Short answers, pulled from the story.
The oldest known fossils of the genus Acer date back to the late Paleocene, approximately 60 million years ago. These ancient remains were discovered in Northeast Asia and northern North America.
The closest relative of this genus is Dipteronia, which has a fossil record extending back to the middle Paleocene in North America. Molecular studies suggest the group appeared first in the northeastern Palearctic region during the Late Paleocene.
Infestations of the Asian long-horned beetle have resulted in the destruction of thousands of maples across Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio. Similar destruction occurred in Ontario, Canada following the discovery of this pest in September 2003.
Fifty-four species meet International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria for being under threat of extinction in their native habitat. This count includes various species facing risks from pests like the Asian long-horned beetle and diseases such as Verticillium wilt.
The first attested use of the word appeared in 1260 as mapole before Geoffrey Chaucer spelled it mapul in his Canterbury Tales a century later. The design on the Canadian flag is an eleven-point stylization modeled after a sugar maple leaf which normally bears 23 points.