Amber is a fossilized plant resin, predominantly from coniferous trees, that has undergone polymerization and oxidation over millions of years to form a stable, amorphous solid. Chemically, it consists mainly of complex mixtures of labdane-type diterpenoid and triterpenoid compounds, including succinic acid in Baltic amber (succinite). It is characterized by low density, electrical insulating properties, and a glass transition behavior rather than a true melting point. Amber’s macromolecular network structure and inclusion-trapping capacity make it valuable in paleobiology, while its well-defined spectroscopic signatures (e.g., FTIR, Raman) are used to distinguish provenance and diagenetic history.
Some 99 million years ago, during the age of the dinosaurs, a tiny insect belonging to a species previously unknown to science became trapped in tree resin. The resin hardened and turned into amber, and the fossil preserved ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 5, 2026
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Tiny flowers trapped in amber around 15 million years ago are offering scientists a rare glimpse into the plant life of a tropical rainforest in what is now Southeast China. Researchers have studied two exceptionally well-preserved ...
Evolution
Sep 10, 2026
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Two tiny ant fossils recovered in southern Saskatchewan are helping scientists better understand the evolutionary history of modern ants. Ant fossils dating from 72–56 million years ago are rare. What happened to insects ...
Evolution
Sep 3, 2026
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Insects rely on a wide range of strategies to sense their surroundings and communicate with their peers. Fireflies (Lampyridae) and some related beetles are known for their ability to produce visible light through chemical ...
Scientists have discovered a remarkably well-preserved 100-million-year-old beetle fossil that provides a rare glimpse into the evolution of the intricate sensory and communication systems used by fireflies and their relatives ...
Evolution
Jul 31, 2026
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Calculating a fossil's position throughout geological history is a complex process. In paleontology and other disciplines, determining a location in the past is a challenge that requires refined computational tools to process ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 20, 2026
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Paleontologists in China have discovered the oldest chemically verified amber ever found, dating to 385 million years ago. That's approximately 140 million years before dinosaurs roamed Earth. The previous record holder was ...
Many animals exhibit fascinating collective behaviors, which allow them to move, search for food, reproduce and avoid threats more effectively than they would alone. One of these behaviors is queuing migration, which essentially ...
Amber from the Kachin region of Myanmar has preserved a wealth of fossils, offering insights into the diversity of the Cretaceous fauna of a 100-million-year-old forest ecosystem. The site continues to yield previously unknown ...
Evolution
Apr 22, 2026
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323
A German-Bulgarian research team led by SNSB paleontologist Christian Bartel has discovered a new species of harvestman in 35-million-year-old Ukrainian and Baltic amber. The animal is related to harvestmen that are now extinct ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 27, 2026
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