Prussian Formation

Prussian Formation
Stratigraphic range: Eocene, 56–35  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Outcrop of the Prussian Formation in Yantarny, Russia
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Blue Earth Member
Lithology
Other	Phosphorite, Amber, Glauconite
Location
Location	Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia
Type section
Region	Sambian Peninsula

The Prussian Formation, previously known as the Amber Formation, is a geologic formation in Prussia, today mostly Kaliningrad Oblast that dates to the Eocene. ^[1] It holds 90% of the world's amber supply and Baltic amber is found exclusively in the Prussian Formation. ^[2]

The Prussian Formation is equivalent to the Obukhov Formation of Ukraine and Belarus.

Geological context

Baltic amber from the Prussian Formation

In situ Baltic amber is found within the Prussian 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.

Different authors have given estimates of 40-47 million years ago and 35-43 million years ago as the age of the Prussian Formation. ^[1]

Paleobiology

Numerous extinct genera and species of plants and animals have been discovered and scientifically described from inclusions in the Prussian Formation. ^[3] 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. ^[4]

Flora

Name	Authors	Year	Family	Notes	Images
Notoscyphus balticus [5]	Heinrichs et al	2015	Geocalycaceae	A liverwort
Rhizomnium dentatum [6]	Heinrichs et al	2014	Mniaceae	A bryopsid moss

Fauna

• Agroecomyrmex Wheeler, 1910 ^[7]
• Aphaenogaster mersa Wheeler, 1915 ^[7]
• Aphaenogaster oligocenica Wheeler, 1915 ^[7]
• Aphaenogaster sommerfeldti (Mayr, 1868) ^[7]
• Arostropsis Yunakov & Kirejtshuk, 2011 ^[8]
• Aspidopleura Gibson, 2009 ^[9]
• Asymphylomyrmex Wheeler, 1915 ^[7]
• Balticopta gusakovi Balashov & Perkovsky, 2020 ^[10]
• Baltimartyria Skalski, 1995
• Baltocteniza Eskov & Zonstein, 2000 ^[11]
• Brevivulva Gibson, 2009 ^[9]
• Deinodryinus areolatus (Ponomarenko, 1975) ^[12]
• Deinodryinus velteni Guglielmino & Olmi, 2011 ^[12]
• Diochus electrus Chatzimanolis & Engel, 2011 ^[13]
• Electrinocellia (Carpenter) Engel, 1995 ^[14]
• Electrocteniza Eskov & Zonstein, 2000 ^[11]
• Electropodagrion Azar & Nel, 2008 ^[15]
• Electrostephanus Brues, 1933 ^[16]
• Elektrithone Makarkin, Wedmann, & Weiterschan, 2014 ^[17]
• Eogeometer vadens Fischer, Michalski & Hausmann, 2019 ^[18]
• Epiborkhausenites Skalski, 1973 ^[19]
• Glisachaemus Szwedo, 2007 ^[20]
• Gracillariites Kozlov, 1987
• Metanephrocerus collini Carpenter & Hull, 1939 ^[21]
• Metanephrocerus groehni Kehlmaier & Skevington, 2014 ^[21]
• Metanephrocerus hoffeinsorum Kehlmaier & Skevington, 2014 ^[21]
• Electrocrania Kuznezov, 1941
• Fibla carpenteri Engel, 1995 ^[14]
• Metapelma archetypon Gibson, 2009 ^[9]
• Micropterix gertraudae Kurz & Kurz, 2010
• Mindarus harringtoni (Hele, 2008)
• Neanaperiallus Gibson, 2009 ^[9]
• Palaeovespa baltica Cockerell, 1909 ^[22]
• Palaeovespa socialis Pionar, 2005 ^[23]
• Prolyonetia Kusnetzov, 1941
• Propupa Stworzewicz & Pokryszko, 2006 ^[24]
• Pseudogarypus synchrotron Henderickx, 2012 ^[25]
• Stigmellites baltica (Kozlov, 1988) (Lepidopteran leaf mines)
• Xylolaemus sakhnovi Alekseev & Lord, 2014 ^[26]
• Succinipatopsis Poinar, 2000 ^[27]
• Yantarogekko balticus Bauer et al., 2005
• Yantaromyrmex constricta (Mayr, 1868) ^[28]
• Yantaromyrmex geinitzi (Mayr, 1868) ^[28]
• Yantaromyrmex samlandica (Wheeler, 1915) ^[28]

References

1. Moser, Marina; Burks, Roger A.; Ulmer, Jonah M.; Heraty, John M.; Kamp, Thomas van de; Krogmann, Lars (2021-05-25). "Taxonomic description and phylogenetic placement of two new species of Spalangiopelta (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae: Ceinae) from Eocene Baltic amber". PeerJ. 9: e10939. doi: 10.7717/peerj.10939 . ISSN   2167-8359. PMC   8162234 . PMID   34113480.
2. G.s, Kharin; N.p, Lukashina (2002). "ACCUMULATION CONDITIONS AND CORRELATION OF THE UPPER EOCENE AMBER-BEARING PRUSSIAN FORMATION, KALININGRAD REGION". Geology Science.ru. ISSN   0869-5938.
3. Weitschat, W.; Wichard, W. (2002). Atlas of Plants and Animals in Baltic Amber. Pfeil. ISBN   978-3931516949.
4. Weitschat, W.; Wichard, W. (2010). "Chapter 6: Baltic amber". In Penney, D. (ed.). Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits. Siri Scientific Press. pp. 80–115. ISBN   978-0-9558636-4-6.
5. Heinrichs, J; Schmidt, AR; Schäfer-Verwimp, A; Gröhn, C; Renner, MAM (2015). "The leafy liverwort Notoscyphus balticus sp. nov. (Jungermanniales) in Eocene Baltic amber". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 217: 39–44. Bibcode:2015RPaPa.217...39H. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2015.02.006.
6. Heinrichs, J; Hedenäs, L; Schäfer-Verwimp, A; Feldberg, K; Schmidt, AR (2014). "An in situ preserved moss community in Eocene Baltic amber". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 210: 113–118. Bibcode:2014RPaPa.210..113H. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2014.08.005.
7. Wheeler, W. M. (1914). "The Ants of the Baltic Amber". Schriften der Physikalisch-Ökonomischen Gesellschaft zu Königsberg. 55 (4): 56–59.
8. Yunakov, N.N.; Kirejtshuk, A.G. (2011). "New genus and species of broad-nosed weevils from Baltic amber and notes on fossils of the subfamily Entiminae (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)". ZooKeys (160): 73–96. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.160.2108 . PMC   3253632 . PMID   22303121.
9. Gibson, G. A. P. (2009). "Description of three New Genera and four New Species of Neanastatinae (Hymenoptera, Eupelmidae) from Baltic Amber, with Discussion of their Relationships to Extant Taxa". ZooKeys (20): 175–214. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.20.161 . Archived from the original on 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
10. Balashov I.A. & Perkovsky E.E. 2020. An Eocene land snail Balticopta gusakovi gen.n., sp.n. (Stylommatophora: Gastrocoptidae) from Baltic amber // Invertebrate Zoology. Vol.17. No.1: 18–24.
11. Eskov, K. Y.; Zonstein, S. L. (2000). "The First Ctenizoid Mygalomorph Spiders from Eocene Baltic Amber (Araneida: Mygalomorphae: Ctenizidae)". Paleontological Journal . 34 (3): S268 –S274. Part 1; part 2, PDF.
12. Guglielmino, A.; Olmi, M. (2011). "Revision of fossil species of Deinodryinus, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Dryinidae)". ZooKeys (130): 495–504. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.130.1326 . PMC   3260777 . PMID   22259295.
13. Chatzimanolis, S.; Engel, M. S. (2011). "A new species of Diochus from Baltic amber (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Diochini)" (PDF). ZooKeys (138): 65–73. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.138.1896 . PMC   3208521 . PMID   22144854.
14. Engel, M. S. (1995). "A New Fossil Snake-Fly Species from Baltic Amber (Raphidioptera: Inocelliidae)". Psyche: A Journal of Entomology. 102 (3–4): 187–193. doi: 10.1155/1995/23626 . hdl: 1808/16479 .
15. Azar, D.; Nel, A. (2008). "First Baltic amber megapodagrionid damselfly (Odonata: Zygoptera)". Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. New Series. 44 (4): 451–457. doi: 10.1080/00379271.2008.10697580 . – via  Taylor & Francis (subscription required)
16. Engel, M.S.; Ortega-Blanco, J. (2008). "The fossil crown wasp Electrostephanus petiolatus Brues in Baltic Amber (Hymenoptera, Stephanidae): designation of a neotype, revised classification, and a key to amber Stephanidae". ZooKeys (4): 55–64. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.4.49 . hdl: 2445/36428 .
17. Makarkin, VN; Wedmann, S; Weiterschan, T (2014). "First record of the family Ithonidae (Neuroptera) from Baltic amber". Zootaxa. 3796 (2): 385–393. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3796.2.10. PMID   24870683.
18. Fischer, Thilo C.; Michalski, Artur; Hausmann, Axel (2019). "Geometrid caterpillar in Eocene Baltic amber (Lepidoptera, Geometridae)". Scientific Reports . 9 (1): Article number 17201. Bibcode:2019NatSR...917201F. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-53734-w. PMC   6868187 . PMID   31748672.
19. Skalski, A. W. (1973). "Studies on the Lepidoptera from Fossil Resins. Part II. Epiborkhausenites obscurotrimaculatus gen. et sp. nov. (Oecophoridae) and a Tineid-Moth Discovered in the Baltic Amber" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 18 (1): 153–160.
20. Szwedo, J. (2007). "Glisachaemus jonasdamzeni gen. et sp. nov. of Cixiidae from the Eocene Baltic amber (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha)" (PDF). Alavesia. 1: 109–116. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2015-06-09.
21. Kehlmaier, C; Dierick, M; Skevington, JH (2014). "Micro-CT studies of amber inclusions reveal internal genitalic features of big-headed flies, enabling a systematic placement of Metanephrocerus Aczel, 1948 (Insecta: Diptera: Pipunculidae)". Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 72 (1): 23–36. doi: 10.3897/asp.72.e31784 .
22. Cockerell, T. D. A. (1906). "Fossil Hymenoptera from Florissant, Colorado". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 50 (2).
23. Poinar, G. (2005). "Fossil Trigonalidae and Vespidae (Hymenoptera) in Baltic Amber". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 107 (1): 55–63.
24. Stworzewicz, E.; Pokryszko, B. M. (2006). "Eocene Terrestrial Snails (Gastropoda) from Baltic Amber" (PDF). Annales Zoologici . 56 (1): 215–224.
25. Henderickx, H.; Tafforeau, P.; Soriano, C (2012). "Phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography reveals the morphology of a partially visible new Pseudogarypus in Baltic amber (Pseudoscorpiones: Pseudogarypidae)". Palaeontologia Electronica. 15 (2, 17A, 11p): 1–11.
26. Alekseev, VI; Lord, NP (2014). "A new species of Xylolaemus (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Colydiinae) from Baltic amber". Baltic Journal of Coleopterology. 14 (1): 97–102. ISSN   1407-8619.
27. Poinar, G. Jr. (2000). "Fossil Onychophorans from Dominican and Baltic Amber: Tertiapatus dominicanus n.g., n.sp. (Tertiapatidae n.fam.) and Succinipatopsis balticus n.g., n.sp. (Succinipatopsidae n.fam.) with a Proposed Classification of the Subphylum Onychophora". Invertebrate Biology. 119 (1): 104–9. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7410.2000.tb00178.x .
28. Dlussky, GM; Dubovikoff, DA (2013). "Yantaromyrmex gen. n. – a new ant genus (Hymenoptera Formicidae) from Late Eocene ambers of Europe" (PDF). Caucasian Entomological Bulletin. 9 (2): 305–314. doi: 10.23885/1814-3326-2013-9-2-305-314 .