amber
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Ancient bee trapped in amber
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A fossilized resin formed from prehistoric evergreens. Brownish-yellow and translucent, it is highly valued and can be easily cut and polished for ornamental purposes. Its chief scientific importance is that exquisitely preserved fossil insects up to 40 or 50 million years old have been found embedded in it. The main sources of amber are alluvial soils, in lignite beds, or around sea-shores, especially near the Baltic Sea.
Related categories
• GEOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE
• PALEONTOLOGY
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