Detected 100 million year old chiseled amber contains group of 356 animals

Paleontologists from Rennes University (France) and ESRF have discovered a group of 356 animals in completely opaque amber from the Cretaceous period in the Charentes region (France).

The team used European X-ray X-rays to capture a mass of 02 kilograms of fossilized resin using a technique that allowed rapid study of large quantities of opaque amber. This is the first known method that can discover animal groups in completely opaque amber.

Hologram of organisms in the chiseled amber block a) Gastropod Ellobiidae;b) Myriapod Polyxenidae;c) Arachnid;d) Conifer branch (Glenrosa);e) Isopod crustacean Ligia;f) Insects of hymenopteran Falciformicidae.(Photo: M. Lak, P. Tafforeau, D. Néraudeau)

Opaque amber is always a challenge for paleontologists. Scientists cannot study it because the naked eye cannot see the presence of any fossil groups inside. Areas like the Cretaceous Charentes occupy 80% of opaque amber. Researching fossils in opaque amber is no different from finding a needle in a tank.

However, paleontologist Malvina Lak and his colleague Paul Tafforeau at the University of Rennes and ESRF, together with the Paris National Museum of Natural History have adopted a contrasting method of microradiography. This method illuminates the amber block, which is no different from a stone under the naked eye.'Scientists have tried to study this type of amber for many years without progressing or very little. This is the first time we can really explore and study fossils inside it. '

Scientists have taken 640 pieces of amber from the Charentes region in western South France. They discovered fossils of 356 animals from wasps and flies to ants and even spiders and acarians. The team was able to identify them of 53% of the animals in the group.

Most of the detected organisms are very small. For example, one acarian is only 0.8mm and the fossil bee has 4mm.'The small size of organisms is probably because larger animals are able to escape from the sap before being trapped while smaller animals are easily trapped.'

Use water to observe fossils

Cracks in the amber fragments in the image are clearer than the internal fossil itself when using synchrotron radiation. To solve this problem, scientists dipped the pieces of amber into the water before experimenting. Because water and amber have very similar concentration, soaking the water makes the outer border and cracks almost invisible. At the same time, it also improves the results of general observations of animal groups, leading to better inspection and classification of fossils.

The process of subspecies

After being identified on the X-ray image, some species were photographed in three dimensions and were 'separated' from the digital resin. High quality 3-D reproduced images allow paleontologists to study accurately and describe organisms. The success of this experiment shows the important role of ESRF agency in the study of fossils. 'Opaque fossils contain many aspects of past life on our planet that are still unknown and the use of third-generation synchrotron sources will continue to play an important role in uncovering them.'