5" Fossil Leaf (Platanus?) Nodule - Hell Creek Formation

Fossil Leaf (Platanus?) Nodule - Hell Creek Formation #253011

This is a 5.0" fossil leaf nodule (Platanus sp.?) from the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation on our partner's private quarry in Bowman, North Dakota. It is preserved inside a sandstone concretion.

The plane-tree or sycamore family of trees (Platanaceae) first emerged in the Lower Cretaceous Period. They are characterized by palmately lobed leaves, like modern sycamores or maples. This specimen's structure resembles these patterns.

This specimen has several repaired cracks.

Because of its age and sedimentary composition, the Hell Creek Formation has become one of the most paleontologically studied areas in the world. 158 genera of animals and 64 genera of plants are known from the formation and new discoveries are made frequently. In addition to Tyrannosaurs, Ceratopsids, and Hadrosaurs, the formation has yielded remains of amphibians, reptiles, lizards, snakes and turtles, fish and sharks, avian and non-avian dinosaurs, and mammals. The Hell Creek Formation gives the most complete understanding of the environment just before the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.

SPECIES

Platanus sp. (Sycamore)?

AGE

Late Cretaceous (~66 Million Years)