What is the scientific name for the redwood trees that grew at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument?
in Colorado 35 million years ago?
Ok thanks. I go to Colorado State, so the question is specifically aimed at the Redwoods in Colorado at the Florissant Fossil Monument
Thanks Debbie. I’m having a very hard time finding a specific name. All I can find is that they were "Giant Redwoods," so your answer is logical
3 Responses
Marilyn
18 Oct 2010
Debbie
18 Oct 2010
Bill,
I think this is it:
Sequoiadendron giganteum
I live near Florissant, but I’m not a botany teacher!
I googled "Petrified redwoods of Florissant". The genus given is Sequoia (or Sequoia-like). The only living species in the genus Sequoia is Sequoia sempervirens from northern California to SW Oregon (links 1 & 2) [there are also some in coastal NW Washington where I live]. The prehistoric fossil range of the genus is considerably greater, with a sub-cosmopolitan distribution including Europe and Asia until about 5 million years ago. (Link 3). Googling "Fossil Sequoia species" was unproductive.