Description

Middle Miocene (Seldovian)
Sucker Creek Formation – Sucker Creek Flora
Malheur County, Oregon, USA
20mm winged seed on 40mm slab
Seed,

This unidentified seed was deposited at a time when the climate in Oregon was warmer than it is now.

A “winged seed” bears an extended surface that allows them to spin in the air on the way to the ground like a helicopter.  If it catches even a light breeze, it might drift to an open patch of ground where it get enough sun and water to sprout and mature.

Here’s an example of a plant fossil showing an adaptation still seen in some seeds today.