Ammonite of 99 million years imprisoned in amber discovery for the first time

A 99 million year old ammonite trapped in amber was discovered for the first time.

Found in northern Burma, it contains at least 40 other creatures, including spiders, centipedes, cockroaches, beetles, flies and wasps that would have lived on the forest floor.

Ammonites are relatives of extinct squid living in the sea. It is extremely rare to find marine life trapped in amber because the fossilized resin is produced by terrestrial trees.

"The discovery was a big surprise," said Professor Bo Wang of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology L & # 39; Independent. "We never imagined finding an ammonite in amber, it is the first record of ammonite in amber, as well as the first marine macrofossil in the world. ;amber."

All amber shells are empty and have no soft tissue, according to researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute. They believe that this proves that the organisms had long since died when they were engulfed in the resin.

The outer casing of ammonite is also broken and the entrance is full of sand. Scientists think that it would have failed on a sandy beach covered with shells close to resin-producing trees.

The sample also contains flying insects that were probably trapped by the resin while it was spilling out of the tree.

The ammonite, which is 33 mm long, 9.5 mm wide, 29 mm high and weighs 6.08 g, has sunk into the trunk and trapped organisms near the base of the tree.

Amber also contains other marine species such as sea snails and slaters.

Of terrestrial fauna found in amber, mites are the most abundant, according to the article published in PNAS.

Scientists used X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to obtain high-resolution images of ammonite.

"It's the same as the X-ray examination at the hospital, but the resolution is much higher," said Professor Wang.

He added: "We took several thousand images and combined them to get a 3D photo.The Micro-CT is also a non-destructive test, so it does not destroy amber."

The researchers discovered that ammonite was a juvenile puzosia (Bhimaites) living in the late Albian and early Cenomanian. His presence in amber helped the scientists to date the deposit.

It also shows that a Myanman amber forest existed near a 99 million year old dynamic coastal environment.