Arthropod entombment in weathering-formed opal: new horizons for recording life in rocks.

ABSTRACT: Animal fossils preserved in various geological materials, such as limestone, claystone, or amber, provide detailed information on extinct species that is indispensable for retracing the evolution of terrestrial life. Here, we present the first record of an animal fossil preserved in opal formed by weathering with such high-resolution details that even individual cuticle hairs are observed. The fossil consists of the exoskeleton of a nymphal insect belonging to the order Hemiptera and either the family Tettigarctidae or the Cicadidae. This identification is based on anatomical details such as the tibial and femoral morphology of the forelegs. The exoskeleton of the insect was primarily zeolitized during the alteration of the host rocks and later sealed in opal deposited by silica-rich fluid

SUBMITTER: Chauvire B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7324577 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature