World’s oldest moss could go extinct as a result of climate crisis

Takakia growing in the Himalayas. The moss was already 100m years old when the mountains formed underneath it. Photograph: Dr Ruoyang Hu

The world’s oldest moss, found in the Himalayas, may not be able to survive climate breakdown, scientists have said.

Takakia, which has been growing for 390m years, is one of the fastest-evolving species ever found, but that may not be enough to save it, the researchers warned.