Prehistoric insects locked in amber now visible
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Secret ‘dino bugs’ revealed
It is like a magic trick - at first there is nothing and then it appears: a tiny insect unseen by any eye for 100 million years.
We are with Paul Tafforeau who is scrolling through images on his computer.
His pictures have been produced by a colossal X-ray machine that can illuminate the insides of small lumps of clouded amber (fossil tree resin).
As he plays with the settings, what starts out as grey nothingness suddenly becomes the unmistakable outline of a “wee beastie”.
Who knows? This little creature could once have buzzed a dinosaur. It’s certainly the right age.
Tafforeau is a palaeontologist. But whilst others of his profession will be in the dirt with a rock hammer and trowel, you’ll find him at the end of one of the most remarkable “cameras” in the world.
This should be quite a big deal in the world of insect paleontology & evolution. Since usually only bones and shells fossilize, the records of insects and other soft creatures is quite spotty. Assuming this technique is practical and economical, there’s a vast supply of amber in the world to examine. As a bonus, the remains are far, far better than typical fossils.
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