Trees in Cypress-Family Tell the Tale of Plate Tectonics

Redwoods, cypress, cedars and hemlocks (among others) are all members of family Cupressaceae - and their distribution around the world and genetic relatedness match up quite clearly with the separation of Pangea into our more familiar continents during the mesozoic, the age of the dinosaurs. Pretty cool.

A dawn redwood, an Asian relative of the North American species.  From the Victoria Gardens website.