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Child Item

The Burmese amber thread

Adam Khor

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5821991/Never-known-frog-species-time-dinosaurs-discovered-99mn-year-old-amber.html

Now we only need some dinosaur DNA to fill the gaps in the sequence...

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Adam Khor

Seeing as the news of creatures found preserved in 99 million year old Burmese amber are becoming more and more frequent, I thought instead of posting them separately it would be cool to create a thread exclusively for these discoveries.

Because all of these little creatures lived at the same time in the same place, it should give us a very interesting glimpse of what was scurrying around in this particular Cretaceous forest.

Chances are high that eventually, a small dinosaur or pterosaur will be found at this site, so keep an eye on this one!

Aethiocarenus, possible nymph of a mantis-like insect:

Apternoperissus, a flightless wasp adapted for jumping and armed with a venomous stinger:

Astreptolabis, an earwig:

Burmaleon, a neuropteran (related to lacewings, antlions)

1-s2.0-S0195667115301087-gr6.jpg

Burmapogon, an assassin fly:

Burmesarchea, an assassin spider (fed on other spiders):

Ceratomyrmex, a probably solitary, predatory ant:

Adam Khor

Camelomecia, a primitive ant:

camelomecia-b59285de-6215-4a3a-86da-31f041b51b8-resize-750.jpg

Caputoraptor, a member of a now extinct order of insects, Alienoptera:

Caputoraptor%2Belegans.png

Cascoplecia, a fly:

Chimerarachne, a tailed spider:

Ektatotricha, an ant-like beetle:

Electrorana, a frog:

Electrorana_limoae-novataxa_2018-Xing_Stanley_Bai_et_Blackburn-ii.jpg

Gerontoformica, a primitive ant:

Adam Khor

Haidomyrmex, a predatory ant with crazy mandibles:

Melittosphex, one of the oldest known bees:

Enanthiornithine chick:

01_bird_in_amber.adapt.1190.1.jpg?auto=compress,format&w=1024&h=560&fit=crop

Adam Khor

Xiaophis, a snake:

Mushrooms:

99myroldmushrooms.jpg?w968

Mushroom-eating beetles:

oldbeetles.jpg?w600

Feathered tail of a small coelurosaurian dinosaur:

tail_breaching_surface_with_ant2_black_background.0.jpeg

X-Ray of the tail:

an-x-ray-of-a-piece-of-amber-containing-a-tiny-segment-of-di.jpeg?quality=80&strip=all&w=840&h=630&crop=1

Tick found along with dinosaur feather:

Cretotrichopsenius, a termitophilous insect (lived in termite nests):

Archaeomalthodes, a soldier beetle:

archaeomalthodes-rosetta.jpg?w=878&ssl=1

Cretoparacucujus, a pollinating beetle (would've polinated cycads):

Adam Khor

Diverse lizards:

968430_1_0304-lizards-amber_standard.png?alias=standard_900x600nc

Two different Gerontoformica species apparently locked in battle:

aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA4MS80MzEvb3JpZ2luYWwvYW5jaWVudC1pbnNlY3QtYmF0dGxlLTEtYW50LXRlcm1pdGUuanBnPzE0NTU3MjUwNzQ=

aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA4MS80MzEvb3JpZ2luYWwvYW5jaWVudC1pbnNlY3QtYmF0dGxlLTEtYW50LXRlcm1pdGUuanBnPzE0NTU3MjUwNzQ=

Krishnatermes, a termite:

aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA4MS80Mjkvb3JpZ2luYWwvYW5jaWVudC1pbnNlY3QtYmF0dGxlLTMtd2Fycmlvci10ZXJtaXRlLmpwZz8xNDU1NzI0OTQ3

aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA4MS80Mjkvb3JpZ2luYWwvYW5jaWVudC1pbnNlY3QtYmF0dGxlLTMtd2Fycmlvci10ZXJtaXRlLmpwZz8xNDU1NzI0OTQ3

Reconstructions of Gigantotermes rex soldier (left) and Krishnatermes alate, worker and soldier:

aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA4MS80Mjgvb3JpZ2luYWwvYW5jaWVudC1pbnNlY3QtYmF0dGxlLTQtbmV3LXRlcm1pdGVzLmpwZz8xNDU1NzI0ODcz

aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA4MS80Mjgvb3JpZ2luYWwvYW5jaWVudC1pbnNlY3QtYmF0dGxlLTQtbmV3LXRlcm1pdGVzLmpwZz8xNDU1NzI0ODcz

Camelomecia ant queen:

MTQ1NTcyNjQ4NQ==

Diminutive bird wing:

Adam Khor

Chrysopoid larvae with camouflage:

Linguamyrmex, the so called "vampire ant", and beetle larva:

Detail of Linguamyrmex' head:

Flowers:

Kekveus jason, a diminutive featherwing beetle, as small as the period at the end of this sentence.

1-s2.0-S0195667118300648-fx1.jpg

Electroblemma, a spider:

Pseudoperla (stick insect nymphs):

Diverse antlion larvae:

39876161_2091897834153719_6002794306052554752_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=e4ccd625e5fa2684cc1d248a84e52fea&oe=5BF4AB4C

Allostrophus, a beetle:

39777171_2090636307613205_6094600756717944832_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=7766ecf0c16e9c62330cc70cf5055318&oe=5C37F835

Adam Khor

Burmacader, a true bug (Hemipteran):

38742227_2066402833369886_2559596931261136896_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=9dfa213ad49084ae1fe609fd01c0b02d&oe=5C38CFDD

38742227_2066402833369886_2559596931261136896_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=9dfa213ad49084ae1fe609fd01c0b02d&oe=5C38CFDD

Nodosigalea, a cockroach:

38119655_2053833054626864_7712876354324135936_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=cb123239481b3c4faa89277241b39e02&oe=5C368A8A

Another specimen (a female) of the bizarre leaping, flightless wasp Aptenoperissus:

37968329_2050754528268050_2484250667879759872_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=fe530aff2967685ff302ee10d8d68c93&oe=5C0194D5

37968329_2050754528268050_2484250667879759872_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=fe530aff2967685ff302ee10d8d68c93&oe=5C0194D5

38006916_2050754868268016_7506707775108415488_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=fd5fd2535bce622b47caea474ca789f9&oe=5C0838C8

Lapisperla, a stonefly:

37875454_2044231595587010_4969212517919227904_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=b9273b20cc37e3cea0c0d07ae52b4dbb&oe=5BF4D834

Primitive beetle:

37689293_2040262392650597_572802144541868032_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=bcf028870675224f6fd812d0f24f4c60&oe=5C362AA9

Dacochile, a fly:

36725195_2012221215454715_3903590501391007744_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=57226a97218925bbd19c8cc98e4581af&oe=5BEE6DDD

Molliberus, a soldier beetle:

36803909_2012217645455072_9126959336843640832_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=e3382e5f65ff2daeec7628b6cda5b5e7&oe=5C0534EF

36803909_2012217645455072_9126959336843640832_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=e3382e5f65ff2daeec7628b6cda5b5e7&oe=5C0534EF

Burmusculus, a pompiloid wasp:

36721671_2012208415455995_2599695351526981632_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=3e7d6407e72b4c2f0988f4ccf7104ff6&oe=5BF740A0

36721671_2012208415455995_2599695351526981632_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=3e7d6407e72b4c2f0988f4ccf7104ff6&oe=5BF740A0

Burmantis, a praying mantis:

36459784_2002915949718575_1639211737813090304_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=7c29599b278e1b08e34074553344dc77&oe=5C02F44C

Chilamnestocoris, a burrower bug (Hemipteran):

36241846_1995902607086576_8735202665262219264_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=0529b0a49ecc607aa4ed380ef52f74ab&oe=5BF831BD

36241846_1995902607086576_8735202665262219264_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=0529b0a49ecc607aa4ed380ef52f74ab&oe=5BF831BD

Adam Khor

Hirtidiplatys, an earwig:

36189122_1992972994046204_8458784505736462336_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=c32d184dae2a2ba3f9d77795391b356b&oe=5C03D902

Haploberotha, a neuropteran (lacewings):

35927108_1988393951170775_8568968060604514304_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=77146726c4bd43d8f27d2171fe0316a1&oe=5C05C85A

35927108_1988393951170775_8568968060604514304_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=77146726c4bd43d8f27d2171fe0316a1&oe=5C05C85A

Euthema, a land snail:

33028612_1949682828375221_6072043747393142784_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=dce482a40411058ef6eaa73f6080ac9f&oe=5BFEE79F

Multispinus multispinosus, a beetle:

33073618_1948958178447686_7996332650988044288_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=037b1b95f771406e3bd240a8792a90db&oe=5BF8919F

33073618_1948958178447686_7996332650988044288_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=037b1b95f771406e3bd240a8792a90db&oe=5BF8919F

Tumefactipes, a stick insect:

32308870_1938452299498274_5028256975230599168_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=10eab293244639c14fb8ef8671426181&oe=5C06CE6E

32308870_1938452299498274_5028256975230599168_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=10eab293244639c14fb8ef8671426181&oe=5C06CE6E

Glaresis murmitica, a beetle:

32253613_1936435846366586_592982757051727872_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=ea06359e9bad937a0fa806bf06bfb120&oe=5C0A1AF2

Zorotypus, an "angel insect":

31959580_1936404846369686_3034381526901981184_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=0a6b57e015460d9b1a05c1eec9bb1065&oe=5BF38F85

Phyllochrysa, a lacewing (larval form):

31388879_1922988224378015_8591861056630947840_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=05dfe6717403cca4c7227d46c6251817&oe=5BF50BC1

31388879_1922988224378015_8591861056630947840_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=05dfe6717403cca4c7227d46c6251817&oe=5BF50BC1

Tick wrapped up in spider silk:

31301741_1922623271081177_7521162929924734976_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=c2b8d4d062db394baa30205deb47eaf5&oe=5BFB4032

31301741_1922623271081177_7521162929924734976_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=c2b8d4d062db394baa30205deb47eaf5&oe=5BFB4032

Bittacus, a "hangingfly"

29694836_1895731627103675_3073434202993486950_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=9aea8fcd6130c0e00c054e23dd9700c4&oe=5C337323

Adam Khor

Another bird (most likely an enantiornithine, although without the full skull is hard to be sure):

02-bird-trapped-amber-photo.adapt.1190.1.jpg

05-bird-trapped-amber-photo.adapt.768.1.jpg

Yijenplatycnemis huangi, a damselfly, has been suggested to have performed a mating dance aided by those extravagant ornaments:

life reconstruction:

Cascomastigus, a predatory beetle apparently specialized for catching springtails with its antennae:

Cockroach:

14937408_1343650335645143_5988012780578992069_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=bcfc2b30f8f2a176e4965ce9756ad8dc&oe=5BF1001D

Pedanoptera arachnophila, a predatory neuropteran. Apparently the larva was adapted as a spider predator (with long legs to walk on the web without getting suck)

Bird wing:

01burmaamberwing.adapt.1190.1.jpg

Adam Khor

Cushingia, a camel spider (solpugid)

Manipulator modificaputis, a predatory cockroach:

Bloodsucking fly (probably fed on dinosaur blood!):

10401375_946146682062179_6053433346383197522_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=1e8c26c4b15cedc76327972617d3e68f&oe=5C02F1C7

10401375_946146682062179_6053433346383197522_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=1e8c26c4b15cedc76327972617d3e68f&oe=5C02F1C7

Bird feathers:

10387484_877551292255052_1519284605036285130_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=a17e5f396efff18df250e519da0a27f5&oe=5C397D4D

A leaf that had been chewed on by insects:

10616438_874705759206272_8165980933749974063_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=2f25a5d6f07785e49d8c277a11d4712a&oe=5C001051

10616438_874705759206272_8165980933749974063_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=2f25a5d6f07785e49d8c277a11d4712a&oe=5C001051

Neuropteran larva:

1888687_864746763535505_8593726819376372309_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=7de04bd5ea0198964d99ee65643b5fbf&oe=5BFF6413

Wibbs

Incredible. Love the dinosaur feathers.

Adam Khor

Incredible indeed! I am fascinated by this fossil site, if you couldn´t tell. :B Have high hopes for it, too.

Here's some more:

Burcobuchonomyia, a midge:

g20102026.jpg?width=700&height=575.5395683453238

g20102026.jpg?width=700&height=575.5395683453238

Tarachopteran:

g20102036.jpg?width=700&height=679.6946564885496

Archiculicoides, another, biting midge:

g_2010_20_24-1500px.jpg?width=655.0218340611353&height=700

Palerasnitsynus, a caddisfly:

g_2010_20_35-1500px.jpg?width=700&height=521.2666666666667

Myanmariscus, a woodloose:

g_2010_20_43-1500px.jpg?width=465.83850931677017&height=700

Tropidogyne (the flower) and a small flea-like insect:

Spider:

Fly:

Scorpion:

Adam Khor

Newly discovered auger beetle:

40169449_2100339693309533_5216542092309823488_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=35e358da31736d4baf156310eaceaec4&oe=5C30115F

40169449_2100339693309533_5216542092309823488_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=35e358da31736d4baf156310eaceaec4&oe=5C30115F

Adam Khor

On kalligrammatids from Burmese amber (these were lacewing relatives that filled a butterfly-like niche during the Mesozoic)

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-06120-5

Kamili

These are absolutely fascinating! thanks so much for sharing

Adam Khor

Here's some cicadas!

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667118302325

43101753_2148861531790682_6952035774149689344_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&oh=4caeafc0132418de8b28b0e86669bb9b&oe=5C22E044

43101753_2148861531790682_6952035774149689344_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&oh=4caeafc0132418de8b28b0e86669bb9b&oe=5C22E044

Rubecula

wow I am impressed

Adam Khor

Extremely rare find; a snail with preserved soft tissue!

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/10/news-snail-found-amber-dinosaurs-cretaceous-paleontology/

01-amber-snail-amber-specimen-2.adapt.1190.1.jpg

01-amber-snail-amber-specimen-2.adapt.1190.1.jpg

Adam Khor

Apparently the mysterious "Alienopterids" found in Burmese amber are cockroaches that mimicked ants and wasps for protection:

45573573_2197954890214679_4478309111879958528_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ht=scontent.fgdl5-1.fna&oh=827b73b1629f1d6592b4ad959660baf7&oe=5C3D9745

45573573_2197954890214679_4478309111879958528_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ht=scontent.fgdl5-1.fna&oh=827b73b1629f1d6592b4ad959660baf7&oe=5C3D9745

Batesian insect-insect mimicry-related explosive radiation of ancient alienopterid cockroaches

Peter Vršanský & Günter Bechly & Qingqing Zhang & Edmund A. Jarzembowski & Tomáš Mlynský & Lucia Šmídová & Peter Barna & Matúš Kúdela & Danil Aristov & Sonia Bigalk & Lars Krogmann & Liqin Li &
Qi Zhang & Haichun Zhang & Sieghard Ellenberger & Patrick Müller & Carsten Gröhn & Fangyuan Xia & Kyoichiro Ueda & Peter Vďačný & Daniel Valaška & Lucia Vršanská & Bo Wang

Batesian #mimicry is a relationship in which a harmful organism (the model) is mimicked by a harmless organism (the mimic), which gains protection because predators mistake it for the model. It is the most widely studied of mimicry complexes and has undoubtedly played an important role in the speciation of various animals especially insects. However, little is known about the early evolution of this important behavior and its evolutionary significance owing to a dearth of paleontological records. Here we report several specialized representatives of the family #Alienopteridae from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil, mid-Cretaceous #Burmite, and the Eocene of the USA. They exhibit unique morphological adaptations for wasp and ant mimicry and represent one of the oldest evidence of Batesian mimicry in the insect fossil record. Our findings reveal at least 65-million-year coevolution between extinct alienopterids and aculeates. Phylogenetic Bayesian network analysis houses Alienopteridae within #Umenocoleidae explosively radiating ~127 Ma. Alienopteridae is the only Mesozoic-type #cockroach family which passed K/Pg.

Evolutionary implications

Batesian mimicry is widespread in modern insects (Quicke
2017; but not in cockroaches – Vidlička 2001). Aculeates,
including bees and ants, are the most frequently mimicked
models for Batesian mimicry (Ruxton et al. 2004). A wasp
mimic Cratomyia mimetica (Zhangsolvidae) is already known (Grimaldi 2016). A case of mimicry in #Burmese #amber is cerambyid Ornatomalthinus interpreted as a putative Batesian mimic of a venomous lycid beetle model proposed by Poinar and Fanti (2016). The new alienopterid adults mimic ancient aculeate wasps, bees and ants respectively. Like other stem-group cockroaches, these new alienopterids had small mandibles, lacked raptorial forelegs and were phytophagous or omnivorous. They would have gained protection by mimicking aculeates. The fossil record of Batesian mimicry in insects is very sparse, and the additional record was from the Paleocene, involving mimicry by a heteropteran based on an aculeate model (Wappler et al. 2013). Our discovery provides the earliest record of Batesian mimicry in insects, extending its occurrence back to the Early Cretaceous.

Adam Khor

Barlochersaurus, a diminutive, extremely well preserved, short-limbed lizard from Burmese amber:

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/specimen_images/publications/Breviora_563.pdf

Adam Khor

Feathers probably used as a decoy found preserved in Cretaceous amber:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/12/ancient-bird-fossils-have-weirdest-feathers-i-have-ever-seen?utm_source=64&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=News-from-Science-(@NewsfromScience)&utm_term=SciMag&utm_content=AAAS

2feathers_16x9.jpg?itok=Ga1lJ6xA

Rubecula

fascinating stuff there Adam

Adam Khor

This one is from Java, not Burma, but still amazing because of the rarity of its preservation within opal, rather than amber. Apparently, it hasn´t been formally studied yet, but it may be that the amber became opal over time.

fossilized-insect-in-opal.jpg?w=1000&ssl=1

fossilized-insect-in-opal.jpg?w=1000&ssl=1

fossilized-insect-in-opal-2.jpg?w=1000&ssl=1

Kamili

Opal is my favourite stone, that's absolutely awesome, I didn't think that could happen

monty_python

It's Myanmar. Not Burma

Wibbs

Oh FFS.

Adam Khor

Wibbs wrote: »

Oh FFS.

Well at least we're getting comments. :rolleyes:

monty_python

Wibbs wrote: »

Oh FFS.

Why ffs?? The country you are referring to is called Myanmar. Your using the wrong name. You don't like to have your mistakes pointed out do you??

Kamili

monty_python wrote: »

Why ffs?? The country you are referring to is called Myanmar. Your using the wrong name. You don't like to have your mistakes pointed out do you??

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar

Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma

monty_python

Kamili wrote: »

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar

I've been there 3 times. It's called Myanmar. The people never refer to the county as Burma. Neighboring countries called it Myanmar, never burma