Charentese amber

Charentese amber is a type of amber that is found in sediments in the Charente-Maritime area of France. It dates to the late Albian to early Cenomanian stages of the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 million years ago. Charentese amber has been known since the early 19th century and was originally referred to as succin, succinic resin, or retinasphalt.^[1] The amber is known for its high quality and preservation of inclusions, such as insects, plant debris and other organisms.^[2] It is a valuable resource for paleontologists and other scientists studying the biodiversity of ancient ecosystems.^[3] The amber is often, but not always, opaque, requiring the usage of X-ray microtomography in order to observe specimens.^[4][3]

Charentese amber has unique geochemical properties such as high content of succinic acid, and a unique ratio of stable isotopes C13/C12, which make it a valuable tool for geochemical and climatic reconstructions of Cretaceous period.^[5]

See also

• List of types of amber

References

1. Penney, David (2010). Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits. Siri Scientific Press. ISBN 978-0-9558636-4-6.
2. "Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits". Siri Scientific Press. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
3. Tihelka, Erik; Peris, David; Cai, Chenyang; Perrichot, Vincent (2022-01-20). "A Jacobson's beetle from Cretaceous Charentese amber (Coleoptera: Jacobsoniidae)". Geodiversitas. 44 (3). doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2022v44a3. ISSN 1280-9659. S2CID 246297785.
4. Tihelka, Erik; Huang, Diying; Perrichot, Vincent; Cai, Chenyang (November 2021). Labandeira, Conrad (ed.). "A previously missing link in the evolution of dasytine soft-winged flower beetles from Cretaceous Charentese amber (Coleoptera, Melyridae)". Papers in Palaeontology. 7 (4): 1753–1764. doi:10.1002/spp2.1360. ISSN 2056-2799. S2CID 234862770.
5. Aquilina, Luc; Girard, Vincent; Henin, Odile; Bouhnik-Le Coz, Martine; Vilbert, David; Perrichot, Vincent; Néraudeau, Didier (2013). "Amber inorganic geochemistry: New insights into the environmental processes in a Cretaceous forest of France". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 369: 220–227. Bibcode:2013PPP...369..220A. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.10.023.