Sassafras hesperia Fossil Leaf from Tranquille Shale

Description: This plate displays Sassafras hesperia leaf from the lacustrine deposits of the McAbee Flora of the Eocene of British Columbia, Canada. The genus is extant, albeit this species is extinct. The genus is also deciduous in most climates, though most members of its family are evergreens, an example of divergent evolution.

The McAbee Fossil Beds site is a Konservat-Lagerstätten owing to the exceptional preservation of the flora and fauna. The fossils are the most diverse known in British Columbia for plants and insects of the Eocene. Only a small fraction of the diversity has yet to be formally described. Some 76 plant genera are known so far. The fossil site was recently acquired by the British Columbia provincial government and declared a heritage site. As a consequence specimens like this that were collected from before the declaration will become increasingly in demand as no further material will be available.