Ginkgo Leaf (with stand)
Measurements: ~8" long x 4-3/4" wide x 1-1/4" deep
Location: Sentinel Butte Formation, Morton County, North Dakota
Time Period: Paleocene Epoch ~54-65 m.y.o.
By the time of the Paleocene epoch, diversity in the genus Ginkgo was reduced to a single polymorphic species, often referred to as Ginkgo adiantoides, which produced leaves virtually indistinguishable from modern-day Ginkgo biloba. This species was distributed in the northern regions due to the hot and humid tropical environment. As the climate changed in in the Oligocene epoch, the Ginkgo moved more south because of the cooler weather. Approximately seven million years ago Ginkgo adiantoides disappeared from the fossil record in North America.
Leaves and other fossil plant specimens are unique in their simplicity and beauty. They give someone a feel of what the land and forests must have looked like during different time periods. For some reason, these type of fossils have a relaxing effect on many people, allowing us to envision a world of simplistic wonder.