Mushrooms are 50 million years old in amber mass

The 50 million-year-old Eocene fungus was discovered in the amber mass, next to the molting shell of an insect and a rodent's hair.

The Telegraph said on July 14 that the amber mass was discovered near the Baltic Sea, where Germany, Poland, Russia and Scandinavia are today. It formed from the plastic plastic layer in subtropical coniferous forest extending most of southern Europe and existed for 10 million years. As the climate heats up, the angiosperms begin to replace the coniferous or pyramidal evergreen plants that once dominated here.

Neither the fungus and rod bugs in the amber mass have survived. Although the fungus was discovered many times in fossils in other parts of the world, it was the first fungus to appear in Baltic amber and contain new organisms.

The amber keeps a 50 million year old mushroom, the outer shell of an extinct rodent and a mouse hair.(Photo: Oregon State University, USA).

The Baltic region is home to the world's largest amber sediment , famous for thousands of years and continues to be exploited.

According to scientists, the scene left inside the amber block provides a glimpse into life on Earth shortly after the extinction of the dinosaurs.

The insect that was eating the mushroom quickly jumped out of the old skin just seconds before the sap was covered. The creature lucky enough to escape the scene is preserved for millions of years, leaving only the old shell after molting.

The rat hairs are also stuck in the amber, indicating that some mice may be sipping mushrooms when the flow of sap falls.

"From what is observed in the amber mass, the small mushroom may be being eaten by a rat under a tree," said George Poinar, a researcher at the College of Science, Oregon State University, USA.

"Insects, like rod bugs, are more likely to eat mushrooms too. It seems that it must immediately molt, jump off the crust and escape just before being covered with plastic."

Scientists have found thousands of specimens of insects, plants and other life forms in ancient amber masses. However, this is the first time they have found the fossil of a creature that has just escaped.

"The little insect in this fossil is a rod bug, one of the insect forms that uses the look of a branch or leaves to disguise , " Poinar said.

"It can peel the skin many times before it matures in its short two-month life. In this case, the ability to quickly get rid of the peeling skin and the sensible situation save it."

Scientists have discovered many inner amber masses with insects.These specimens are valuable materials for studying ancient ecosystems.(Photo: Telegraph).

The beetle's old crust is in perfectly clear amber, showing small veins that may have disappeared if the peeling skin appeared long before the plastic was swallowed.

Amber fossils provide a valuable view of ancient ecosystems. Thanks to rare specimens like this one, scientists can gain a deeper understanding of the interaction and ecology among different life forms, serving as a basis for recreating ancient ecosystems.