Perhaps you’ve wandered through a forest or strolled into a neighborhood park and found tree trunks — and wondered if counting the rings on a trunk is truly a way to know the tree's age. "Most of us ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Not many living organisms have been around long enough to ...

Some of the key samples in the study came from the La Brea Tar Pits in Southern California, where researchers analyzed ancient juniper wood preserved in tar. The team found clear signs of elevated ...

Q: This fall, I had three somewhat decrepit ash trees cut down. A friend with a chainsaw cut a cross section so I could count the rings. How far out do the countable rings go? Do I count the rings in ...