Why in News?
A banyan tree in Munger, Bihar, has been scientifically dated to about 700 years, making it the world's oldest accurately dated Ficus benghalensis.
Key Points
Scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, used radiocarbon dating on wood samples to determine the tree's age.
They extracted alpha-cellulose from near the pith of a secondary trunk and analysed it using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, calibrating results with the IntCal20 curve.
The study was published in the international journal Quaternary Research.
Exam Connect
Banyan Tree → National Tree of India → Ficus benghalensis → tropical broadleaf species without annual growth rings, making traditional dating difficult.
BSIP → autonomous institute under Department of Science and Technology (DST) → established in 1946 by paleobotanist Birbal Sahni → located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.