On the windswept slopes of the Andes mountains, rugged forests grow. These exceptionally hardy trees and shrubs, known as Polylepis, have twisted branches that look like something out of a fairy tale.

The Andes Mountains may have growth spurts, doubling their height in as little as 2 million to 4 million years, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

A view shows the Iver glacier close to the El Plomo mountain summit, in the Andes mountain range, in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile, April 4, 2024. “Every year things are changing more.