D. Xavier et al.
Inside an amber stone, a secret with 112 million years is hidden. It is the first major discovery of this type on the South American continent-there are 5 insect orders, preserved perfectly.
A team of scientists discovered in an Ecuador grave a complete amber -preserved ecosystem – it was literally frozen in time 112 million years.
In this first major amber discovery, relatively rare on the continent, as described, are preserved at least five insect ordersincluding several flies, a scarab of fungi, wasps and a tricopter, as well as evidence of arachnid activity, in the form of a spider web fragment.
“These findings provide direct evidence of a Humid and resinous ecosystem and its fauna of arthropods in the Equatorial Gondwana during the resign of Cretacic, ”explain paleobiologist Xavier Delclòs, from the University of Barcelona, and colleagues in published in Nature this week.
The amber found in this investigation was formed by trees ARAUCARIÁLEASwhich, although abundant in the Jurassic and Cretaceous, are now represented by some species of the southern hemisphere.
And there were two types of amber in the place: one formed by the resin that drained from the underground roots of the trees and another formed above the ground.
“This discovery, and the plant remains associated with amber rocks, expand our Understanding of Gondwana Arthropod Fauna and Flora who inhabited forests along their western margin during a time of great ecological transformation, ”write the authors, who intend to continue investigations.
