Acer ivanofense facts for kids

Acer ivanofense was an ancient type of maple tree. It is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists. Scientists learned about this tree from its fossil leaves. These fossils were found in the United States and date back to the Eocene and Oligocene periods. This ancient maple is related to some living maple trees today. It belongs to a group called Glabra.

Discovering Acer ivanofense

Fossils of Acer ivanofense were found in Alaska, in a place called Ivanof Bay. This area is on the Alaska Peninsula. The fossils were discovered in rocks from the late Eocene to early Oligocene periods. These rocks are part of what is now called the Meshik Volcanics.

The Meshik Volcanics

The rocks where the fossils were found were first named in 1929. They were called the Meshik Formation. This name came from the Meshik River and Meshik Lake. In 1996, scientists looked at these rocks again. They renamed them the Meshik Volcanics. This new name better describes the type of rock, which is mostly volcanic. These rocks are very old, about 38 to 28 million years old.

Studying the Fossils

Scientists found four main fossil specimens of Acer ivanofense. These are kept at the National Museum of Natural History. Two paleobotanists, Jack A. Wolfe and Toshimasa Tanai, studied these fossils. Jack A. Wolfe worked for the United States Geological Survey. Toshimasa Tanai was from Hokkaido University in Japan.

In 1987, Wolfe and Tanai officially described Acer ivanofense. They published their findings in a science journal. They named the species ivanofense to honor Ivanof Bay. This is where the first important fossils were found.

What the Leaves Looked Like

The leaves of Acer ivanofense were simple in shape. They had veins that spread out from the base of the leaf. This is called an actinodromous vein structure. Each leaf had three lobes, which are rounded parts. The two side lobes were about half the size of the middle lobe.

Leaf Size and Details

These leaves had three main veins. They were shaped like a wide oval. Their size ranged from about 4.5 to 7.8 centimeters (1.8 to 3.1 inches) long. They were also about 4.0 to 7.5 centimeters (1.6 to 3.0 inches) wide.

Each main vein had smaller veins branching off it. These smaller veins helped support the leaf lobes. The leaves also had teeth along their edges. Each large tooth had two or three smaller teeth on its bottom edge. It also had one small tooth at its tip.

How it Relates to Other Maples

Scientists believe Acer ivanofense belongs to the Acer section Glabra. This is based on how the veins are arranged in the lobes. It also depends on how the tiny veins form small areas called areolae. This helps connect it to other types of maples.