Dawn Redwood: living fossil with legendary story

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The dawn redwood is a type of gymnosperm plant that survives only in Chongqing Municipality and the provinces of Hubei and Hunan.

Called a “living fossil," the dawn redwood had a history of upheaval before scientists discovered it in the forests of China.

A dawn redwood standing by the side of a pond. /VCG Photo

In 1941, the species was accidentally discovered by foresters in Lichuan County, central Hubei Province. Before then, it was considered extinct by scientists based on the research of its fossils.

Scientists argued that none of the dawn redwood fossils were less than 150 million years old, which revealed that this species was very likely to be extinct due to subsequent climate change.

Dawn redwoods in morning fog. /VCG Photo

The discovery of dawn redwood in China has significance for archaeology and paleobotany. According to research, the earliest dawn redwood could be dated to the Mesozoic Era.

By studying this species' fossils, scientists could get more information about the vegetation and atmospheric conditions of ancient times.

Dawn redwood's leaf fossil. /VCG Photo

Dawn redwood is a deciduous conifer. Its leaves appear in shape of wing feathers, and they are arranged on opposite sides of the branches.

Foliage that looks like wing feathers of birds. /VCG Photo

The color of these leaves will turn from bright green into reddish brown in fall, and be replaced by new leaves in early spring next year.

Autumn foliage of dawn redwood. /VCG Photo

Though the dawn redwood is widely planted and protected under first-class state protection in China, it is still facing threats like deforestation and over-collection of their seeds.

The dawn redwood was listed as “endangered” on the IUCN Red List in 2013.

(Cover: The feather-like leaves of dawn redwood. /VCG Photo)

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