Fine Eocene Green River Formation Sycamore Fossil Leaf

Description: The Green River Formation deposits of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah are best known for their immaculately-preserved fish, but other examples are known as well, as this specimen attests. This is an example of a leaf from a member of the Plantaceae, or Sycamores. The leaves assignable to this family are some of the most dramatic found ingthe Cretaceous and Tertiary. While originally assigned to the genus Plantanus, it has been subsequently reassigned as indicated here. The deep brown color is a fine contrast to the light shale matrix, with the leaf well centered on the plate.