Fossil Club July: The earliest known Sequoia fossil is from the Potomac Group

Join us for this engaging talk from Fossil Club member Valerie Horn as she explores her citizen science project researching the unique locally found sequoia fossils.

The giant redwoods are iconic trees whose height and age inspire awe, but their fossil history is unclear. At our local MNCPPC Dinosaur Park in Prince George’s County, small sequoia-like cones are abundant. They were described in a limited way a hundred years ago and have been mostly ignored since. Dr. Horn and her co-authors have re-evaluated these cones, along with the associated twigs and foliage. Phylogenetic analysis of their morphology shows that the species is a member of Sequoioideae. Its presence in the Early Cretaceous Potomac Group makes this fossil the earliest known sequoia.

Valerie Horn has a dental degree from the University of Maryland and a PhD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Anatomy and Cell Biology. She was in private clinical dental practice until 2022. During her retirement, she explored her fascination with fossils and returned to College Park to learn more about paleontology. The research for her work on sequoia fossils began during the COVID-19 pandemic and is ongoing.

Please join us for this in-person presentation at the Natural History Society Building located at 6908 Belair Rd.

NHSM’s Fossil Club is a group of novice and more experienced collectors who meet to share knowledge and discuss fossil identification, fossil locations, and other fossil-related topics. Monthly meetings feature guest speakers both from within the club and from outside organizations. We also strive to schedule frequent collection trips to various locations. 

Although you don’t need to be a member to attend a meeting, membership gives you access to additional experiences. An annual NHSM membership is $35 for individuals, $50 for families; Fossil Club membership is an additional $5 for individuals and $10 for families. 

If you are not yet a member of NHSM, click here to join. When you join as a new member, you can add the club membership(s) of your choice to your registration. Current NHSM members who wish to join any clubs should email the Community Coordinator at rbaldwin@marylandnature.org.