Phloem sap in Cretaceous ambers as abundant double emulsions preserving organic and inorganic residues.

ABSTRACT: Fossilized remains preserved in amber provide abundant data on the paleobiota surrounding the resin-producing plants, but relatively scarcer information about the resinous sources themselves. Here, dark pseudoinclusions in kidney-shaped amber pieces from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) amber from Spain are studied. This type of fossilized remain, abundant in Cretaceous ambers, was first interpreted as fossilized vacuole-bearing microorganisms, but later regarded as artifactual and probably secreted by the resinous trees, although their origin remained unclear. Using complementary microscopy (light, electron, confocal), spectroscopy (infrared, micro-Raman), mass spectrometry and elemental analysis techniques, we demonstrate that the pseudoinclusions correspond to droplets of phloem sap contai

SUBMITTER: Lozano RP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7297994 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature