Geology Seminar Series - Dr Ryan McKeller, Royal Saskatchewan Museum - Using amber to explore Cretaceous ecosystems and tissue preservation

Title: Using amber to explore Cretaceous ecosystems and tissue preservation

Location: CW 237.3

Time: 4-5 pm CST, Wednesday, 19 Oct 2022

Abstract: Amber, or fossilized plant resin, offers researchers an opportunity to examine organisms preserved with a level of detail rarely encountered in the fossil record. This exquisite preservation has made Cretaceous amber deposits a major source of information, shaping our understanding of how insects evolved, as well as the diversification and biogeographic events that have led to modern insect faunas. However, recent work has demonstrated that the usefulness of amber extends beyond its ability to preserve insects. This material records a much wider range of soft tissues and fragile organisms, and the resin surrounding inclusions can often tell us a little bit about the plant groups and ecological conditions that existed in ancient forests. Together, we will examine some of the research being done on amber deposits found alongside dinosaur bonebeds and across the end-Cretaceous extinction event in North America. This line of research combines data from resin chemistry, stable isotope compositions, and the study of inclusions to complement traditional palaeontological approaches in these settings. We will also examine how recent discoveries of vertebrate inclusions in amber have impacted our understanding of feathers, soft tissues, and small-bodied animals that are rarely preserved elsewhere. Finally, we will examine how new synchrotron-based imaging and analytical techniques are expanding our understanding of the organisms and tissues preserved in amber deposits.