0.9" Detailed Fossil Plant Leafs Metasequoia Dawn Redwood Oligocene Age MT COA
Location: Muddy Creek Formation, Beaverhead County, Montana
Weight: 0.4 Ounces
Dimensions: 1.9 Inches Long, 1.6 Inches Wide, 0.3 Inches Thick (Plate)
Leaf Dimensions: 0.9 Inches Long, 0.7 Inches Wide
Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
The item pictured is the one you will receive.
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) Fossil – Ancient Conifer and True Living Fossil
The Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) is a legendary tree genus with a history stretching back over 100 million years to the time of the dinosaurs. Closely related to modern redwood trees, Metasequoia was once widespread across the Northern Hemisphere and known only from fossil remains for decades. Its dramatic rediscovery in 1944 in central China revealed that this iconic tree had survived unnoticed, earning its reputation as one of the world’s most famous living fossils.
Both ancient and modern Metasequoia are deciduous conifers, a rare trait among cone-bearing trees. Fossil evidence shows that Dawn Redwoods formed extensive forests during the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic eras, thriving in warm, moisture-rich climates. Today’s trees grow rapidly, developing a graceful pyramidal shape and reaching heights of up to 120 feet, making them popular ornamental and landscape trees worldwide.
Perfect for fossil collectors, paleobotany enthusiasts, educators, and museums, a Metasequoia fossil specimen offers a compelling link between prehistoric ecosystems and modern forests, illustrating survival, adaptation, and evolutionary continuity through deep time.
