This week’s fossil may be way too easy to identify. It looks identical to something we see today—a winged samara (that is a fruit) from some…mystery…tree. The shape of the samara today helps the wind carry the seeds further, which one could guess was the purpose of this fossil back in the day as well. Dating from the Miocene, and found in what today is Nevada, can you tell me the genus AND species of this fossil?
October 10, 2014
