Photo: National Park Service, Fossil Butte National Monument
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A tree whose leaves come in non-lobed, two-lobed, and three-lobed forms — a lesson in fossil ID.
Fossil leaves and plants act as ancient thermometers and rain gauges, allowing scientists to study the climate of Fossil Lake from 52 million years ago. It is difficult to identify fossil leaf specimens from the Fossil Butte Member at the species level.
Gyrocarpus sp. produces non-lobed, two-lobed, and three-lobed specimens. One species of tree can produce different-looking leaves, making it difficult to determine if leaves are from different trees or variations within a species.
Species text: National Park Service, Fossil Butte National Monument — Fossil Plant Species.