| P number: | P549580 |
|---|---|
| Caption: | A fly and spider trapped in amber. |
| Description: | Those who have seen the film 'Jurassic Park' will remember that DNA from an insect trapped in amber was used to clone dinosaurs. Eocene amber, particularly that from the Baltic, is famous for the insects it contains, although the DNA of entombed insects has yet to be found. Many different animals have been found in amber, from flies and mosquitoes to spiders and snails, and in very rare instances ostracods ('water fleas'). The amber illustrated contains a fly and a spider with their bodies, limbs, wings and hairs still perfectly preserved. Cretaceous and Cainozoic ambers are well known for containing small fossils. Amber is formed from the sap from trees (often pine trees), which oozes out of a damaged part of the trunk and drips and flows down the surface of the bark. Any insects in its path may be engulfed by the sticky gum, which in time hardens to form amber. Eocene amber from the Baltic is not just an attractive gemstone, but the fossils inside, being preserved virtually unchanged since the day the organism died are useful for studies in evolution. |
| Photographer: | Unknown |
| Copyright statement: | Unknown |
| Orientation: | Portrait |
| Size: | 456.89 KB; 800 x 1000 pixels; 68 x 85 mm (print at 300 DPI); 212 x 265 mm (screen at 96 DPI); |
| Average Rating: | Not yet rated |
| Categories: | Best of BGS Images/ Fossils |
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