Description

Middle Miocene (Seldovian)
Sucker Creek Formation – Sucker Creek Flora
Malheur County, Oregon, USA
31mm winged seed on 52mm slab
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 whirl in the air on the way to the ground like a helicopter.  If it catches even a light breeze, it can drift away far enough away to sprout and grow in its own patch of sunlight.