian site and around 1,500 years old.[1] Others have suggested an age as great as 5,000 years,[2][3] although recent research into yew tree ages[4][5] suggests that it is likely to be nearer the lower limit of 2,000 years. This still makes it one of the oldest known trees in Europe,[6] although the root system of the Norway spruce Old Tjikko in Sweden is at least 9,500 years old.[7] The Fortingall Yew is possibly the oldest tree in Britain.[1]

I figured the title was sensational enough without using the 5,000 year estimate of age. This tree has seen it all, standing at least from the times of the Roman Empire and through the Dark Ages. There's even a local legend that Pontius Pilate was born and played beneath its ancient branches. (there's a "Yew Joke" in there somewhere)

And now, like a former gold medalist turned reality TV star, the Fortingall Yew has undergone a late-in-life sexual transformation.

Unexplained Mysteries - 5,000-year-old tree undergoes a sex change

Located in Perthshire, Scotland, the ancient tree has long been considered to be male', meaning that it produces pollen unlike the 'female' variety which instead produces red berries.

In a strange twist however, botanists at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh have reported that the tree has started to transition from one to the other having sprouted 'female' branches.

"It's a rare occurrence... rare and unusual and not fully understood," said botanist Max Coleman.

"It's thought that there's a shift in the balance of hormone-like compounds that will cause this sex-change. One of the things that might be triggering it is environmental stress."

Secondary source, The Economist - A 5,000-year-old tree changes sex.

It doesn't matter it's still a male it will always be a male, it was born a male period end of story.

a reply to: theantediluvian

So is it both male and female at the same time?

If so that would be something.

a reply to: deadeyedick

It sounds like the new growth is female but its unclear from what I could find whether or not it's currently considered a hermaphrodite.

Theres plenty of animals that can swap gender, even humans still have the basic genetics allowing them to change which shows how basic the ability to survive is as theres no point moaning about the next generation if you're all male or females in the area so nature has worked out a way to survive.

Perhaps with the tree theres another close by ?

So I wonder if it knows it is nearing the end of its life and is doing this as a way to reproduce?

a reply to: theantediluvian

That is really cool, ancient trees amaze me. The switching sexes doesn't really amaze me, I think maybe it can happen to all species... or at least I wouldn't be surprised if we someday learn that is the case.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Well for those of you botanically uninclined. ..plants can turn hermaphrodite in order to populate the species under times of extreme duress. Humans cannot...make of that what you will.

Eta:
Many plants mostly herbaceous, will turn gender on some branches in order to propagate the strain. Hemp is an easy example. Has nothing to do with humans.

Well at least it'll never have to choose a restroom.

Nature is amazing and I would love to see the things this tree has seen in its lifetime!! The stories it could tell....

a reply to: BlueJacket

Plants aren't the only things that do similar. It goes to show that no matter how much people may want to insist otherwise, sex is not some set thing in nature, it's fluid and imperfectly defined. Male and female is a fluid nonperfect incomplete state of being that is neither wholly true or constant. Expecting people to conform to to that which nature does not is silly and ridiculous, people being sentient, exist in various states, physically, mentally and emotionally. In all of these states are sexual fluidity, just some more than others. It is wrong to define a person by the state of one part of a whole against their will and hold them to the standards of such.

Sexuality is more than male/female it always has been as we all come from what was once a one sex being. No magical event occurred that divided us into two complete perfectly defined consistent sexes, nature and evolution just plain isn't that clean, simple or perfect.

originally posted by: tinner07
So I wonder if it knows it is nearing the end of its life and is doing this as a way to reproduce?

Maybe it wants a reality show.

So now we need transgendered tree bathrooms? I am sure the Kenyan Communist is consulting with the environmental wackos on this right now.

originally posted by: theantediluvian"It's thought that there's a shift in the balance of hormone-like compounds that will cause this sex-change. One of the things that might be triggering it is environmental stress."[/url].

Can I start telling all Transgendered people that it was caused by environmental stress, now?

HAHAHA, calm down people....it's a joke!

a reply to: Puppylove

I think you are confusing "sex" and "gender"

a reply to: theantediluvian

self pollination is under rated

don't let the Christian evangelicals know about this tree, they will be out with their chainsaws attempting a "tree lifestyle change"

a reply to: Excallibacca

Sex and gender are both parts of the same whole.

originally posted by: tinner07
So I wonder if it knows it is nearing the end of its life and is doing this as a way to reproduce?

It would be cool that some pollen from previous yrs made its way from the animal kingdom back to the tree that now has buds. I could see a squirrel or bird having residue that could be compatible the next yr.

just "leaf" the tree alone....it's "branching" out, trying to find it's true "roots"

originally posted by: jimmyx
don't let the Christian evangelicals know about this tree, they will be out with their chainsaws attempting a "tree lifestyle change"

you got that backwards

they would do an intervention while the left cranked up the mutilation tools.