Ammonite in Burmese amber (!!!)

[Halichoeres]

So we all know amber is fossilized tree resin. How on earth, then, do you get an ammonite stuck in it? The authors of this paper outline several scenarios, but the one they find likeliest is that this is from a tree growing close to a shoreline or beach, and that the resin flowed over a small patch of sand, containing this tiny ammonite (18 mm across) and some small marine snails. It was probably already dead, judging by the fact that its aperture was already damaged and contained crushed shell fragments. So even with this incredible preservation, we still don't know what its soft anatomy looked like.



The tropical-conifer-living-near-a-beach scenario seems pretty reasonable considering this block of amber also contains marine isopods, marine snail shells, millipedes, mites, a spider, a cockroach, beetles, and wasps. You can check out photos of all of them in the paper, which is open access in Proceedings of the National Academy: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/05/09/1821292116

[Faelrin]

I got all excited to think we'd finally have a really good look at it outside of the shell, so a tad bit disappointing by it just being the shell. Then again that would probably be an unlikely scenario to begin with considering things (but who knows). So at least we have this, and I think this is the first time a shell is intact (I think), in a way, which is actually really fascinating in itself, aside from the fact it is a shell preserved within amber too, which I also think this is a first time discovery? Might not be, but surely for me anyways.

And I have to say that isopod looks really fascinating too, and definitely not something I'd ever think to see preserved in amber either (aside from this ammonite shell). Really glad that paper was open access, if to get a better look at those images.

[Ravonium]

So we all know amber is fossilized tree resin. How on earth, then, do you get an ammonite stuck in it?

I have a theory; maybe the ammonite shell was actually in a lake, and it ended up flying out of it while two dinosaurs were hav...I think you know where this is going    /s

In all seriousness, why are we getting lots of cool finds in this part of 2019? First, it was Callichimaera, then Ambopteryx and now this! I wonder what's going to be found next...

[Neosodon]

Cool find but would have been so much better if it captured the soft parts. It must have been a disapointment but given the liklihood that the amber would have fallen on a freshly washed up ammonite on the beach it should be unsuprising.

[Halichoeres]

So we all know amber is fossilized tree resin. How on earth, then, do you get an ammonite stuck in it?

I have a theory; maybe the ammonite shell was actually in a lake, and it ended up flying out of it while two dinosaurs were hav...I think you know where this is going    /s

In all seriousness, why are we getting lots of cool finds in this part of 2019? First, it was Callichimaera, then Ambopteryx and now this! I wonder what's going to be found next...

Good theory, although I think it's just as romantic if the dinosaurs were in the surf on the seashore.