In an article published on March 18 in the Journal Acta Paleontology Polonica, paleontologists have unveiled an exciting discovery: a new species of harvestman identified from two Eocene amber pieces originating from Ukraine and the Baltic Sea region.
The newly identified harvestman is the first known member of the subfamily Ortholasmatinae found in the fossil record.
This species, named Balticolasma Wunderlichi, thrived in Europe approximately 35 million years ago during the Eocene epoch.
Today, these intricate, often ornate arachnids are primarily found in certain regions of East Asia and the Americas.
“The Ortholasmatinae subfamily contains some of the most visually striking modern harvestmen, characterized by complex and branched eye tubercles and unique dorsal microcarvings known as keel cells,” remarked paleontologist Christian Bartel from the Bavarian State Collection of Natural History and his colleagues.
“Currently, there are seven extant genera with 27 described species, each exhibiting distinct distributions.”
Balticolasma Wunderlichi was identified based on two specimens: a suspected female from Rovno amber in northwestern Ukraine and a male specimen preserved in Baltic Sea amber.
The fossils originated from private collections in Germany (Baltic Sea specimen) and Lithuania (Rovno specimen) and are currently housed at the Berlin Museum of Nature.
“The discovery of Ortholasmatinae harvestmen in European amber deposits was surprising. This group is no longer present in Europe today,” stated Dr. Bartel.
“Their relatives now inhabit only East Asia and North and Central America.”
“Clearly, during the Eocene epoch, about 35 million years ago, these harvesters had a much broader distribution across the Northern Hemisphere than they do today.”
Balticolasma Wunderlichi Female from Rovno Amber. Image credit: Bartel et al., doi: 10.4202/app.01283.2025.
Researchers employed high-resolution synchrotron microtomography to meticulously reconstruct the anatomy of Balticolasma Wunderlichi.
The scans revealed a small, flat body, measuring less than 3mm long, adorned with rows of tubercles and a distinctive forward-protruding hood-like structure.
“Some of its morphological features align closely with existing Asian genera,” the scientists observed.
This study underscores the scientific significance of amber deposits in the Baltic and Rovno regions.
The discovery enriches the catalog of known harvestman species preserved in these ambers, offering new insights for reconstructing the evolutionary tree of the group.
“Baltic amber is renowned for its exceptional fossil diversity, frequently revealing species that no longer exist in Europe today,” noted paleontologist Dr. Jason Dunlop from the Berlin Museum of Nature.
“The discovery of a new harvestman species in Ukraine once again illustrates the likely similarities between the harvestman fauna in both regions.”
“With this new addition, the number of harvestman species found in Baltic Sea amber rises to 19, while the number from ancient Ukrainian Rovno amber increases to seven. Six species have been documented in both locations.”
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C. Bartel et al. 2026. 3D analysis of ortholasmatine, first recovered from European Eocene amber. Acta Paleontology Polonica 71 (1): 95-107; doi: 10.4202/app.01283.2025
Source: www.sci.news
