Burmese amber, which comes from northern Myanmar, is known for containing the most diverse biota of all known Cretaceous ambers, with over 500 families of invertebrates, vertebrates, protists, plants, and fungi having been reported [1]. In the past two decades, there has been a resurgence in the study of Burmese amber, making it the most important amber from the Cretaceous period [2].
Research based on amber has developed significantly in the past decade and is becoming increasingly multidisciplinary, with the integration of new methodological approaches and new fossil discoveries. This research has focused on ancient ecosystems preserved in Cretaceous ambers, based on the review of exceptional plants and other organisms [3].
However, the absence of physical remains of soft-bodied species, such as sea anemones, in the fossil record creates gaps in our understanding of ancient ecosystems. This gap in knowledge can have an impact on predicting modern ecosystem responses to a changing climate [4].
Despite this challenge, researchers have made remarkable discoveries by analyzing Burmese amber. For example, an ammonite was discovered in Burmese amber, which provides supporting evidence for the age of the amber and indicates that the Burmese amber forest was living near a dynamic and shifting coastal environment [5].
Burmese amber is also a valuable source for the study of ancient food webs, which is being reconstructed to better understand past ecosystems. A paleoentomologist has amassed a 30,000-piece collection of plants and insects in Burmese amber, which has provided valuable insights into ancient food webs and forest ecosystems [6]. Single pieces of amber with multiple inclusions have also been studied to understand some aspects of the structure of ancient food webs [9].
Reconstructing prehistoric food webs and analyzing the diverse interactions of humans with other species, the ecologist Jennifer Dunne is developing a new understanding of sustainability through network science. Her work includes the study of Burmese amber and the ancient food webs it preserves [10].
In summary, Burmese amber is a valuable source for reconstructing ancient food webs and understanding past ecosystems, but the absence of physical remains of soft-bodied species in the fossil record creates some challenges. Nonetheless, researchers have made remarkable discoveries by analyzing Burmese amber, and the study of this enigmatic amber continues to evolve, providing valuable insights into ancient ecosystems.
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References:
[1] "Burmese amber (from northern Myanmar) contains the most diverse biota of all known Cretaceous ambers ( 13, 14 ). Over the last 100 years, and particularly in the past two decades, Burmese amber has received worldwide scientific interest; more than 500 families of invertebrates, vertebrates, protists, plants, and fungi have been reported ( 15 )."
URL: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1821292116
[2] "The rise of Burmese amber Until relatively recently, Burmese amber was regarded as one of the rarer and lesser-known ambers. However, a resurgence in the study of this enigmatic amber over the past two decades means that it has become the most important amber from the Cretaceous Period (66-145 million years ago)."
URL: https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/natural-sciences/burmese-amber/
[3] "Moreover, research based on amber has greatly developed in the past decade and is becoming increasingly multidisciplinary, with the integration of new methodological approaches and new fossil discoveries. This special issue will focus on the ancient ecosystems preserved in Cretaceous ambers based on the review of the exceptional plants and ..."
URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/cretaceous-research/special-issue/10TR6MT2DC4
[4] "New research explains how our knowledge of ancient food webs is biased and the impact it has on predicting modern ecosystems response to a changing climate. The absence of the physical remains of soft-bodied species, such as sea anemones, in the fossil record creates huge gaps in our understanding of ancient ecosystems, Yale researchers say."
URL: https://news.yale.edu/2021/02/03/catching-gaps-ancient-food-webs
[5] "Our discovery indicates that the Burmese amber forest was living near a dynamic and shifting coastal environment. The ammonite also provides supporting evidence for the age of the amber,..."
URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333087285_An_ammonite_trapped_in_Burmese_amber
[6] "Then he starts to pull out bags of labeled insects in amber. Rare vertebrates may be the charismatic megafauna of Burmese amber, but invertebrates rule in numbers and diversity. Wang, a paleoentomologist, has amassed a 30,000-piece collection of plants and insects in Burmese amber, many bought here with funds from his institution."
URL: https://www.science.org/content/article/fossils-burmese-amber-offer-exquisite-view-dinosaur-times-and-ethical-minefield
[7] "Archaeoecology best practices include building food webs from the bottom up (a), connecting them in a human centered food chain (b), and creating food web networks to chart flows of..."
URL: https://phys.org/news/2021-05-ancient-food-webs-sustainable-futures.html
[8] "Burmese amber is the hottest property in palaeontology, stuffed full of incredible fossils from 100 million years ago, including dinosaurs and birds (see Blood amber: The exquisite trove of..."
URL: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24232283-300-it-is-time-to-bring-global-attention-to-the-trade-in-burmese-amber/
[9] "Single amber pieces with more than one inclusion have been studied with the goal of understanding some aspects of the structure of ancient food webs 15, 24, 25 . The description of single ..."
URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237415352_A_unique_piece_of_amber_and_the_complexity_of_ancient_forest_ecosystems
[10] "She Finds Clues to Future Sustainability in Old Food Webs. By reconstructing prehistoric food webs and analyzing the diverse interactions of humans with other species, the ecologist Jennifer Dunne is developing a new understanding of sustainability through network science. The ecologist Jennifer Dunne explores the networks of interconnections ..."
URL: https://www.quantamagazine.org/with-food-webs-jennifer-dunne-puts-humans-back-into-ecology-20190321/
Current date: 2/28/2023
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Query: Burmese Amber: Reconstructing Ancient Food Webs and Understanding Past Ecosystems
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