Critically endangered prehistoric Australian trees to be auctioned to boost conservation

SYDNEY, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) — Six saplings of a critically endangered Australian tree dating back more than 90 million years will be auctioned off to boost conservation efforts.
The Botanic Gardens of Sydney on Wednesday announced that six saplings of the Wollemi pine, each genetically distinct, would be sold to mark the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the species.
Dating back over 90 million years, the species of “dinosaur tree” was thought to have gone extinct approximately two million years ago until a grove was discovered northwest of Sydney in 1994.
The auction is the first time each genetically distinct sapling will be made available to the public. ■