Detailed Permian Glossopteris Leaf Fossil Assemblage

Description: Glossopteris leaves are a widespread fossil, but are difficult to assign by species because of the wide variety of venation patterns and morphology. They are found throughout what was once Gondwana, another support for continental drift. The genus derives its name from the Greek words for tongue and fern. They favored a swampy habitat, and some had leaves up to a meter in length. The leaves have only rarely ever been found attached to braches, but the restoration here is of one that had a tree-like habit. Few Glossopteris leaves have been found in strata younger than the Permian, a time that closed with the greatest of all mass extinctions on the planet. The leaves well contrasted by the matrix, making for a fine display piece. There are a few examples on the reverse as well.