Baltic amber

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Raw unpolished Baltic amber Brylki Bursztynu Baltyckiego (sukcynitu).jpg
Raw unpolished Baltic amber
Paleogeography of Early-Mid Eocene Europe, showing location of Baltic Amber deposit (labelled Gdansk), alongside the locations of the contemporaneously deposited Rovno amber and Bitterfeld amber Eocene Europe amber map.jpg
Paleogeography of Early-Mid Eocene Europe, showing location of Baltic Amber deposit (labelled Gdansk), alongside the locations of the contemporaneously deposited Rovno amber and Bitterfeld amber

Baltic amber or succinite is amber from the Baltic region, home of its largest known deposits. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that this forested region provided the resin for more than 100,000 tons of amber. [1] Today, more than 90% of the world's amber comes from Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia. It is a major source of income for the region; the local Kaliningrad Amber Combine extracted 250 tonnes of it in 2014 [2] and 400 tonnes in 2015. [3] Baltic amber is also found in Poland, as well as the Baltic states.

Contents

Bitterfeld amber from the brown coal mines near Bitterfeld in Germany was previously thought to be redeposited Baltic amber, but is now known to be chemically distinct, though like with Ukrainian Rovno amber, it is thought to have been deposited around the same time as Baltic amber. [4]

Because Baltic amber contains from 3 to 8% succinic acid, it is also termed succinite.

Geologic context

Open pit amber mine in Kaliningrad, showing the lithology of the Prussian Formation, the source rock of Baltic amber Baltic-amber-deposit-Yantarny.jpg
Open pit amber mine in Kaliningrad, showing the lithology of the Prussian Formation, the source rock of Baltic amber

In situ Baltic amber is derived from the sediments of the geological formation termed the Prussian Formation, formerly called the "Amber Formation", with the main amber bearing horizon being referred to as "Blue Earth", so named due to its glauconite content. The formation is exposed in the northern part of the Sambia Peninsula in Kaliningrad. Much of the Baltic amber has been secondarily redeposited in Pleistocene glacial till deposits across the North European Plain. [5] It has been proposed that the amber is secondarily redeposited in coastal lagoonal conditions after a marine transgression of the amber forest. The age of the amber is controversial, though it is generally interpreted as having been produced during the Eocene epoch (56-34 million years ago). Different authors have given estimates of 40-47 million years ago and 35-43 million years ago as the age of the amber. Dating the amber precisely is difficult due to its redeposited context. [6]

While the Bitterfeld amber found near Bitterfeld in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, was historically considered redeposited Baltic amber, it has been found to be chemically distinct. [7]

Baltic amber tree

It is universally agreed that the amber is coniferous in origin.[ citation needed ] It was thought since the 1850s that the resin that became amber was produced by the tree Pinites succinifer , but research in the 1980s concluded that the resin originates from several species. More recently, it has been proposed, on the evidence of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of amber and resin from living trees, that conifers of the family Sciadopityaceae were responsible. [1] The only extant representative of this family is the Japanese umbrella pine, Sciadopitys verticillata .

Structure

General model of the structure of Baltic amber Baltic Amber General Structure.svg
General model of the structure of Baltic amber

The structure of Baltic amber (succinite) is complex. It is not a polymer, because it is not composed of a repeating pattern of mers of the same type. Rather it has a macromolecular structure arranged in a crosslinked network, in which the pores (free spaces) are filled by components of molecular structure (e.g. by mono- and sesquiterpenes). Thus the chemical structure of the amber may be described as a supramolecule. [8] The structure makes the amber denser, harder and more resistant to external factors. It also makes possible good preservation of plant and animal inclusions. [9]

History of use

Baltic amber has been a trade good since the Neolithic period in Europe, with Baltic amber goods being found as trade goods as early as 3634–3363 BC in Spain, [10] with Baltic amber being traded to China by the time of the Han Dynasty. [11] Intitally Baltic amber was extracted from redeposited amber in Holocene deposits, like sandbars, with large scale industrial extraction beginning only during the 19th century. [12]

Paleobiology

Numerous extinct genera and species of plants and animals have been discovered and scientifically described from inclusions in Baltic amber. [13] Inclusions of insects make up over 98% of the animals preserved in the amber, while all other arthropods, annelids, molluscs, nematodes, protozoans contribute less than 0.5% of the animals. Vertebrates are another 0.5% of the animals included and mostly are represented by mammal fur, feathers, and reptiles. [14]

Flora

NameAuthorsYearFamilyNotesImages

Heinrichs et al

2015

Geocalycaceae

A liverwort

Heinrichs et al

2014

Mniaceae

A bryopsid moss

Fauna

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanidae</span> Family of wasps

The Stephanidae, sometimes called crown wasps, are a family of parasitoid wasps. They are the only living members of the superfamily Stephanoidea. Stephanidae has at least 345 living species in 11 genera. The family is considered cosmopolitan in distribution, with the highest species concentrations in subtropical and moderate climate zones. Stephanidae also contain four extinct genera described from both compression fossils and inclusions in amber.

<i>Baltimartyria</i> Extinct genus of moths

Baltimartyria is an extinct genus of primitive metallic moths in the family Micropterigidae. The genus is solely known from the Early Eocene Baltic amber deposits in the Baltic Sea region of Europe. The genus currently contains two described species, Baltimartyria proavitella and Baltimartyria rasnitsyni.

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<i>Deinodryinus</i>? <i>aptianus</i> Extinct species of wasp

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<i>Arostropsis</i> Genus of beetles

Arostropsis is an extinct genus of broad-nosed weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae known from an Upper Eocene fossil found in Europe. The genus contains a single described species, Arostropsis groehni.

<i>Prostylotermes</i> Extinct genus of termites

Prostylotermes is an extinct genus of termite in the isopteran family Stylotermitidae known from two Eocene fossils found in India. The genus contains a single described species, Prostylotermes kamboja.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitterfeld amber</span>

Bitterfeld amber is amber found near the town of Bitterfeld in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. While visually similar to the better known Baltic amber and often historically considered to be redeposited Baltic amber, chemical analysis shows that it is distinct from Baltic amber. The amber is thought to originate Eocene epoch, around the same time as Baltic amber. Like Baltic amber, the amber is renowned for its fossil inclusions such as those of arachnids and insects. The amber is found deposited in sands and silts of the Cottbus Formation, which is thought to be of late Oligocene age, considerably younger than the amber itself. Some fossil animal species are shared between Baltic and Bitterfeld ambers, supporting the idea that they were deposited at the same time, while both ambers have species apparently unique to them. The amber bearing deposit was excavated as part of a lignite coal mining operation active from 1975 to 1993, which resulted in over 400 tonnes of amber being unearthed. Compared to Baltic amber, the Bittefeld amber has been subject to considerably less research. The amber likely originated from a forested environment, perhaps a swamp forest. The source tree is suggested to have either belonged to Sciadopityaceae or to Pinaceae.

<i>Electrostephanus</i> Extinct genus of wasps

Electrostephanus is an extinct genus of crown wasp in the hymenopteran family Stephanidae, and is the only genus placed in the subfamily Electrostephaninae. The genus contains four described species, E. brevicornis, E. neovenatus, E. janzeni, and E. petiolatus, placed in two subgenera E. (Electrostephanus) and E. (Electrostephanodes). Electrostephanus is known from several middle Eocene fossils which have been found in Europe.

<i>Yantaromyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Yantaromyrmex is an extinct genus of ants first described in 2013. Members of this genus are in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicidae, known from Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene fossils found in Europe. The genus currently contains five described species, Y. constrictus, Y. geinitzi, Y. intermedius, Y. mayrianum and Y. samlandicus. The first specimens were collected in 1868 and studied by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr, who originally placed the fossils in other ant genera until the fossils were reviewed and subsequently placed into their own genus. These ants are small, measuring from 4 to 6 mm in length and can be characterized by their trapezoidal shaped head-capsules and oval compound eyes that are located slightly to the rear of the capsules midpoint, with no known ocelli present.

<i>Zherichinius</i> Genus of ants

Zherichinius is an extinct genus of ants in the subfamily Dolichoderinae known from fossils found in amber from the Middle Eocene of Sakhalin island Far eastern Russia and Bitterfeld, Germany. At the time of description the species Zherichinius horribilis and Zherichinius rapax were two of eight ant species known from Sakhalin fossils.

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<i>Pachycondyla succinea</i> Extinct species of ant

Pachycondyla succinea is an extinct species of ant in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe. P. petrosa is one of three middle Eocene Pachycondyla species found in Baltic amber.

<i>Nylanderia pygmaea</i> Extinct species of ant

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References

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Bibliography

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