Description

Abies concolor
Conifer
Middle Miocene (Barstovian)
Esmeralda Formation
Fingerrock Wash, Nevada, USA

Beautiful 21mm seed on 60mm paper shale.

Abies is the genus for fir trees which are evergreen conifers in the pine tree family, Pinaceae.  Abies dates back at least to the Middle Cretaceous with one report from the Triassic of Hungary.  It’s known as a fossil primarily from the Eocene to Pleistocene of North America and Europe.

A. concolor is the modern white fir tree.  It is one of the species that has been sold commercially as a Christmas tree.  This specimen represents one of the earliest-known occurrences of this species.