Charentese amber explained

Charentese amber is a type of amber that is found in sediments in the Charente-Maritime area of France. It dates to the late Albian to early Cenomanian stages of the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 million years ago. Charentese amber has been known since the early 19th century and was originally referred to as succin, succinic resin, or retinasphalt.^[1] The amber is known for its high quality and preservation of inclusions, such as insects, plant debris and other organisms.^[2] It is a valuable resource for paleontologists and other scientists studying the biodiversity of ancient ecosystems.^[3] The amber is often, but not always, opaque, requiring the usage of X-ray microtomography in order to observe specimens.^[4]

Charentese amber has unique geochemical properties such as high content of succinic acid, and a unique ratio of stable isotopes C13/C12, which make it a valuable tool for geochemical and climatic reconstructions of Cretaceous period.^[5]

See also

• List of types of amber

Notes and References

1. Book: Penney, David . Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits . 2010 . Siri Scientific Press . 978-0-9558636-4-6 . en.
2. Web site: Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits . 2023-01-27 . Siri Scientific Press.
3. Tihelka . Erik . Peris . David . Cai . Chenyang . Perrichot . Vincent . 2022-01-20 . A Jacobson's beetle from Cretaceous Charentese amber (Coleoptera: Jacobsoniidae) . Geodiversitas . 44 . 3 . 10.5252/geodiversitas2022v44a3 . 246297785 . 1280-9659. free .
4. Tihelka . Erik . Huang . Diying . Perrichot . Vincent . Cai . Chenyang . November 2021 . Labandeira . Conrad . A previously missing link in the evolution of dasytine soft‐winged flower beetles from Cretaceous Charentese amber (Coleoptera, Melyridae) . Papers in Palaeontology . en . 7 . 4 . 1753–1764 . 10.1002/spp2.1360 . 234862770 . 2056-2799.
5. Aquilina . Luc . Girard . Vincent . Henin . Odile . Bouhnik-Le Coz . Martine . Vilbert . David . Perrichot . Vincent . Néraudeau . Didier . 2013 . Amber inorganic geochemistry: New insights into the environmental processes in a Cretaceous forest of France . Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology . en . 369 . 220–227 . 10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.10.023. 2013PPP...369..220A .