30 Million-Year-Old Praying Mantis Preserved in Pristine Piece of Amber

30 Million-Year-Old Praying Mantis Is Preserved in Pristine Piece of Amber
mymodernmet.com...



Although this story is one from 2018, the actual auction of this item go back to 2016 which was sold for $6000. This amber with the mantis preserved inside originated from the Dominican Republic.

Amber from the Dominican Republic is known as Dominican resin, which is noted for its clarity and a high number of inclusions...Heritage Auctions dates the piece in question to the Oligocene period, placing it anywhere from about 23 million to 33.9 million years old.

But the earliest mantis fossils, which date back 135 million years, come from a place that is, today, much colder—Siberia. Some early fossils even show mantises with spines on their front legs, just like modern mantises.

Here is another picture of a preserved mantis from 1996.
Mantis


The really cool characteristic about the Dominican resin is it's very clear nature that allows you to see lots of details of those who got trapped in it. Like check out this scorpion that was also found encased it.

Scorpion preserved in amber, approximately 25 million years old, Dominican Republic

scorpion



There are so many insects that were found in amber all over the world..this one looked quite interesting nevertheless.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

That's pretty cool.

In another 30 million years they're going to find a person staring at their phone encased in amber.

The mantis seems a lot smaller than ours today.

But very cool to see this. Amber is so amazing in the way it preserves the bugs.
I have one at home with a small bug in it.

I'm also wondering why the mantis are so tiny? Maybe they are babies. Or a tiny species, but I thought prehistoric bugs were always giant sized.

Very cool and pretty fascinating pieces of amber!

a reply to: Skywatcher2011
30 million years old....Zero evolution....hmmmm...kinda tells you something doesn't it

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

This is what I posted in an older thread on the same subject. You can gauge the size of the amber piece:

I traced the amber piece back to its last sale, which was via Heritage Auctions for $6,000 in 2016.

It's actually smaller than how I imagined it to be from the OP image. Here is the description from Heritage Auction Website:

Amber with Inclusions
Hymenaea protera
Oligocene
Dominican Republic

This small lozenge size piece of Amber is water clear and pale yellow which makes it very easy to see the amazing ("praying") mantis preserved forever inside. The creature with its triangular head, bulging eyes, and flexible neck is clearly visible in the exceptional specimen of the fossilized tree resin. The insect with the unique characteristics is poetically singular in the otherwise pristine fossil remnant. A close-up photo of the bug gives further insight into this entombed mantis. This is a tiny specimen with a major inclusion.

Overall Measurements: 1.18 x 0.61 x 0.52 inches (3.00 x 1.56 x 1.32 cm)

[Scale: 1 inch, with mark at 1 cm]

Apparently, the buyer is open to offers via the same auction house.

originally posted by: watchitburn
a reply to: Skywatcher2011

That's pretty cool.

In another 30 million years they're going to find a person staring at their phone encased in amber.

And the "they"' you refer to won't be a human being perhaps.

originally posted by: chiefsmom
The mantis seems a lot smaller than ours today.

But very cool to see this. Amber is so amazing in the way it preserves the bugs.
I have one at home with a small bug in it.

A Baby or Adolescent Praying Mantis me thinks.

Ahhh, sweeeeet!

They grow after being born too.

originally posted by: OdinnsPapa
a reply to: Skywatcher2011
30 million years old....Zero evolution....hmmmm...kinda tells you something doesn't it

Yes, they are beings of happy survival not meglomanic conquest.

Here's my piece Weevil/Flea

originally posted by: nerbot

originally posted by: watchitburn
a reply to: Skywatcher2011

That's pretty cool.

In another 30 million years they're going to find a person staring at their phone encased in amber.

And the "they"' you refer to won't be a human being perhaps.

Orrrrrr, could be a future alien civilization! Who knows?! We sure as hell won't be here

It looks so cute and innocent!

originally posted by: nerbot

originally posted by: chiefsmom
The mantis seems a lot smaller than ours today.

But very cool to see this. Amber is so amazing in the way it preserves the bugs.
I have one at home with a small bug in it.

A Baby or Adolescent Praying Mantis me thinks.

Ahhh, sweeeeet!

They grow after being born too.

originally posted by: watchitburn
a reply to: Skywatcher2011

That's pretty cool.

In another 30 million years they're going to find a person staring at their phone encased in amber.

These scientists say 10,000 years is the maximum age for Earth relics.

en.wikipedia.org...#

Can they tell what kind of tree sap?

originally posted by: StokeGnar37
I'm also wondering why the mantis are so tiny? Maybe they are babies. Or a tiny species, but I thought prehistoric bugs were always giant sized.

Very cool and pretty fascinating pieces of amber!

Yeah , I seem to Recall they were Much Bigger in the 1950's ......................*)

a reply to: WeMustCare

Don't get them started!

originally posted by: chiefsmom
The mantis seems a lot smaller than ours today.

Oh, the amber in the photo is 16 feet tall...

a reply to: nerbot

Nah, it'll be the octopus people that inheret the world after we wipe ourselves out.

This is cool.
It would look super dope on a stand with a light underneath it.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

I have a piece of amber with a gnat in it.

That's all I could afford.