Why are the oldest and tallest trees all conifers?

[Glenn MacGrady]

Is this true? If fully or partially true, why do conifers live so much longer and grow so much bigger than (single stem) longleaf non-conifers?

I suppose I could ask AI. But we have foresters, botanists and other biologists here, and for ancient trees I'd rather ask ancient humans.

 

[recped]

Conifers are smarter?

 

[GeoBoy]

The term bristlecone pine covers three species of pine tree (family Pinaceae, genus Pinus, subsection Balfourianae). All three species are long-lived and highly resilient to harsh weather and bad soils. One of the three species, Pinus longaeva, is among the longest-lived life forms on Earth. The oldest of this species is more than 4,800 years old,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristlecone_pine#cite_note-oldest-1"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a> making it the oldest known individual of any species. Many scientists are curious as to why this tree is able to live so long. In one study, they discovered that Pinus longaeva has higher levels of telomerase activity, which further slows or prevents the attrition rate of telomeres.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristlecone_pine#cite_note-2"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a> This potentially contributes to the extended life of the bristlecone pine.
I visited these trees at Great Basin NP in Nevada.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Conifers are smarter?

Maybe. Or maybe it's diet. Tree experts report that conifers have never been seen eating, for example, Costco chicken.