This a beautiful piece of amber with a Manipulator modificaputis, a super rare Predatory Cockroach from the late Cretaceous of Myanmar! The Roach shows fantastic preservation, complete and fully articulated segments and limbs with terrific detail! The amber is gorgeous orange citrine with great clarity! The amber's dimensions measure 16.2 x 12.7 x 6.8 millimeters and weighs .8 grams! It comes in a floating frame with a stand, blown up pictures of the inclusions, and detailed information for easy transport and a beautiful display!
Despite being a cockroach, several unusual characteristics set Manipulator modificaputis apart from other roaches. Long legs, a long neck, and a freely rotating head gave this roach an anatomy more like a mantis than other roaches, leading to speculation that it would be an active predator. Although the debate about it's diet is still ongoing.
Amber is petrified tree resin (not sap, resin is much thicker). It forms when trees secrete resin, and the resin is quickly washed away by water and deposited in a lake where it is covered by sediment (if the resin isn’t washed away it decomposes or gets eaten). Along the way, small particles of dust, bits of plant material, and even small animals like insects and lizards can become trapped in the resin which hardens and preserves whatever is trapped within (aka inclusions). Myanmar amber, also known as Burmite, is world renowned gem quality amber known for excellent inclusions of insects, plants, and even small vertebrates! The preservation in amber can be so good it inspired a major portion of Jurassic Park, where blood sucking insects trapped in amber provided the DNA needed to clone dinosaurs! While the science of cloning dinosaurs from amber is, for better or worse, not a reality the pristine fossils of small animals that are rarely fossilized in any other way is very real! Makes for a terrific addition to any fossil collection or even a gem for high end jewelry!
Fake Amber is a plague on the fossil market, this piece has been tested to guarantee authenticity!
I do combined shipping upon request.
All my items come with a Certificate of Authenticity!
Inclusions: Manipulator modificaputis
Size: 16.2 x 12.7 x 6.8 millimeters and weighs .8 grams
Clarity: Great
Color: Orange Citrine
Found: Hukawng Valley, Myanmar
Age: 99 million years old
Alteration: polished