This a beautiful piece of amber with a rare Hell Ant (Haidomyrmecinae) from the late Cretaceous of Myanmar! The Ant shows great preservation, complete and fully articulated segments, limbs, and antennae with terrific detail! The amber is gorgeous gold citrine with great clarity! The amber's dimensions measure 19.6 x 12.4 x 5.2 millimeters and weighs .61 grams! The Hell Ant measures about 6 mm stretched out which is very large for an insect in amber! 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!
At 99 million years old, burmite ants are among the oldest if not the oldest ant fossils in the world, dating to the time when ants as a family (Formicidae) first evolved! Most are almost identical to ants found all over the world today. Among these modern looking ants, however, was a rare and horrifying subfamily of ants that looked like it came from another world. This subfamily called Haidomyrmecinae are commonly known as the “Hell Ants”. These ants were distinguished from other groups by the various horns and protrusions coming out of their heads as well as large mandibles that were positioned vertically on their face instead of jutting out, making these ants look more like a demonic creature from a video game than a typical ant!
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!
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All my items come with a Certificate of Authenticity!
Inclusions: Hell Ant (Haidomyrmecinae)
Size: 19.6 x 12.4 x 5.2 millimeters and weighs .61 grams
Clarity: great
Color: Gold Citrine
Found: Hukawng Valley, Myanmar
Age: 99 million years old
Alteration: polished