State Fossil of Oregon
Dawn Redwood (common name) Metasequoia(scientific name) STATUS Official DESCRIPTION Metasequoia, commonly called dawn redwood, is a genus of redwood trees. Three species of this genus are known, with only one surviving, though this species is considered critically endangered in the wild. Metasequoia trees thrived from the Miocene to the Paleocene epochs, approximately five to 65 million years ago, but some are known to have lived as early as 100 million years ago in the middle Cretaceous period. Metasequoia fossils are now found throughout North America. STATE SYMBOL In the Miocene epoch of the Neogene period, approximately five to 25 million years ago, Metasequoia trees were plentiful in what is now the state of Oregon. Fossils of this tree are abundant throughout the state, particularly near the Painted Hills and the towns of Mitchell and Fossil in central Oregon. Metasequoia is a fine representative of Oregon’s geology and paleontology, and a tree as a state symbol appropriately recognizes Oregon’s timber heritage. For these reasons, and thanks to the collected efforts of an Oregon fossil collector and a student,Metasequoia was designated the official state fossil of Oregon on May 4, 2005. Oregon was the last western state to adopt an official state fossil. NAME ORIGIN The genus Metasequoia was named in 1941 by Japanese paleobotanist Shigeru Miki. The living species had not yet been discovered at that time, and Professor Miki named the genus from Mesozoic fossils. The tree "sequoia" was named for Sequoya (1767–1843), the Cherokee Indian scholar and inventor of a syllabary for writing and reading the Cherokee language. BIOLOGY/ANATOMY Unlike most conifers, Metasequoia is deciduous, meaning it sheds its needles annually. The needles of the dawn redwood turn shades of brown or red in autumn, and then fall from the tree to be replaced with new foliage in spring. These needles are about 0.5 to 1.0 inch (1 to 3 cm) long and grow opposite each other. This is a tall, fast-growing tree. Dawn redwoods reach heights of up to 130 feet (40 m) and spreads of up to 25 feet (7.6 m). The cones of this tree are normally about one inch (2.5 cm) long. This tree grows well in moist, well-drained soils. EVOLUTION/EXTINCTION Until one living species of the genus Metasequoia was discovered in a remote Chinese village in 1946, it was thought that all Metasequoiaspecies had long been extinct. Before that discovery, these trees were known to humans only through fossils. Recently, Metasequoiahas been propagated in arboretums and gardens around the world, and is now widely available to landscapers and homeowners. These conifers are the ancestors of living junipers, yews, and pines. MODERN DISCOVERY Since the astonishing find of what was termed a "living fossil," petrified Metasequoia trees have been discovered in the badlands of western North Dakota.
	Click to enlarge an image Dawn Redwood Fossil Ancient Rock with Redwood Impressions Close-up of Redwood Fossil Remains CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Plantae Division: Pinophyta Class: Pinopsida Order: Pinales Family: Cupressaceae Subfamily: Sequoioideae Genus: Metasequoia
	Author: World Trade Press