Description

Middle Miocene (Seldovian)
Sucker Creek Formation – Sucker Creek Flora
Malheur County, Oregon, USA
28mm seed on 47mm slab. This may be an Acer seed where the wing has decayed away.
Seed,

Acer is the plant genus that includes various maple trees.  It dates back to the Early Cretaceous of Alaska, though based on its distribution during that period, researchers have theorized that they might find an even earlier form in Asia.  It thrives under temperate conditions and can tolerate a warmer climate but not a cooler one.  It appears Acer reached its widest distribution during the Miocene and retreated south as climates cooled during the Pliocene and Pleistocene.

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 can drift far enough from the tree to land on a patch of ground where it can get enough sun and water to grow.