Name/Title
Sycamore LeafEntry/Object ID
07.57.07Description
Platanus leaf imprint on a beige sandstone.
Leaf fossils in this case are carbon films that remain on the bedding surfaces of fine-grained sediments. Fossilization happened after the leaves sank to the bottom of a pond or lake and were later buried by additional fine-grained sediments. With burial, the leaves were compressed and the sediment surrounding them solidified. Eventually these fine-grained sediments became sandstone, shale or mudstone. When all the volatile organic material in the living leaf was pressed out, only a thin carbon residue was left in the sediment, marking the outline and veins of the leaf.
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Platanaceae
Genus: Platanus
Common name: Sycamore
Formation: Green River
Age: Eocene
Rock and Mineral Data (Silica):
Assemblage Zone: sandstone
Chemical Composition: Si O2
Crystal System: Subhedral
Type of Fossils Present: Plants
Fracture: conchoidal
Grain Size: Fine
Hardness: 7 Quartz
Lithofacies: Landlocked lake sediments
Luster: Silky
Pressure: Moderate
Rock Color: Dark
Rock Origin: Marine/Freshwater
Rock Type: Sedimentary
Specific Gravity: 2.6
Surface Process: Not apparent
Temperature: Low
Texture: fine grainCollection
Fossil CollectionAcquisition
Accession
07.57Source or Donor
Fossil CollectionAcquisition Method
DonationOther Names and Numbers
Other Number
Other Number: 2007.57.07Dimensions
Width
9 inDepth
1 inLength
12 inDimension Notes
Dimensions taken at widest pointsLocation
Location
Display Case
PW-8Room
Petrified Wood RoomBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
ExhibitMoved By
Jillian Mather KettleyDate
May 28, 2025Notes
Location update
