Cretaceous Amber :: Fotopic.Net

Cretaceous Amber

19th November 2008

The oldest ambers with included animal fossils date back to the Cretaceous, with the best known occurrences being those from Lebanon, France, Burma and New Jersey (USA). This small collection consists of examples from Burma and New Jersey.

The New Jersey examples come from the Raritan Formation (Turonian, ca 90 Ma), excavated (from lignite occurring 6 to 10 feet below the surface) by Jon Stanislawczyk, at a locality near Sayreville, New Jersey, USA. The amber was produced by a forest of Cupressaceae in a warm temperate or sub-tropical environment (Grimaldi et al. 2000).

The burmite examples are of Cenomanian-Albian (ca 100 Ma) age and come from Main Khun, Tanai Township, Kachin State, Burma (Myanmar). Burmese amber was formed by a conifer, perhaps Metasequoia, in a tropical palaeoenvironment (Grimaldi 2003).

There are some fine illustrations of the flow of low viscosity resin in these specimens. See the multi-flow pendulous "stalactite" from New Jersey (upon which a wasp landed only to be engulfed by the next flow) and the longitudinally stretched wasp from Burma. One of the Burmese dipterans also shows both wings swept forwards against the head.

Here is a great rarity, a 7mm mantid from the Cretaceous amber of Sayreville, New Jersey, USA. The front legs are 8 mm long, one extended to the left, the other folded double in classic mantid pose.	Another view of the New Jersey Cretaceous mantid. See Grimaldi (2003) for a revision of the Cretaceous mantids and illustrations of the other two known New Jersey mantid specimens.	Drawing of the New Jersey mantid.	and here's one in our garden.
A 1mm parasitic wasp lying beneath the 7mm mantid (whose antennae are visible in this image), from the Cretaceous of Sayreville, New Jersey, USA.	Datail of small wasp associated with the New Jersey mantid.	Detail of small wasp associated with the New Jersey mantid. Eye lenses and hairy clubbed antennae are well seen.	Small wasp in New Jersey amber (note bubble beneath abdomen).
A 12 mm amber “stalactite” with 3 mm hymenopteran. Raritan formation, Sayreville, New Jersey, USA. Several successive flows of a very low viscosity resin can be seen here. The wasp landed on the surface of the pendulous stalactite and was trapped by the following flow. The projecting portions of the wings were then flattened by the next flow. Hit full size to see this better.	Another view of the stalactite and wasp with just back lighting. Hit full size to see this better. The wasp looks very like a bethylid, but also the scolebythid Boreobythus turonius Engel & Grimaldi 2007. Unfortunately a thin layer of microscopic bubbles obscures the prosternum and propleuron.	Drawing (in progress) of the New Jersey wasp on resin "stalactite".	Spectacular thysanopteran in New Jersey amber, a little less than 2 mm.
Detail of thysanopteran wing.	Female scale insect, 3 mm, with smaller individual. New Jersey amber.	Female scale insect, 3 mm, with smaller individual. New Jersey amber.	A 4mm spider in New Jersey amber.
Detail of 4 mm spider in New Jersey amber showing fangs. The pedipalps are curved under the head.	6 mm winged insect in New Jersey amber. Photographed under water.	view of limbs on right hand side.	Detail of head and antennae showing two ocelli between large eyes on the side of the head.
Detail of head and eye.	Detail of head and thorax.	Insect larva, ca 1.5 mm. Raritan formation, Sayreville, New Jersey, USA.	Sternorrhynchan (Coccoidea) in New Jersey amber.