Radiocarbon dating rewrites angiosperm trees' lifespan records worldwide

For decades, scientists have relied on tree rings to estimate how long trees can live. But new research suggests that this widely used method may have been underestimating the lifespan of many flowering trees—sometimes by centuries. A new international study published in Radiocarbon shows that radiocarbon dating can dramatically extend the known maximum age of broadleaved trees, revealing that many species live far longer than previously thought.