Tag Archives: amber

99-Million-Year-Old Amber Contains the Earliest Mosquito Larvae

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This newly discovered fossil, preserved in amber from Myanmar’s Kachin region, marks the first instance of a mosquito larva found in amber and represents the earliest immature mosquito of the Mesozoic era, designated as a new genus and species: Cletosabetes primaevus. This discovery strongly suggests that the mosquito family Culicidae has its origins in the Jurassic period and indicates that its larval structure has remained largely unchanged for at least the past 99 million years.

Larva of Cletosabetes primaevus. Image credit: Amaral et al., doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2025.09.011.

Mosquitoes comprise a vast group of insects, with over 3,727 known species alive today.

Although small, they are quite noticeable and widely distributed, playing significant roles in ecosystems, human history, and both human and veterinary health.

To date, 31 species of mosquito fossils have been documented. These ancient mosquitoes closely resemble modern species and are classified within the same genus as their modern counterparts.

“The earliest known mosquito fossils are adults, also found in amber dating back about 99 million years,” stated Dr. Andre Amaral from Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich and his team.

“Given their morphological distinctions from living species, they are considered part of a separate group, Burmaculicinae, representing an extinct lineage within Culicidae.”

The authors note that Cletosabetes primaevus belongs to the Sabetini group, which includes existing species.

Similar to the larvae of current Sabetini species, this new species’ larvae likely thrived in small water bodies.

“According to currently uncovered fossils, the evolutionary roots of mosquitoes are believed to be in the Jurassic period, roughly 201 to 145 million years ago,” the researchers remarked.

“Molecular phylogeny analyses yield varying conclusions, from the Triassic to Jurassic periods.”

“Our research strongly indicates that mosquitoes had already diversified during the Jurassic period, with their larval structure remarkably consistent for nearly 100 million years.”

“This finding challenges previous notions regarding the early evolution of this insect group and offers fresh insights into its evolutionary ecology.”

A segment of amber containing Cletosabetes primaevus larvae was sourced from the Kachin Amber Mine in Myanmar’s Hukaung Valley.

This amber dates back to the Late Cretaceous, about 98.79 million years ago.

“This fossil stands out as the larva closely resembles modern species. Unlike other mosquito fossils from this period, it displays distinct morphological features no longer found in today’s species,” Dr. Amaral explained.

A paper detailing Cletosabetes primaevus was published in this month’s edition of Gondwana Research.

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Andre P. Amaral et al. 2025. The first fossilized mosquito larva discovered in 99-million-year-old amber illuminates the evolutionary history of mosquitoes (Diptera: Mosquitoidae). Gondwana Research 150: 154-162; doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2025.09.011

Source: www.sci.news

Incredible Amber Deposits Have Preserved Insects Since the Dinosaur Era

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Amber-preserved midge discovered in Ecuador

Mónica Solórzano-Kraemer

A remarkable collection of insects and a spider web encased in amber from 112 million years ago has been discovered in quarries within the Amazon rainforest.

Xavier Delclòs from the University of Barcelona, along with his team, learned that amber—resulting from fossilized tree resin—had been unearthed from the Genobeva quarry in eastern Ecuador’s Oriente Basin, prompting them to investigate the site in 2022.

The amber from this region is believed to originate from the resin of coniferous trees from the Araucaria family, prominent when modern-day Ecuador was part of the ancient Gondwana Supercontinent.

Amber deposits are sourced from two primary origins: the tree crown and the roots. Substances from the ground may entrap remnants of insects and other organisms in resin, later turning into amber—a process known as Bioin Crucion.

While most amber found in the quarry originated from underground sources, during initial diggings, the team collected 60 notable pieces of ground amber for further study in the lab.

Over a third of these specimens showcased the bioencapsulation of various insects, plants, and even spider webs, dating back to the Cretaceous period, particularly from the Mozazo era. “This is the first time [Mesozoic] amber with insects and spider biopackages has been discovered in South America, and they are certainly new species,” states Delclòs.

The insect specimens included diverse species of flies, bees, beetles, and mosquitoes. All thrived in a humid forest environment during the age of dinosaurs, likely near abundant lakes, rivers, and marshes necessary for some species’ life cycles.

Polypore beetle encased in amber discovered in Ecuador

Enrique Peñalver

Visitors to the site are definitely advised to use insect repellent. “And perhaps look for a way to avoid encounters with carnivorous dinosaurs,” he humorously suggests.

“Some mosquitoes exhibit blood-feeding behavior, implying that they at one time relied on vertebrate blood, possibly from birds or non-avian dinosaurs,” he notes.

However, the dinosaur DNA that mosquitoes may have ingested from amber is likely compromised by the chemical properties of resin. “We cannot recreate a Jurassic Park from Cretaceous amber, certainly not with current techniques,” Delclòs remarks.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Two Parasitic Bacteria Discovered in 99-Million-Year-Old Amber

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The fossilized bacteria from Cachin Amber in Central Cretaceous belong to the same family as the zombie ant bacteria, ophiocordyceps unilateralis, which has become well-known as the inspiration for various popular apocalyptic video games and TV series, such as Our Last.

Ecological reconstruction of Cretaceous insects and insect pathogenic fungi. The ants have abandoned the infected PUP, and the infected fly is located on the trunk of a distant tree. Image credit: Zhuang et al., doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0407.

Two newly identified species, Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae and Paleoophiocordyceps Ironomyiae, represent some of the oldest fossil records of animals and pathogenic fungi.

These specimens were discovered in 99-million-year-old fragments of Kachin amber, sourced from a mine near the village of Neuebham in northern Myanmar.

“Insects and fungi are among the most diverse groups of living organisms, cohabiting Earth’s ecosystems for over 400 million years,” explains Professor Edmund Jalsenbowski, a paleontologist at the Geology, Paleontology and Natural History Museum in London, along with his colleagues from the Nanjing Institute of Studies.

“Consequently, they have developed intricate and close ecological relationships, including reciprocity, predation, and parasitism.”

“Entomopathogenic fungi, in particular, have garnered attention for their role in regulating insect populations, though much remains unclear about them.”

“The infection process begins when spores come into contact with the proper host, initiating germination through enzymatic hydrolysis, allowing entry into the insect’s body cavity (hemocoel).”

“Once the fungus infiltrates the insect’s body, it (as yeast-like cells at this phase) proliferates via budding, consuming the host’s body from within.”

“Eventually, the host typically succumbs to fungal toxins, leading to the formation of chains of yeast-like cells that transition to the filamentous stage shortly after the host’s death.”

“These filaments gradually organize into compact spore-producing structures (sporocaps) that emerge from the softer parts of the insect, dispersing spores into the environment to infect additional hosts.”

Holotype of Paleoophiocordyceps Ironomyiae. This comparison of mid-Cretaceous specimens shows similarities with existing Bacillus ophiocordis: (a, b) Lateral and dorsal views of the bipteran host, where potential fungal structures are visible. (c) Closure of the fungal stroma of Paleoophiocordyceps Ironomyiae; (D, E) Apex of the fungal stroma. The red arrows indicate the surroundings. (f, g, h) Presence of ophiocordyceps stromas for Ant and Dipteran hosts. Scale bars – 0.5 mm (a, b), 0.1 mm (c) and 50 μm (d, e). Image credit: Zhuang et al., doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0407.

According to the authors, Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae was found in a young ant, while Paleoophiocordyceps Ironomyiae was discovered on a fly.

“It’s captivating to observe that some of the unusual phenomena we witness today were also present during the age of dinosaurs,” remarked Professor Jarzembowski.

“Known as a zombie fungus, it can influence the behavior of its host, a feature that has been depicted in popular apocalyptic video games and series like Our Last.”

“Given that the infection is lethal, ophiocordyceps and its fossil counterparts likely played a significant role in regulating insect populations during the Middle Cretaceous, similar to how their modern relatives do today.”

“While parasitism is common in today’s ecosystems, evidence of these interactions is seldom found in the fossil record.”

“This is primarily due to the poor preservation of their soft tissues in fossils and the fact that they reside within their hosts, making identification among insect remains challenging.”

“While ancient parasite specimens have been uncovered, our understanding of their evolution remains limited.”

“This new discovery provides rare insight into these parasites from a long-ago era.”

The team’s research paper was published in the June 2025 issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biology.

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Yuhui Zhuang et al. Cretaceous insect pathogenic fungi illuminate the early evolution of insect-fungal associations. Proc. R. Soc. B 292 (2048): 20250407; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0407

Source: www.sci.news

Newly-discovered dirt species found preserved in Dominican amber

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Stained Ant (genus) Basiceros) Although widely distributed, they rarely encounter members of neotropical ecosystems. Their rarity is attributed to their cryptic lifestyle habits. These ants are common names because they have special hairs that help to adhere soil and garbage particles to their skin. Paleontologists have just discovered the first fossils of this genus group, Basiceros enanain Miocene Dominican Amber.

Illustration of the volume rendering and measurement process taken using volume rendering Basiceros enana. Image credit: Fiorentino et al. , doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2171.

Measurement of 5.13 mm length, Basiceros enana Caribbean species are the smallest in the entire lineage, as they are considerably smaller than modern relatives, which can reach approximately 9 mm in length.

“The fossil adult worker ants provide direct evidence that the sacred ant group of ants once lived on Caribbean islands. They then result in local extinction during the Miocene era (230,550,000 years ago)” Candidate New Jersey Institute of Technology.

“Dirty is a rare find in the wild. Finding something today is exciting considering how hidden they are, but being caught in amber and it’s like finding a diamond.”

“This fossil is different from all its modern relatives and changes the evolutionary history of Basiceros. ”

Until now, Basiceros The ants were only known in the neo-rainforest, which stretched from Costa Rica to southern Brazil.

The genus contains a total of nine living species today, but the unexpected fossil discovery raises new questions about how the ANT group reached its current habitat.

“In many cases, lineages seem like a rather simple biogeographic history. If you find a group of animals that lived in South America until today’s Costa Rica, there’s no reason to expect their early relatives to live in the Caribbean.”

“Such fossils highlight how the distribution of living species can believe in the complex evolutionary history of life on our planet.”

Using advanced imaging and 3D reconstruction techniques, researchers studied Basiceros enana detail.

They compared the physical properties of the specimen with the physical properties of all known modern stain ant species and conducted molecular dating analyses to track their evolutionary lineage.

“The use of Micro-CT scans allowed us to actually amplify this study and capture features that we could virtually not see what we didn’t,” Fiorentino says.

“Amber stores the entire organism in three dimensions, allowing you to extract a large amount of data even from small ants,” added Dr. Baden.

“Our results show that the embodied these ants was relatively rapid,” Fiorentino said.

“They have almost doubled over the course of 20 million years.”

“As previous hypotheses suggested that these ants were large and shrinking over time to their ancestors, this really shows how important fossils are to understand the evolution of the lineage.”

but, Basiceros enana It also suggests some of the same adaptations that were already introduced at least 16 million years ago for environmental predators and prey (a ability known as Crypsis).

These characteristics include two layers of special hair (or bristles) that allow the body to attach soil and leaf waste particles. Longer upright brush bristles and shorter, shorter, pressed retaining hairs that trap particles in the deformation or cuticle.

“What this shows is that being dead and hiding is rewarded,” Fiorentino said.

“The discovery of such unique fossils does not guarantee that the presence of these properties will necessarily act this way, but discovering such unique fossils helps us understand how long we have been using this strategy.”

Fossil ants also have other distinctive morphological properties like today’s dirt, including predatory features such as the elevated Perodal spine, trapezoidal-like head structure, and the mandible with 12 triangular teeth.

Despite these specialized adaptations, ancient Caribbean stains eventually disappeared from the region amid major Miocene ecological changes.

“The existence of Basiceros In Amber, Dominican, ancient land bridges suggest that these ants may have provided a route to travel from the mainland into the Caribbean,” Dr. Baden said.

“This fossil is part of a big puzzle that will help us understand why some groups of living things are extinct and others stick out for millions of years.”

“Their extinction could be accompanied by the loss of available niches and interspecies competition,” Fioretino said.

“These ants are predators, and the overall trend seen from the Caribbean is the loss of predator ants’ diversity.”

“More than a third of the Ants have been extinct on modern Dominican Republic Island since the formation of Dominican amber.”

“Understanding what has driven this pattern of local extinction is important to mitigate modern human-driven extinctions and protect biodiversity.”

Team’s paper It was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society b.

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Gianpiero Fiorentino et al. 2025. Increased fossil-based patterns of body size and local extinction Basiceros Stain ants (membrane: gumicidae). Proc. R. Soc. b 292 (2045): 20242171; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2171

Source: www.sci.news

In Kachin amber, we discovered preserved odd parasitic wasp species

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in paper Published in the journal BMC Biologypaleontologists described an extinct species of the parasite hornet, found in the cretbone system in the Kachin region of Myanmar. It has been named Sirenobethylus charybdisthis species may have used abdomen like Venus’ flight laps to capture and immobilize prey.

Sirenobethylus charybdis. Scale bar – 0.5 mm in (a), 0.3 mm in (b), 0.2 mm in (c). Image credits: Woo et al. , doi: 10.1186/s12915-025-02190-2.

“Insects are the most diverse group of animals on the planet, with more than a million described species, and perhaps fewer than several times listed,” said Taipingao, a paleontologist at a regular university in the capital.

“Recent estimates suggest a total of about 5.5 million species.”

“Their highly adaptable exoskeletons have enabled them to radiate and colonize a wide range of habitats and develop highly efficient and innovative solutions to the various challenges posed by their surroundings.”

“Among other mechanisms, carnivorous insects have evolved a variety of prey capture mechanisms.”

“However, insect predation strategies in the fossil record are still poorly understood.”

In the new study, the author examined 16 adult women Sirenobethylus charybdis Found on Kachin Amber.

The new species lived in the mid-Cretaceous period, about 99 million years ago.

Form of Sirenobethylus charybdis It indicates that the insects were parasites – insects that cause larvae to live as parasites and ultimately kill their hosts.

“Modern parasitic wasps from Superfamily Chrysidoidea include cuckoo and vetirido hornets,” the researchers said.

“but, Sirenobethylus charybdis The specimen has a unique venous pattern in the hind wing suggesting that the species belongs within its own family, Sirenovetiridae. ”

Scientists also discovered that this species is likely to be Koinobion. This is a parasitic wasp that allows the host to continue to grow during the host’s diet.

“A hornet specimen has an abdominal device made up of three flaps, and its decay forms a paddle-shaped structure with dozens of hair-like hairs that are visually reminiscent of the Venus flight lap plant,” they explained.

“Abdominal device Sirenobethylus charybdis Unlike that of known insects, it may have served as a mechanism to temporarily suppress the host during egg sales. ”

“The wasps were unable to pursue their prey over long distances, so potential hosts would have opened their devices and waited to activate the capture response.”

“Easy grasping devices are permitted Sirenobethylus charybdis Target highly mobile prey such as small, winged or jumping insects. ”

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Q. Woo et al. 2025. Cretaceous flight lap? Remarkable abdominal modifications in fossil hornets. BMC Biol 23, 81; doi:10.1186/s12915-025-02190-2

Source: www.sci.news

Amber Fossils: Create in 24 Hours, Not Millions of Years

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Amber is a slow specimen that holds ancient water, bubbles, plants, insects, and even more unusual specimens, coveted around the world as both a container of gems and prehistoric debris bird.

Usually, amber forms for millions of years as wood resins become fossilized, but paleontologists are energizing it, creating amber fossils from pine resin in 24 hours. This technique can help clarify as Amber’s biochemistry is formed. This is a process that remains hidden in prehistoric mist.

It was released on Monday JournalScientific Reportsthe results of the rapid experiment are similar to meals made in a pressure cooker. “It’s similar to Instapot,” said Evan Saitta, a researcher at the Field Museum in Chicago and co-author of the paper.

The synthetic amber recipe began with Chicago Botanical Garden Pine Resin. Dr. Saitta and his co-author, independent paleontologist Thomas Kaye, placed a half-inch sediment disc with Mr. Kaye embedded in which the resin was constructed using a medical tablet compressor, an air canister and other cleaned parts.

By heating the sample and applying pressure, researchers were trying to simulate the product. This was trying to limit the slow, wet physical and chemical transformations needed to the rock before sediments could be integrated into the rock.

“Making it is the ultimate hurdle you need to pass to become a fossil,” said Dr. Saita. “It’s kind of the last boss.”

Although some samples produced by the researchers were incomplete, the physical properties of some ambers include darker colours, fractures, dehydration, and increased gloss.

The two also realized that they started with the wrong family of pine trees. Amber, the most frequently studied in paleontology, is a scientist, and its group of trees is Only living relatives are Japanese umbrella pine.

Maria McNamara, a paleontologist at University College Cork in Ireland, said future experiments should test additional plant types as they were not involved in the study.

“What we really want to handle is that the resin polymerizes faster,” she said. She also pointed out that accelerated chemical analysis of Amber is necessary to know how close it is to the real thing. “Wood resin survives, but requires proper and complete chemical properties,” she said.

Regarding the limitations of all research, Dr. McNamara said fossil simulation is an increasingly important area of ​​research. Recreated by some paleontologists Bone or tissue collapse To explore the effects of microbial organisms. In her lab, the researcher said,Thermal mature specimen Investigate the conservation of biological molecules under heat.

Without such simulations, “we just trust the fossil records,” she said. “Experiments can help tell facts from fiction and determine the extent to which the fossil records are lying.”

Dr. Saita tried other simulations. In 2018 he buried him. Finch In wet deposits, see how it compresses. It was awkward and failed. However, after working with Kaye on a pressure cooker device, they managed to study the previous stages of fossilization. Leaf, feather, lizard feet. For example, in these specimens, keratin from the feathers leached out in feathers, leaving behind a dark, melanin-like engraving similar to fossilized feathers. (At the conference, Dr. Saitta said he likes to test other paleontologists and find the visual difference between analogues and real fossils.)

In future amber experiments, Dr. Saita aims to embed insects, wings, or plants in the resin. One reason why this can be proven useful is that the actual specimen is valuable, meaning it is a trade of thousands of dollars, making disruptive analysis unfeasible. “Preserved insects in synthetic amber would not be valuable because it is made in the laboratory,” Dr. Saita said.

Researchers also plan to apply pressure on decayed organic matter and adapt the technology to simulate geological weathering. This will capture more fossilization stages more realistically.

Looking further, experimental fossilization techniques allow scientists to even explore the fossils of the future, Dr. Saitta said. How does life in the Anthropocene become fossilized? What happens to tissue or bones that have been injected with microplastics or industrial heavy metals?

We are not here in millions of years from now. However, using devices like pressure aids can get you closer.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Amber Found for the First Time in Antarctica

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The first-ever fragment of Antarctic amber was discovered in a sediment core on the mid-shelf of Antarctica’s Pine Island Trough.

Pine Island Amber. Scale bar – 50 μm. Image credit: Klages others., doi: 10.1017/S0954102024000208.

“Resins are direct plant products defined as lipophilic mixtures of volatile and non-volatile compounds that are exuded inside or on the surface of plants primarily by gymnosperms,” ​​said first author Johann from the University of Bremen.・Dr. Klages et al. .

“Some plant resins fossilize under certain conditions and are preserved in the geological record as amber.”

“So far, the southernmost ambers date from the mid-Cretaceous period and have been found in the Otway Basin of southern Australia (Otway amber) and part of the Tupangi Formation in New Zealand's Chatham Islands (Tupangi amber), respectively.”

The first Antarctic amber was recovered by the MARUM-MeBo70 subsea drilling rig from the mid-shelf section of the Pine Island Trough in West Antarctica's Amundsen Sea Bight. RV porous stern Expedition in early 2017.

This specimen, called Pine Island amber, dates from the mid-Cretaceous period, between 92 and 83 million years ago.

The discovery points to a wet, temperate rainforest environment near Antarctica that was dominated by coniferous trees.

“Antarctic amber likely contains remnants of the original bark as microinclusions,” said co-author Dr Henny Gerschel, a researcher at the Saxon Department of Environment, Agriculture and Geology. Ta.

“Given its solid, transparent, and translucent particles, we can see that the amber is of high quality and buried close to the surface, as the amber dissipates as thermal stress and burial depth increases.”

“We also found signs of diseased resin flow, a strategy trees use to seal up damaged bark caused by parasites and wildfires, protecting them from insect attack and infection. create chemical and physical barriers that

“Our findings are another piece of the puzzle and help us better understand the wetland, conifer-rich temperate rainforest environment identified near Antarctica during the mid-Cretaceous.”

“It was very exciting to learn that at some point in their history, all seven continents had climatic conditions that allowed resin-producing trees to survive,” Dr. Klages said.

“Our goal now is to learn more about forest ecosystems. If a forest burns down, can we find traces of life in the amber?”

“This discovery allows us to travel into the past in an even more direct way.”

a paper A report of the discovery was published in today's journal Antarctic science.

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Johann P. Klages others. First discovery of Antarctic amber. Antarctic sciencepublished online on November 12, 2024. doi: 10.1017/S0954102024000208

Source: www.sci.news

New insights into the evolutionary origins of tardigrades from Cretaceous amber fossils

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Tardigrades are a diverse group of microinvertebrates widely known for their remarkable ability to survive. Molecular clocks suggest that tardigrades diverged from other panarthropods (arthropods, tardigrades, velvet worms, and lobopods) before the Cambrian, but the fossil record is extremely poor. Now, paleontologists have described a new species of tardigrade and redescribed previously known species. readBoth are from Canadian Cretaceous amber.

Artistic Restoration read (Top) and Aerobius dactylus (Bottom) A hypothetical fossilization environment. Image courtesy of Franz Anthony.

First discovered in 1773, tardigrades are a diverse group of microscopic invertebrates best known for their ability to survive in extreme environments.

Also known as tardigrades or moss pigs, these creatures can live up to 60 years and grow to a size of up to 0.5mm. They are best seen under a microscope.

They can survive up to 30 years without food or water, and can survive temperatures as low as -272°C and as high as 150°C for a few minutes, and as low as -20°C for decades.

Tardigrades can withstand pressures ranging from nearly zero atmospheres in outer space to 1,200 atmospheres at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and can also tolerate radiation levels of up to 5,000-6,200 Gy.

They survive by entering a state of suspended animation called biostasis, using proteins that form a gel inside the cells and slow down vital processes.

“Tardigrades are microscopic invertebrates characterized by a compact body shape with lobopod legs with four pairs of claws, and are closely related to the clawed pterygota and euarthropods. Panarthropods“Harvard doctoral student Mark Mapalo and his colleagues said:

“Tardigrades are widely known for having several species with cryptobiotic capabilities that allow them to survive extreme conditions such as the vacuum of space, ionizing radiation and freezing temperatures. Tardigrades are also found in marine, freshwater and terrestrial habitats around the world.”

“Despite their ubiquity in the modern biosphere, tardigrades have a notoriously poor fossil record, and research into their macroevolution, such as the origin of their body shape, the timing of their terrestrialization, and the acquisition of their cryptic abilities, is limited.”

“Currently, only four fossil crown-group tardigrades are known, all preserved as amber inclusions, but only two of these have an established taxonomic position relative to extant tardigrades.”

Aerobius dactylusImages/Photos: Mapalo others., doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06643-2.

For the study, the authors looked at a piece of amber containing a tardigrade fossil that was discovered in Canada in the 1960s. read and what was presumed to be another tardigrade, which was virtually unexplained at the time.

Using confocal laser scanning microscopy, a technique commonly used to study cell biology, the researchers were able to examine the microscopic structure of the tardigrade fossils in astonishing detail.

This study read It has been identified as a new species in the Tardigrade family tree, Aerobius dactylus.

“Both were found in the same Cretaceous amber, which means that these tardigrades coexisted with dinosaurs,” said Dr Javier Ortega-Hernández of Harvard University.

” read The seven claws are well preserved, and those that curve towards the body are smaller than those that curve away from it, a pattern seen in modern tardigrades.”

“The second, previously unidentified specimen had claws of equal length on each of the first three pairs of legs, but the outer claws on the fourth leg were longer.”

Both species serve as important calibration points for an analysis called a molecular clock analysis, which helps scientists estimate important evolutionary timing.

For example, new research suggests that modern tardigrades likely branched off during the Cambrian period, more than 500 million years ago.

The study also sheds light on the origins of tardigrades' remarkable ability to survive extreme environments by entering a state of torpor.

“This study estimates that this survival mechanism likely evolved during the middle to late Palaeozoic and may have played a key role in helping tardigrades survive the end-Permian mass extinction, one of the most severe extinction events in Earth's history,” Dr Ortega-Hernández said.

of result Published in a journal Communication Biology.

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MA Mapalo others2024. Inclusions in Cretaceous amber shed light on evolutionary origins of tardigrades. Communication Violet 7, 953; doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06643-2

Source: www.sci.news

A 99-million-year-old skink found preserved in Burmese amber is the oldest ever discovered

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Palaeontologists have discovered the fossil of a previously unknown species of lizard in mid-Cretaceous amber unearthed in northern Myanmar.

Reconstructing your life Electrosincus Zeddyparts of the lizard not represented in available sources have been blurred. Image courtesy of Stephanie Abramowicz.

The newly discovered species was a small lizard, estimated to be about 3 centimetres (1.2 inches) long from snout to anus.

Named Electrosincus ZeddyIt lived during the mid-Cretaceous period, about 99 million years ago.

Unlike other squamate animals (lizards and snakes) that lived during the Mesozoic era, they have a layered and complex structure. Cortical bone They are arranged alternately around the body, supporting its classification as a lizard. Gerbils.

“The family Pectiniidae is a highly diverse lineage of squamate animals that is now nearly universally distributed in temperate and tropical regions around the world,” said Dr. Juan Daza of Sam Houston State University and colleagues.

“This comprises more than 1,745 described extant species, about 15 percent of all extant lizards.”

“Typically, lizards have cylindrical bodies and relatively short limbs, and evolution towards shortening or loss of limbs has occurred in more than 50 lizard lineages.”

“Among the living syncoids (Xanthus, Gerphosauridae, Cordylidae, and Syncoidae), syncoid species have the greatest range in body length, ranging from tiny species just a few centimetres in length to extinct species. Tiliqua FrangensIt may have reached a height of more than 50 centimetres.”

“Skinks also vary greatly in the number of presacral vertebrae, ranging from 26 to 108, which, together with round scales and compound bone plates, may have facilitated the repeated evolution of depressed and limbless morphologies.”

“Most lizards have smooth, circular scales beneath which extend compound osteoderms, which are bony plates within the dermis made up of multiple articulating dermal fragments per scale.”

Electrosincus ZeddyVentral (a) and dorsal (b) views of the fossil. Detail of the right foot (c, e) and bone plate (d). X-ray of the entire specimen, showing skeletal remains and some articulated and scattered bone plates (f). Image courtesy of Daza. others., doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-66451-w.

One Burmese Amber (Burmit) Preservation Electrosincus Zeddy It was discovered in a Mid-Cretaceous outcrop about 100 km west of Myitkyina Township, Myitkyina District, Kachin State in northern Myanmar.

The specimen contains two separate parts of a lizard, including scales and mainly appendicular bones, but is clearly part of a single individual.

“To date, more than 100 squamate specimens have been discovered in Burmite,” the paleontologists said.

“Within this large sample, the new fossil is the only one that preserves this cortical bone morphology, which makes it diagnosable as a Snecidae and distinguishes it from all known fossil squamates from the Cretaceous.”

“Although the specimen is incomplete, it preserves both postcranial skeletal elements and integumentary structures, which, although less than ideal, provides a basis for comparison with putative synthid specimens that may be discovered in the future.”

“This specimen has a combination of compound bony plates and overlapping circular scales that are only seen in lizards.”

“We suggest that this type of osteoderm evolved as a response to increased scale overlap and reduced stiffness of the skin armour,” the researchers concluded.

Their paper Published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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JD Daza others2024. A compound osteoderm preserved in amber identifies it as the oldest known lizard. Scientific Reports 14, 15662; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-66451-w

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists discover a previously unknown species of fake scorpion trapped in 50-million-year-old amber

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Paleontologists have reported fossils of a new genus and species of pseudoscorpion from the Eocene Cambay amber of western India.

Geogaranya variensis. Image credit: Agnihotri other, doi: 10.26879/1276.

pseudo scorpion It is the earliest order of arthropods to colonize Earth’s land during the early Devonian period.

This diverse order accounts for more than 3% of all known arachnid species.

“Pseudoscorpions are an ancient lineage of terrestrial arachnids that are morphologically similar to real scorpions, but lack the tail and stinger,” said Dr. Priya Agnihotri of DST’s Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleosciences and colleagues.

“Certain families have unique venom devices in the serrated digits of their palps, which evolved independently of the venom devices of scorpions and spiders.”

“Recent research also supports the inclusion of pseudoscorpions as a sister group to scorpions.”

“Due to their delicate bodies and small size, these fossils are mainly found in amber deposits around the world rather than in sediments,” they added.

“Forty-nine pseudoscorpion species have been recorded from Eocene Baltic amber and Rovno amber.”

Newly discovered pseudoscorpion species belongs to the small scorpion family Goridae.

named Geogaranya variensis showing strong similarities with extant genera. Geogalypus From Sri Lanka, India, and New Guinea.

“The Geogarypidae family is one of a group of bark-dwelling and leaf litter-dwelling species similar to the Geogarypidae family. Gallipidae It has a distinctive subtriangular carapace and eyes located near the leading edge,” the paleontologist said.

“This family includes more than 70 species with habitats suitable for tropical and subtropical regions, some of which have been reported from temperate biomes.”

“Geogarypidae are more common in Baltic and Rovno amber, and there are some records from Cretaceous Burmese amber.”

“Unlike the sparse record of fossils, their modern-day counterparts have been recorded in all major biogeographic regions, including Europe, Central Asia, North America, and North Africa.”

Amber from Cambay from 50 million years ago. Geogaranya variensis It was discovered in the open-pit Valia lignite mine, part of the Cambay Shale Formation, in the Cambay Basin of Gujarat, India.

“The Cambay Shale Formation overlies the Deccan Trap, and below it is the Paleocene to lower Eocene Vagadkol Formation,” the researchers said.

According to the team: Geogaranya variensis It is one of the smallest known adult pseudoscorpion fossils in amber from the Cambay Basin.

This discovery further strengthens the biodiversity of bark-dwelling arthropods identified in Eocene amber from western India.

“The discovery of the smallest known adult pseudoscorpion in Cambay Basin amber aligns it with fossil taxa recorded in Baltic Sea amber and Bitterfeld amber that survived the early Eocene. “This provides insight into similar bark-dwelling arthropod taxa,” the scientists concluded.

“Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed diagnostic features in the fossils, such as abnormally enlarged palps. This strengthened Foresy’s idea that species from non-arboreal habitats could be mistakenly This suggests that it may have been carried in amber and had a connection to a flying host.”

discovery of Geogaranya variensis is reported in paper in diary Old Trogia Electronica.

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priya agnihotri other. 2024. A new genus and species of fossil pseudoscorpion (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) discovered in Eocene amber from western India. Old Trogia Electronica 27 (2):a26; doi: 10.26879/1276

Source: www.sci.news

Discovery of ancient marine tapeworm preserved in 99-million-year-old amber

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Paleontologists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and others have discovered a partial fossil of an ancient tapeworm preserved in Kachin amber from Myanmar from the mid-Cretaceous period.

A 99-million-year-old amber fragment containing a tapeworm fossil (long tentacles) and other inclusions: (AB) Overall view of the amber fragment. (C) Trichophytes of Gleichenidae. (D) Scale insect larva. (E) Sand grains. Scale bar – 2 mm inches (A, B), 0.1 mm inches (CE).Image credit: Luo other., doi:10.1130/G52071.1.

Parasites, especially parasitoids, are ubiquitous in extant ecosystems but poorly preserved in the geological record.

One such group is Sestoda (tapeworms), a special group of internal parasites flatworm.

These organisms have complex life cycles with at least two hosts and infect all major vertebrate groups.

However, due to its soft tissue and hidden habitat, the fossil record is very sparse, with the only widely accepted example of a pre-Quaternary period being a shark egg found in a Permian coprolite. be.

The lack of body fossils greatly hinders our understanding of early evolution.

Dr. Bo Wang, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: “The fossil record of tapeworms is extremely poor due to its soft tissue and endoparasite habitat, which is a major hindrance in understanding its early evolution. ''. Science.

The new fossil exhibits unique external (armature pattern) and internal (partially invaginated tentacles and rootless hooks) features that are most consistent with extant tentacles. Trypanolhynch tapeworm Parasitic substances of marine life elasmobranch (mainly sharks and rays).

“This discovery is the most convincing platyzoan fossil ever discovered,” said Dr. Cihang Luo. candidate at Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“Our study provides an exceptional example of a marine endoparasite trapped in amber and also sheds new light on amber taphonomy.”

“Specifically, we showed that amber can preserve the internal structure of helminths.”

“Using high-resolution micro-CT, we discovered that inside the modern fossil, a folded vertical structure extending spirally around the longitudinal axis extends to the very front. It matches the tentacle you entered.”

“On the other hand, rootless hooks are the same as trypanorhynch hooks.”

“Previous studies have shown that internal structures can be preserved intact, similar to modern forms, but all such studies have focused on arthropods.”

A hypothetical ecological recreation of the Trypanorhynch tapeworm fossil. Image credit: Dinghua Yang / Luo other., doi:10.1130/G52071.1.

“Our results show that amber can preserve the internal structure of helminths such as tapeworms over geological time scales,” Dr. Wang said.

“In addition to remarkable examples of marine endoparasites trapped in amber, several Gleichenia trichomes and scale insect larvae were also preserved in the same amber specimen along with partial insect remains. I did.”

“This clearly indicates that it was in a terrestrial or terrestrial environment at the time it was trapped in the resin.”

“Additionally, many sand grains are evenly distributed throughout the amber, suggesting that the fossil was buried in a sandy environment.”

“Furthermore, evidence so far indicates that Kachin amber was deposited in a near-shore environment.”

“One possible scenario for the tapeworm being deposited in the amber is that its elasmobranch host became stranded by tides or storms.”

“In such a scenario, the host would have been bitten by a high level of terrestrial predator or scavenger.”

“When the host was consumed by a predator, the tentacles were pulled apart, detached from the intestine, and attached to nearby resin.”

“Our study further supports the hypothesis that Kachin amber was probably deposited in a paleoenvironment in the Pala region, and also highlights the importance of amber studies in paleoparasitology.”

team's paper It was published in the magazine geology.

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Jikyoura other. Exceptional preservation of marine tapeworm tentacles preserved in Cretaceous amber. geology, published online March 22, 2024. doi: 10.1130/G52071.1

Source: www.sci.news