Botanical researchers reveal that oak trees were once thought to be extinct, and are now in urgent need of conservation within Big Bend National Park in Texas, according to a new study. Researchers led by The Morton Arboretum and the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) were thrilled to find a lone Quercus taurifolia (Q. tardifolia) tree, which stood about 30 feet tall, although it is in poor condition. First described in the 1930s, the last surviving specimen is believed to have perished in 2011. According to Westwood, Q. tardifolia is considered one, if not the rarest, oak in the world. Scientists speculate that by studying why this tree is going extinct, they may be able to save other organisms from the same fate. The question remains whether this specimen of Q. tardifolia can be saved.