Cretaceous African life captured in amber
An artists impression of tree ferns from the early Cretaceous period.
The oldest African records of spiders, wasps and ants are discovered in embedded in the first amber fossils found in Africa.
The amber, from Ethiopia, was dated to 93-95 million years ago, during the middle of the Cretaceous. An amazing variety of animals, plants and fungi are preserved inside the amber.
Harald Schneider, researcher in the Botany Department, contributed his expertise in the taxonomy of land plants identifying the botanical inclusions. Dr Schneider's findings are providing insights into the occurrence of fungi and plants, of the Cretaceous period. Identifying tiny stellate hairs resembling those of modern tree ferns
"This new discovery closes a major gap in our knowledge on the distribution of biodiversity of various lineages of organisms including plants, insects, and fungi around 100 million years ago,' says Dr Harald Schneider, botanist and expert in land plant biodiversity, at the Natural History Museum.
The inclusions in these fossil resins broaden our understanding of the ecological network of Cretaceous woodlands by providing
Cretaceous African life captured in amber
News item
First African amber reveals Cretaceous life - 30/04/2010
The first amber fossils from the African continent have been discovered giving clues to the evolution of animals and plants.
Toolbox
Researcher
Reference
Cretaceous African life captured in amber, PNAS 107(16): 7329 - 7334.