Burmese amber is well known for preserving fossils in exquisite details. This amber is dated to around 100 million years old, representing the Albian - Cenomanian ages of the Cretaceous period, so would have been deposited whilst non-avian dinosaurs still walked the land.
Fossils preserved in this amber include representatives from numerous different groups including arachnids, insects, vertebrates, and plants. Whilst the amber itself (as fossilised tree sap/resin) is produced in a terrestrial environment, some marine species have been caught up in amber. This includes such animals as ostracods, snails and surprisingly even an ammonite!
In the first part of this series, we speak to Dr Javier Luque, Harvard University, about the discovery of a crab in amber. We put this discovery in context by first examining what crabs are, before turning our attention to their fossil record. In the next episode, we'll take a look at the details of the discovery.
Following on from this, we will discuss the political situation in Myanmar and question whether or not working with Burmese amber is currently ethical.
Episode 160: An introduction to Evolutionary Biology
Episode 159: An Introduction to Palaeontology
200 Years of Dinos
Episode 158: Ceoptera evansae
Episode 157: The Carnegie Diplodocus
Life On Our Planet 8.4 - Dan Tapster
Life On Our Planet 8.3 - Sophie Lanfear
Life On Our Planet 8.2 - Prof. Danielle Schreve
Life On Our Planet 8.1 - Introduction
Life On Our Planet 7.3 - Darren Williams
Life On Our Planet 7.2 - Prof. Christine Janis
Life On Our Planet 7.1 - Introduction
Life On Our Planet 6.4 - Dr Anjan Bhullar
Life On Our Planet 6.3 - Edd Dyer
Life On Our Planet 6.2 - Dr Anjan Bhullar
Life On Our Planet 6.1 - Introduction
Life On Our Planet 5.3 - Dr Anjan Bhullar
Life On Our Planet 5.2 - Barny Revill
Life On Our Planet 5.1 - Introduction
Life On Our Planet 4.3 - Prof. Peter Falkingham
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