A talk by Ricardo Perez de la Fuente, Senior Researcher of Natural History and Deputy Head of Research at the Museum

Amber, fossilised plant resin, is a fossiliferous material with unique properties that has fascinated humanity since prehistoric times. Amber does not become abundant until the Early Cretaceous, coinciding with a global warming period that promoted resin production in different groups of conifers.

Cretaceous amber is usually found in mudstones or sandstones related to delta-estuarine deposits, and it is often associated with charcoal and other plant matter. From the palaeontological standpoint, what makes amber special is that it offers an unmatched quality of preservation, and provides direct evidence on behaviours and interactions between organisms as the resin captured small portions of the palaeoecosystem almost instantly.

This talk will showcase how Spanish amber is gathered in the field and how its inclusions are prepared and studied in the laboratory through both classic and modern techniques. The study of Cretaceous amber and the bioinclusions preserved within provide valuable taxonomic, evolutionary, taphonomic, and palaeoecological data, such as on host-parasite or pollination relationships.

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