Metasequoia

Name Meaning: Sequence (as in, next in the sequence)

Location Found: North Dakota

Geologic Era: Eocene (this specimen), specimens found from Late Cretaceous to Miocene

Estimated Range: Canada, northern North America, Asia

Size: Up to 50 meters (165 feet tall)

Extinction Date: Not applicable…still extant in China

One of the few fossils in the collection that is not extinct, Metasequoia has stood the test of time. Though much more restricted in its geographic range than it used to be, Metasequoia is still very much alive. It is part of the redwood family, and is the smallest member of that group.

Early in its history, Metasequoia was a conifer tree, similar to a pine tree. However, in Canada, where there are extremes of daytime and nighttime length through the year, Metasequoia transitioned into being a deciduous tree. This change would have been advantageous to work with the limited light in the winter. Modern Metasequoias are grown in parks for shade, though due to their fast growth rate, they make a poor ornamental plant unless one has a lot of space to work with.

Image Credits:

Modern Metasequoia: By John Pozniak (talk) (Uploads) – Photo by John Pozniak, July 5, 2004., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=784195