The Marginalian · People & society

The Dawn Redwood: A Fossil Tree's Revival Amidst Global Conflict

A deciduous conifer, once thought extinct, was rediscovered in China during World War II and subsequently shared globally, becoming a symbol of scientific collaboration and resilience.

Sixty million years ago, a fast-growing redwood species adapted to Ice Age conditions by shedding its needles annually. This trait allowed it to spread across North America and Eurasia until the climate shifted.

In the midst of WWII, Japanese paleobotanist Shigeru Miki discovered fossils of this species, which he named Metasequoia, believing it to be extinct.

In 1941, a Chinese forester encountered a living specimen in Central China, known locally as 'water fir.' Unable to collect a proper sample due to its leafless winter state, he alerted other botanists.

Hsen Hsu Hu, recognizing the tree's needle pattern from Miki's fossil descriptions, identified the 'water fir' as a living Metasequoia, a 'living fossil.'

News of the discovery led to an expedition funded by Harvard's Arnold Arboretum, resulting in the collection and distribution of seeds worldwide. This marked a rare collaboration between Chinese and Western scientists before the Chinese Revolution.

The seeds were planted globally, with the tree eventually becoming known as the dawn redwood. Today, these trees can be found in parks and gardens across continents, celebrated as 'the tree of the century.'

The dawn redwood's journey from fossil to global presence is seen as a testament to the enduring human spirit and the unifying power of scientific pursuit, transcending political divides.

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