2 Two Detailed Fossil Plant Leafs Metasequoia Dawn Redwood Oligocene Age MT COA

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) Fossil – Prehistoric Tree with Living Descendants
The Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) represents one of the most extraordinary survivals in plant evolution, with a lineage that extends back to the Mesozoic Era, when dinosaurs dominated the Earth. Fossil evidence shows that Metasequoia once formed extensive forests across much of the Northern Hemisphere, thriving in warm, humid environments millions of years before humans appeared.

For decades, Metasequoia was known exclusively from the fossil record and was considered extinct until living populations were discovered in central China in 1944. This remarkable find transformed the genus into a celebrated living fossil, linking ancient forests with the modern world. Unlike most conifers, Metasequoia is deciduous, shedding its needles seasonally—a trait preserved from its prehistoric ancestors.

Today, the Dawn Redwood grows rapidly and develops a tall, symmetrical pyramidal form, reaching heights of up to 120 feet. A Metasequoia fossil specimen is ideal for fossil collectors, paleobotany enthusiasts, educators, and museum exhibits, offering a tangible connection to ancient ecosystems, evolutionary resilience, and one of the most iconic botanical rediscoveries in scientific history.