CRETACEOUS BURMESE AMBER FROM THE DINOSAUR ERA FOR SALE
Featured in this listing is a genuine piece of amber from the dinosaur era! A piece of Burmite containing an earwig (dermaptera). These insects first appeared during the Triassic period over 200 million years ago, and are distinctive amongst insects both for their membranous hindwings (hence their greek name dermaptera or 'skinwing') and the pincer-like cerci at the rear end.
Earwigs are primarily scavengers, but are also known to use their pincers to capture prey as well as for self-defence and as an aid to copulation.
Unusually for insects. earwigs are known to protect their young after they have hatched, and to regurgitate food for their offspring to eat. As the young nymph grows and develops, it will molt about 5 or 6 times before reaching its final adult size, and will often sustain itself by eating its old skin.
This particular specimen is a young nymph that had not reached adulthood before it became engulfed in resin.
What is Burmese Amber?
Burmese Amber, or Burmite is a fossilised resin which is believed to have emanated from an extinct species of tropical conifer tree that once grew in the area that is now Burma/Myanmar during the mid to late Cretaceous, between 90-105 million years ago. It has been suggested that these trees came from the Agathis genus, and are therefore related to the Kauri gum tree (agathis australis) an extant species responsible for the formation of Kauri gum, the famous copal (young amber) that was once mined extensively in New Zealand for use in varnish.
Unlike Baltic amber, Burmite contains little to no succinic acid, and is often found in coal seams, and is therefore classed as a form of retinite amber rather than succinite. Where Baltic Amber typically gives off a pale-green flourescence, Burmite flouresces a milky-blue colour (see photos). Although it is considerably less common than Baltic amber (which forms between 80-90% of world amber production) it is probably the oldest form of amber that is mined and exploited commercially (other and older dinosaur era ambers exist, but are much rarer and deposits generally too small for large-scale mining).
Burmite is famous for its cherry-red coloured varieties, but as with other ambers, comes in a variety of colours, from pale yellow to brownish orange as well as red. It is also harder compared to most other ambers and has an 'oily' texture when held. As with baltic amber, it is quite hard wearing and very well suited for use in jewellery.
The inclusions you see in Burmese amber are older than the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but could well have lived amongst contemporaneous local dinosaurs such as Microceratus, a type of dinosaur that lived in Asia and featured in the film 'Jurassic Park' (and the more recent 'Jurassic World').
Most fossiliferous ambers you will see for sale on ebay are much younger than this. The most common types of amber you will find for sale are Baltic and then Dominican amber, both of which were formed long after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. If you want to own a piece of amber with insects that lived amongst these iconic creatures this amber is for you!
Particulars:
Age:
90-105 Million years old (mid to late Cretaceous)
Size:
See photos
Weight:
0.92 grams
Inclusions:
dermaptera
Country of Origin:
Kachin State, Burma/Myanmar.
Guaranteed genuine!
Item is based in the UK. International buyers are welcome, but please bear in mind that I am not responsible for any customs charges/restriction on the import of this item.
I will combine postage on multiple items. Please get in contact if you have any questions.