Exceptional preservation of marine diatoms in upper Albian amber

Girard, Vincent; Martin, Simona Saint; Martin, Jean‐Paul Saint; Schmidt, Alexander R.; Struwe, Steffi; Perrichot, Vincent; Breton, Gérard; Néraudeau, Didier

doi:10.1130/g25009a.1

Cited by 39 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…One diatom associated with epicarideans brings further support for the marine or brackish lifestyle of these crustaceans rather than freshwater microhabitats. The occurrence of marine or brackish organisms in amber has been recorded previously from Albian-Cenomanian amber from Charentes (Girard et al, , 2009bMasure et al, 2013) and Miocene Mexican amber (Serrano-Sánchez et al, 2016). This may be explained by the intervention of wind sprays which could bring marine organisms onto resin flows, or tides which could transport them into ponds near the resin-producing trees, as suggested by Girard et al (2008Girard et al ( , 2009b.…”

Section: Micro-organismsmentioning

confidence: 71%

Upper Cretaceous amber from Vendée, north-western France: Age dating and geological, chemical, and palaeontological characteristics

Néraudeau

Perrichot

Batten³

et al. 2017

Cretaceous Research

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The Upper Cretaceous lignite deposits of La Garnache, Vendée (western France), consist of two lignitic clay series, Garnache 1 and Garnache 2, separated by a fault. The first series cropped out to the south of the fault during road works until 2002 but is now covered by an embankment. It has provided numerous pieces of amber containing arthropod and micro-organism inclusions. The second lignitic series, exposed to the north of the fault, is rich in fossil wood but devoid of amber. Palynological analysis of Garnache 1 revealed several Normapolles species belonging to the genera Atlantopollis, Complexiopollis, Osculapollis, Plicapollis and Trudopollis, but larger forms typical of Senonian deposits are absent. By contrast, Garnache 2 proved to be dominated taxonomically and numerically by spores (Appendicisporites, Camarozonosporites, Gleicheniidites, Patellasporites, Stereisporites), associated with a few gymnosperm (Cerebropollenites, Phyllocladidites, Classopollis) and angiosperm (Liliacidites, Retitricolpites and a single specimen of the Normapolles Complexiopollis) taxa. Garnache 1 is, therefore, younger than Garnache 2, the latter being clearly Cenomanian in age whereas Garnache 1 is more likely to be Turonian. Lignitic clay of Garnache 1 contains numerous translucent, orange to red, pieces of amber. Vendean amber is rich in aquatic arthropods, such as tanaids and epicarideans (Crustacea), as well as marine or brackish siliceous micro-organisms such as diatoms and sponge spicules. These aquatic inclusions indicate that resin-producing trees grew along and close to the seashore. The amber-bearing clay was deposited in a calm, estuarine or lagoonal, muddy environment.

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Section: Micro-organismsmentioning

confidence: 71%

Upper Cretaceous amber from Vendée, north-western France: Age dating and geological, chemical, and palaeontological characteristics

Néraudeau

Perrichot

Batten³

et al. 2017

Cretaceous Research

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“…The record of HBIs begins abruptly in the Turonian, and the specific date of 91.5 My obtained for HBIs has been used to calibrate molecular clocks by providing a constraint on the rate of diatom evolution (Sorhannus, 2007;Sorhannus and Fox, 2012). However, Girard et al (2009) recently reported the presence of fossilized diatoms assignable to the order Rhizosoleniales in Albian ambers dating to 98-99 My. This is older than the date specified by the HBI markers for the evolution of this taxonomic group.…”

Section: Highly Branched Isoprenoids Of Diatomsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lipidomics for Geochemistry

Pearson

2014

Treatise on Geochemistry

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“…This phenomenon is quite common on many kinds of amber fossils (Schlü ter and Sturmer, 1982;Martìnez-Delclò s et al, 2004;Martín-Gonzá lez et al, 2009). One of us (VG) observed pyritised frustules of the diatoms Hemiaulus, Melosira, and Stephanopyxis in mid-Cretaceous amber from southwestern France (Girard et al, 2008(Girard et al, , 2009b. In the studied sample, pyrite minerals are isolated or in small aggregates (2-3 crystals) in the amber matrix and they are not linked to a nucleus.…”

Section: Microstructurementioning

confidence: 90%