The history of amber and its trade in Lebanon dates back to ancient times,during the Phoenician civilization.Amber in Lebanon can be found in over 450 outcrops,comprising approximately 10%of the country’s land.Some o...The history of amber and its trade in Lebanon dates back to ancient times,during the Phoenician civilization.Amber in Lebanon can be found in over 450 outcrops,comprising approximately 10%of the country’s land.Some of these outcrops are Late Jurassic(Kimmeridgian)in age,while the majority are Early Cretaceous(early Barremian).The Early Cretaceous amber found in Lebanon is the oldest amber with extensive biological inclusions,making it a crucial source of knowledge regarding continental palaeobiodiversity during the Early Cretaceous period.This period is widely recognized as witnessing the first occurrence and early evolution of angiosperms,representing a critical time for the co-evolution between flowering plants and insects.In Lebanese amber,biological inclusions often serve as records of the earliest representatives of modern living insect families or the youngest ones for extinct families.展开更多
An amber-bearing lignitic layer of sandy clay from the Lower Cretaceous of Central Lebanon (Mderej-Hammana)yielded a well-preserved,moderately variegated palynoflora,which origin is mixed between land plants and mar...An amber-bearing lignitic layer of sandy clay from the Lower Cretaceous of Central Lebanon (Mderej-Hammana)yielded a well-preserved,moderately variegated palynoflora,which origin is mixed between land plants and marine microflora.Its detailed analysis led to fulfill its inventory,to propose a paleoenvironmental reconstruction,and to draw the paleoclimate which prevailed over the region:an estuarian area under a rather humid,temperate climate;a variety of ferns grew near the shore-side and in the inward land.A tiny piece of amber containing angiospermous pollen grains of stratigraphical interest allows a precise dating.The marine microflora,poorly diversified,includes chitinous foraminifer linings and dinoflagellate cysts,among which Early Aptian guide taxa are present;their occurrence slightly narrows the stratigraphical range indicated by some palynological taxa which are related to land plants.展开更多
Representatives of the extinct psocid family Empheriidae are known from Eocene Baltic amber, Lowermost Eocene French amber (Oise), and Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber (Alava). We report herein the first discovery o...Representatives of the extinct psocid family Empheriidae are known from Eocene Baltic amber, Lowermost Eocene French amber (Oise), and Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber (Alava). We report herein the first discovery of an empheriid psocid from the Cretaceous amber of New Jersey as Jerseyempheria grimaldii gen. et sp. nov. The fossil is figured and described. The new species is distinguished from related taxa. A discussion and checklist of Empheriidae are provided.展开更多
A new genus and species of Rhachiberothidae, Raptorapax terribilissima gen. et sp. nov. from the Cretaceous amber of Lebanon is described. The new genus is assigned to the subfamily Paraberothinae. The new material co...A new genus and species of Rhachiberothidae, Raptorapax terribilissima gen. et sp. nov. from the Cretaceous amber of Lebanon is described. The new genus is assigned to the subfamily Paraberothinae. The new material confirms the great diversity of the group in the Cretaceous age and its decrease in diversity in recent times.展开更多
A hemipteran nymph of the sternorrhynchan lineage, placed in the family Protopsyllidiidae is the first found in the fossil record, based on an inclusion in amber from the Lower Cretaceous of Hammana / Mdeyrij, Abeih F...A hemipteran nymph of the sternorrhynchan lineage, placed in the family Protopsyllidiidae is the first found in the fossil record, based on an inclusion in amber from the Lower Cretaceous of Hammana / Mdeyrij, Abeih Formation, Central Lebanon. Based on distinctive features such as a median dorsal elevation and the presence of a large, conical, exposed, setiferous anal tube, the fossil is placed in Talaya batraba gen. et sp. nov. and the newly erected taxon is compared to known nymphs of extinct Protopsyllidiidae. The evolutionary traits of the family and its relatives are considered.展开更多
Reports of amber predating the Lower Cretaceous are unusual and scarce; they mostly refer to amber pieces of millimetric dimension. In the present study, we report the discovery of 10 new outcrops of Jurassic amber in...Reports of amber predating the Lower Cretaceous are unusual and scarce; they mostly refer to amber pieces of millimetric dimension. In the present study, we report the discovery of 10 new outcrops of Jurassic amber in Lebanon. Some of these had large centimetric-sized pieces of amber. The new localities are described, amber is characterized, and its infrared spectra given. Although the new Jurassic amber yielded to date no more than fungal inclusions, this material is significant and promising. The discovery, of several Jurassic outcrops provides crucial information on the prevailing paleoenvironment of that time.展开更多
文摘The history of amber and its trade in Lebanon dates back to ancient times,during the Phoenician civilization.Amber in Lebanon can be found in over 450 outcrops,comprising approximately 10%of the country’s land.Some of these outcrops are Late Jurassic(Kimmeridgian)in age,while the majority are Early Cretaceous(early Barremian).The Early Cretaceous amber found in Lebanon is the oldest amber with extensive biological inclusions,making it a crucial source of knowledge regarding continental palaeobiodiversity during the Early Cretaceous period.This period is widely recognized as witnessing the first occurrence and early evolution of angiosperms,representing a critical time for the co-evolution between flowering plants and insects.In Lebanese amber,biological inclusions often serve as records of the earliest representatives of modern living insect families or the youngest ones for extinct families.
基金a contribution to the scientific project "The Study of the Fossil Insects in Lebanon and their Outcrops:Geology of the Outcrops - Historical and Biodiversity Evolution" the team project:"Biodiversity:Origin,Structure, Evolution and Geology" financed by the Lebanese University to the first author(DA)
文摘An amber-bearing lignitic layer of sandy clay from the Lower Cretaceous of Central Lebanon (Mderej-Hammana)yielded a well-preserved,moderately variegated palynoflora,which origin is mixed between land plants and marine microflora.Its detailed analysis led to fulfill its inventory,to propose a paleoenvironmental reconstruction,and to draw the paleoclimate which prevailed over the region:an estuarian area under a rather humid,temperate climate;a variety of ferns grew near the shore-side and in the inward land.A tiny piece of amber containing angiospermous pollen grains of stratigraphical interest allows a precise dating.The marine microflora,poorly diversified,includes chitinous foraminifer linings and dinoflagellate cysts,among which Early Aptian guide taxa are present;their occurrence slightly narrows the stratigraphical range indicated by some palynological taxa which are related to land plants.
基金the ANR project: AMBRACE(BLAN 07-1-184190) and to the scientific project‘The Study of the Fossil Insects in Lebanon and their Outcrops: Geology of the Outcrops-Historical and Biodiversity Evolution' financed by the Lebanese University to the first author(DA)the National Research Council of Argentina(CONICET) for the funds provided for this research: grant PIP 6393,PIP 11420090100377 and BEJI
文摘Representatives of the extinct psocid family Empheriidae are known from Eocene Baltic amber, Lowermost Eocene French amber (Oise), and Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber (Alava). We report herein the first discovery of an empheriid psocid from the Cretaceous amber of New Jersey as Jerseyempheria grimaldii gen. et sp. nov. The fossil is figured and described. The new species is distinguished from related taxa. A discussion and checklist of Empheriidae are provided.
基金a contribution to the ANR project: AMBRACE(BLAN 07-1-184190)the scientific project‘The Study of the Fossil Insects in Lebanon and their Outcrops: Geology of the Outcrops - Historical and Biodiversity Evolution' financed by the Lebanese University to DA.JFP thanks the National Research Council of Argentina(CONICET) for the funds provided for this research:grant PIP 6393,PIP 11420090100377 and BEJI
文摘A new genus and species of Rhachiberothidae, Raptorapax terribilissima gen. et sp. nov. from the Cretaceous amber of Lebanon is described. The new genus is assigned to the subfamily Paraberothinae. The new material confirms the great diversity of the group in the Cretaceous age and its decrease in diversity in recent times.
文摘A hemipteran nymph of the sternorrhynchan lineage, placed in the family Protopsyllidiidae is the first found in the fossil record, based on an inclusion in amber from the Lower Cretaceous of Hammana / Mdeyrij, Abeih Formation, Central Lebanon. Based on distinctive features such as a median dorsal elevation and the presence of a large, conical, exposed, setiferous anal tube, the fossil is placed in Talaya batraba gen. et sp. nov. and the newly erected taxon is compared to known nymphs of extinct Protopsyllidiidae. The evolutionary traits of the family and its relatives are considered.
基金the project"The Study of the Fossil Insects and their Outcrops in Lebanon:Geology of the Outcrops-Historical and Biodiversity Evolution",which received a grant by the Lebanese University(to DA and RG)
文摘Reports of amber predating the Lower Cretaceous are unusual and scarce; they mostly refer to amber pieces of millimetric dimension. In the present study, we report the discovery of 10 new outcrops of Jurassic amber in Lebanon. Some of these had large centimetric-sized pieces of amber. The new localities are described, amber is characterized, and its infrared spectra given. Although the new Jurassic amber yielded to date no more than fungal inclusions, this material is significant and promising. The discovery, of several Jurassic outcrops provides crucial information on the prevailing paleoenvironment of that time.