700-year-old banyan tree in Bihar recognised as world's oldest accurately dated specimen

Exam-focused facts from the 6 July 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

A banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) in the Munger district of Bihar has been scientifically dated to approximately 700 years, making it the world's oldest accurately dated specimen.
The research was led by Dr. Trina Bose of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) in Lucknow, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology.
The age was determined using radiocarbon dating on alpha-cellulose extracted from wood samples, utilizing Accelerator Mass Spectrometry and OxCal software calibrated against the IntCal20 curve.
The study, which was initiated by the Bihar Forest Department, has been published in the journal Quaternary Research.
The research established that the tree predates the colonial-era Burra Bunglow structure, which is estimated to be around 300 to 350 years old.