385-Million-Year-Old Amber Found in China

Paleontologists in China discovered 241 tiny pieces of amber within a coal seam in the Xinjiang region, dating back approximately 385 million years to the Middle Devonian epoch. The amber, extracted by hand under a microscope, is translucent to opaque and ranges in color from pale yellow to dark brown. This discovery pushes back the earliest confirmed amber record by 65 million years.

The chemical analysis of the amber indicates it shares similarities with resin produced by modern conifers, but predates the evolution of seed plants. Researchers believe the resin likely originated from progymnosperms or tree-like lycopsids, both non-seed plants found in the same geological formation. The amber’s composition suggests early resin served to seal wounds and protect against fungal infections, potentially driven by the prevalence of wildfires at the time.

This finding challenges the long-held assumption that resin production was exclusive to seed plants and offers new insight into the evolution of biochemical mechanisms in vascular plants. Further research could pinpoint the exact plant source of the amber.