<i>Eocenocolaspis</i> gen. nov., a new genus of Eumolpinae (<i>Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae</i>) from Baltic amber preserving metallic sheen from the Eocene epoch

Bukejs, Andris; Moseyko, A. G.; Alekseev, Vitalii I.

doi:10.1080/08912963.2022.2117039

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…These inclusions often feature “life-like” 3D preservation, providing significantly more morphological information than cast or compression fossils 2 . This leads to common preservation of cuticle 3 (including structural colours 4 , 5 ), as well as internal soft tissue structures of invertebrates 2 in amber. In larger pieces of amber, high fidelity vertebrate preservation can be found in smaller-bodied specimens 6 , 7 or parts of specimens such as feathers 8 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological and organic spectroscopic studies of a 44-million-year-old leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in amber with endogenous remains of chitin

Mitchell

McKellar

Barbi

et al. 2023

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This study details the quality of preservation of amber deposits in the Eocene. Through Baltic amber crack-out studies using Synchrotron Micro-Computed Tomography and Scanning Electron Microscopy it was found that the cuticle of a specimen of leaf beetle (Crepidodera tertiotertiaria (Alticini: Galerucinae: Chrysomelidae)) is exceptionally well preserved. Spectroscopic analysis using Synchrotron Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy suggests presence of degraded $$\upalpha$$ α -chitin in multiple areas of the cuticle, and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy supports the presence of organic preservation. This remarkable preservation is likely the result of several factors such as the favourable antimicrobial and physical shielding properties of Baltic amber as compared to other depositional media, coupled to rapid dehydration of the beetle early in its taphonomic process. We provide evidence that crack-out studies of amber inclusions, although inherently destructive of fossils, are an underutilised method for probing exceptional preservation in deep time.

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