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Hundreds of prehistoric insects found intact within huge amber deposit

A 50-million-year-old amber deposit discovered in India holds a cornucopia of perfectly preserved ancient insects.

By Bryan NelsonTue, Oct 26 2010 at 3:04 AM EST
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Insects stuck in amber FROZEN IN TIME: The insects were surprisingly well preserved, with soft tissue still intact. (Photo: sulla55/Flickr)
The 1993 film "Jurassic Park" was based on the premise that scientists were able to extract dinosaur DNA from ancient mosquitoes that fed on the prehistoric reptiles and had been preserved in tree resin. That story line is science fiction, but real scientists have discovered what is being called the largest amber deposit ever found — and it's loaded with perfectly preserved ancient bugs, according to The Independent.
 
The deposit, which is the first to be discovered in India, is probably larger than the current record holders in the amber-rich Baltic region of Russia, Germany, Ukraine and Poland. Even more valuable than the amber itself, however, is the treasure trove of ancient insects found trapped inside. Prehistoric bees, ants, spiders and mites that become encased within the amber over 50 million years ago can now be studied in unprecedented detail.
 
Usually bugs found trapped in ancient amber deposits are empty shells, with just their exoskeletons preserved. Their soft inner tissues rarely survive the millennia of decay intact. That's one of the main reasons the fantasy presented in "Jurassic Park" could never become a reality. But the bugs found in the new Indian deposit are different. They're some of the best preserved specimens ever found, with surprisingly well-preserved soft tissues.
 
"We are able to dissolve the amber and get the specimens completely out," said professor Jes Rust of Bonn University in Germany, who pioneered the effort to uncover the insects. "This is really outstanding. It's like getting a complete dinosaur out of the amber and being able to put it under the microscope."
 
In reality, these 50-million-year-old bugs would have survived the extinction of the dinosaurs, and would have lived at a time before mammals evolved. Though most of the creatures are ancient species, one species of ant belongs to a genus that is still alive today in Australia.
 
"The amber shows, similar to an old photo, what life looked like in India just before the collision with the Asian continent. The insects trapped in the fossil resin cast a new light on the history of the sub-continent," Rust said.
 
In all, 700 specimens have been found in the amber so far, but scientists say they have only just scratched the surface. "There is an enormous volume of amber to be found. This is just the beginning," added Rust.
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Related Topics: Insects, Nature, Science

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anonymous
Tex 11/04/2010 19:28 PM

I guess it must hurt.

anonymous
Pile of Pooh 11/04/2010 14:50 PM

Is your condition painful, Kutch?

anonymous
Cole 10/31/2010 12:33 PM

You are falling over your numbers. Have the decency to not comment in future, about anything, on any site or forum, about any subject at any time, ever.
Don't you think we have suffered enough?

anonymous
SO Confused 10/31/2010 12:04 PM

Isn't the Earth only 6,000 years old? I read that somewhere in a book that cannot be questioned so it must be true.

anonymous
Kutch Science 10/26/2010 21:40 PM

Himalaya fossils are older than 60 Mn years so since last 60 Mn years Indian continent was joined with Asian plate. So India was not floating in the Indian ocean. why one beleive this unbeleavable theory.

If the Indian continental plate was in sea 50 Mn years ago than HIMALAYA fossil could not be older than 50Mn years OLD

If India was in middle of sea 55Mn years ago How the HIMALAYA could be more than 60 Mn years OLD?

Himalaya was not created in just a blink it has took 60.... More

anonymous
Anonymous 10/07/2011 17:31 PM

Wrong. Fossils already present on the subcontinent were up-lifted into the Himalayas. They could easily have been formed before colliding with Asia.

anonymous
Anonymous Today 08:51 AM

except that the Indian sub cont. subducted and the Asiatic plate lifted up not the other way around.

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