| Dr. Diane Erwin (left), Collections Manager of Fossil Plants at the University California Museum of Paleontology, and Cathy Zyskowski collect fossil leaves from Middle Eocene "chocolate shales" at the Sailor Flat Hydraulic Mine in Nevada County, California, several miles east of Grass Valley/Nevada City (they are contiguous communities in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada); all significant fossil specimens went to the archival paleobotanical collections at the University California Museum of Paleontology. The fossil locality presently lies on private property. Permission to collect here was kindly granted by the owners of the Sailor Flat hydraulic mine. |