How amber becomes a death trap
| | Tuesday, 9 October 2007 |
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| Amber from the Baltic Sea was once tree resin from ancient conifers. Now scientists have worked out how resin traps insects, preserving them for millions of years (Image: iStockphoto) |
Tree resin and water don't mix. So, scientists have long questioned why amber, the fossilised version of tree resin, often contains entombed water-dwelling creatures, such as crustaceans, water bugs and amoebae.
The mystery has just been solved.
A paper published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explains how aquatic organisms can become trapped in the gooey resin.
Lead author Dr Alexander Schmidt, a researcher at the Museum of Natural History in Berlin, explains how a water bug found in a chunk of Baltic Sea amber might have met its end.
"We are looking back into the amber forest, 40 million years ago," Schmidt says. "Much resin is dropping from ancient conifer trees, and one of the resin flows reaches a small pond and flows into the water."
Water bugs, swimming fast through the water, become stuck at the resin surface and, trying to escape, they struggle deeper and deeper and finally die," he adds.
"The pond then dries out in the summer, and a flood brings sediment to cover the forest floor, so the resin piece becomes well conserved [later turning into amber]."
Schmidt and co-author Professor David Dilcher from the Florida Museum of Natural History also believe such water dwellers may have died as they were covered with resin flows or when they got stuck in a water droplet that wound up in resin. Some amber preserves whole drops of water.
Down at the swamp
For their study, the researchers observed how resin traps aquatic organisms at a forest swamp just east of Gainesville in Florida.
Using a handsaw, they cut bark from five pine trees to create resin flows into the water.
Once the resin made its way to the swamp, they collected it and analysed the contents under high magnification.
The mystery has just been solved.
A paper published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explains how aquatic organisms can become trapped in the gooey resin.
Lead author Dr Alexander Schmidt, a researcher at the Museum of Natural History in Berlin, explains how a water bug found in a chunk of Baltic Sea amber might have met its end.
"We are looking back into the amber forest, 40 million years ago," Schmidt says. "Much resin is dropping from ancient conifer trees, and one of the resin flows reaches a small pond and flows into the water."
Water bugs, swimming fast through the water, become stuck at the resin surface and, trying to escape, they struggle deeper and deeper and finally die," he adds.
"The pond then dries out in the summer, and a flood brings sediment to cover the forest floor, so the resin piece becomes well conserved [later turning into amber]."
Schmidt and co-author Professor David Dilcher from the Florida Museum of Natural History also believe such water dwellers may have died as they were covered with resin flows or when they got stuck in a water droplet that wound up in resin. Some amber preserves whole drops of water.
Down at the swamp
For their study, the researchers observed how resin traps aquatic organisms at a forest swamp just east of Gainesville in Florida.
Using a handsaw, they cut bark from five pine trees to create resin flows into the water.
Once the resin made its way to the swamp, they collected it and analysed the contents under high magnification.
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| Tree resin collected from swamps like this one in Florida preserves life as varied as water beetles, tiny plants, bacteria and fungi (Image: Alexander Schmidt) |
The collected resin preserved practically the entire swamp ecosystem, or at least its smallest inhabitants.
Water beetles, mites, small crustaceans called ostracods, parts of aquatic plants, hairy single-celled creatures called ciliates and even bacteria and fungi were identified in the goo.
Bacteria and fungi need water, so they kept growing in the resin until it dried out and solidified.
If left in the swamp, the resin might have turned to amber if the water level fell and allowed the resin to dry.
Given enough protection by layers of sediment, the amber could survive intact for millions of years.
Schmidt says the oldest amber containing any signs of life dates to 220 million years ago, and was found in the Italian Dolomites. The oldest amber containing insects, around 130 million years old, comes from Lebanon.
"Most amber pieces for jewellery, however, come from much younger deposits, which yield more and bigger pieces," Schmidt says. "So if you find aquatic or terrestrial insects or fungi in your jewellery, they are probably between around 15-50 million years old."
Trees in water
The findings confirm discoveries made by Dr Jorge Santiago-Blay, a US National Museum of Natural History researcher who points out that water and trees often shared space millions of years ago.
"Reconstructions of amber forests frequently depict them as contiguous with aquatic environments, such as rivers, estuaries or seas," he says.
While excavating one such forest in Chiapas, Mexico, he found a barnacle, water tubeworms, an oyster and a clam in amber dating to 15-20 million years ago.
In the future, studying the ancient organisms trapped over eons in amber may help scientists recreate prehistoric water ecosystems and understand how they changed over time.
Water beetles, mites, small crustaceans called ostracods, parts of aquatic plants, hairy single-celled creatures called ciliates and even bacteria and fungi were identified in the goo.
Bacteria and fungi need water, so they kept growing in the resin until it dried out and solidified.
If left in the swamp, the resin might have turned to amber if the water level fell and allowed the resin to dry.
Given enough protection by layers of sediment, the amber could survive intact for millions of years.
Schmidt says the oldest amber containing any signs of life dates to 220 million years ago, and was found in the Italian Dolomites. The oldest amber containing insects, around 130 million years old, comes from Lebanon.
"Most amber pieces for jewellery, however, come from much younger deposits, which yield more and bigger pieces," Schmidt says. "So if you find aquatic or terrestrial insects or fungi in your jewellery, they are probably between around 15-50 million years old."
Trees in water
The findings confirm discoveries made by Dr Jorge Santiago-Blay, a US National Museum of Natural History researcher who points out that water and trees often shared space millions of years ago.
"Reconstructions of amber forests frequently depict them as contiguous with aquatic environments, such as rivers, estuaries or seas," he says.
While excavating one such forest in Chiapas, Mexico, he found a barnacle, water tubeworms, an oyster and a clam in amber dating to 15-20 million years ago.
In the future, studying the ancient organisms trapped over eons in amber may help scientists recreate prehistoric water ecosystems and understand how they changed over time.
Links to Amber Inclusions:
Amber is fascinating. I have two amber necklaces, one from Lithuania, the other one from Dominican Republic. The one from Lithuania has one bead that has a tiny insect in it. Because of that bead the necklace costed five times as much as a "plain" amber necklace.
ReplyDeletea wonderful read!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking I want some bug jewelry ~ it would have to be your favorite (I mean 15-50 million years old ~ talk about a history!) It is so pretty too ~ bugs and all.
ReplyDeleteWith a magnifying glass it looks mostly like a small fruit fly. And yep, even a tiny insect preserved in the amber rises the price. I've seen a ring with a bit of amber that cost $50.000! But then it had an intact little flower embedded in it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is cool. I have an amber rosary-I'm not Catholic, I just liked it. :) No bugs in it though. I wish they could really do like in Jurassic Park....
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing, > Schmidt says the oldest amber containing any signs of life dates to 220 million years ago, and was found in the Italian Dolomites.
ReplyDeleteI love amber. When my husband went to visit his family in Lithuania last year, he brought back some lovely samples. Sadly, there are so many vendors selling 'amber with bugs' nowdays that are fake. Each piece had to come with an authentication certificate, so its worth watching where one buys. Would you believe that some sell 'amber' that is simply candy? Folk were advised to lick test their amber (I found that an entertaining thought... going through the jewellry store licking all their stock) or to use a hot pin on an inconspicous spot. The smell one gets is of pine forests.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a super article!
What a great read. I never heard of amber until Jurassic Park was made. I have bough me neice some pieces because he name is Amber and her birthstone a familiar color. It is unique. Interesting fact that people are wearing jewlry that may contain creatures from so long ago. Thanks John :)
ReplyDeleteIt makes perfect sense to me. Of course they get stuck in it. It's sticky. Good read though. Thank you sir. Always interesting in here.
ReplyDeleteHow could have made "Jurassik Park" if it weren't for amber?:P
ReplyDeleteHow totally fascinating. Loved this post John. Just made me realise I miss some of my feeds and shall have to go and reinsert them.
ReplyDelete