{
  "id": 17784596,
  "title": "Lahore Has a Tree With a Lineage Dating Back to the Age of Dinosaurs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/lahore-has-a-tree-with-a-lineage-dating-back-to-the-age-of-dinosaurs",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-02T10:44:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPakistani",
    "slug": "propakistani",
    "url": "https://propakistani.pk/2026/11/02/lahore-has-a-tree-with-a-lineage-dating-back-to-the-age-of-dinosaurs/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 176-year-old Queen Sago Palm tree, a member of a plant lineage older than the dinosaurs, now flourishes at Lawrence Garden in Lahore, according to a Punjab Horticulture Authority spokesperson. The tree predates the historic garden itself, which was established in the 1860s as a botanical garden and recreational area, modeled after London's Kew Gardens. Cycads, the plant group to which the Queen Sago Palm belongs, have a fossil record dating back to the Permian period, approximately 280 to 300 million years ago.\n\nThe world's oldest potted plant, a Cycad at Kew Gardens since 1775, flourished during the Mesozoic Era when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, earning the era the nickname \"Age of Cycads\". The abundance of Cycads during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods earned the era the title \"Age of Dinosaurs\". Cycads were an important food source for plant-eating dinosaurs, including long-necked sauropods, during these periods.\n\nSago Palms are known for their slow growth and longevity, requiring around four to five hours of sunlight daily and minimal water once established. This slow growth allows them to thrive in various conditions, including poor soil. Their structure has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of millions of years, earning them the nickname \"living fossils\". However, their numbers have significantly declined, with 60 percent of assessed species now threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.\n\nThe spokesperson emphasized the significance of the Queen Sago Palm in Lahore, stating that it is not only prehistoric but also belongs to a threatened variety. Lawrence Garden, located in Lahore, is considered one of Asia's largest botanical gardens, housing around 150 tree varieties, including 30 species of palms. The collection also includes trees and plants introduced by the British from various parts of the world, such as the Indian Empire, Austria, Palestine, Syria, and other European regions.",
  "summary": "A 176-year-old Queen Sago Palm, a member of a plant lineage older than the dinosaurs, is in full leaf at … Read More The post Lahore Has a Tree With a Lineage Dating Back to the Age of Dinosaurs appeared first on ProPakistani .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}