1.9" Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) Fossil - Montana

This is a Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood) fossil from the Muddy Creek Formation of Beaver Head County, Montana. The frond is 1.9" long (not including the curve). The Metasequoia genus was considered extinct until a living population was discovered in China in 1941. This makes the dawn redwood a classic example of a "living fossil".