|
Dominican Amber
Dominican amber is amber from the Dominican Republic derived from resin of the extinct tree '' Hymenaea protera''. Dominican amber differentiates itself from Baltic amber by being nearly always transparent, and it has a higher number of fossil inclusions. This has enabled the detailed reconstruction of the ecosystem of a long-vanished tropical forest.George Poinar, Jr. and Roberta Poinar, 1999. ''The Amber Forest: A Reconstruction of a Vanished World'', (Princeton University Press) Age The age of the amber has been controversial. A study in the early 1990s returned a date up to 40 million years old. However, other authors have suggested a date in the Miocene, around 20–15 million years old, based on marine microfossils found in the sediment the amber is contained in. Mining sites There are three main sites in the Dominican Republic where amber is found: ''La Cordillera Septentrional'', in the north, and ''Bayaguana'' and ''Sabana de la Mar'', in the east. In the northern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ant In Amber1
Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their geniculate (elbowed) Antenna (biology), antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists. Ants form Ant colony, colonies that range in size from a few dozen individuals often living in small Nature, natural cavities to highly organised colonies that may occupy large territories with sizeable nest that consist of millions of individuals or into the hundreds of millions in Ant supercolony, super colonies. Typical colonies consist of various castes of sterile, wingless females, most of which are workers (ergates), as well as soldiers (dinergates) and other specialised groups. Nearly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Amber
Blue amber is a rare variety of amber resin that exhibits a blue coloration. Blue amber has been most commonly found in the Dominican Republic—especially in the amber mines around the city of Santiago and, less commonly, in the eastern half of the country. In the modern age, it was discovered at about the same time as Dominican amber. Causes of coloration Vittorio Bellani and Enrico Giulotto at the University of Pavia, Italy, studied several amber specimens by means of optical absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. The resulting spectral analysis revealed that the emission and excitation spectra were similar in shape to those of diluted solutions of anthracene, perylene, and tetracene, and suggest that the fluorescent hydrocarbon responsible for the blueness is most likely perylene. Despite their findings, the presence of these aromatic hydrocarbons has not been confirmed in samples of blue amber. While all types of amber t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acanthostichus Hispaniolicus
''Acanthostichus hispaniolicus'' is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Dorylinae known from a group of possibly Miocene fossils found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. ''A. hispaniolicus'' is the first species of the ant genus '' Acanthostichus'' to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber, and is the only species of ''Acanthostichus'' found in the West Indies. History and classification ''Acanthostichus hispaniolicus'' is known from four fossils insects which are inclusions in a single, transparent chunk of Dominican amber. The amber was produced by the extinct '' Hymenaea protera'', which formerly grew on Hispaniola, across northern South America and up to southern Mexico. The amber specimens, numbers Do-5205-1, Do-5205-2, Do-5205-3, and Do-5205-4; which entomb the holotype and three paratypes, are currently preserved in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology collections at the in Stuttgart, Germany. The holotype and paratype fossils are composed of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parmelia Ambra
''Parmelia ambra'' is a fossilised species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Found in Dominican amber and described as a new species in 2000, the fossil has been used in subsequent studies of lichen evolution. Taxonomy The fossil was discovered in Dominican amber and formally described as a new species in 2000 by George Poinar Jr., Eric Peterson, and Jamie Platt. Because of its resemblance to modern-day members of '' Parmelia'', it has been placed provisionally in that genus, although the authors acknowledge that without sacrificing more of the specimen for analysis, it is impossible to assert this definitively. Based on what types of organisms are used for dating, Dominican amber dates from 15–20 million years ago (based on foraminifera fossils), to 30–45 million years (based on coccolith fossils). Because lichens are scarce in the fossil record, specimens like this are often used as calibration points for molecular clock analyses to improve understanding of li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roystonea Palaea
''Roystonea palaea'' is an extinct species of palm known from fossil flowers found in the early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola. The species is known from a single staminate flower and a single pistillate flower both preserved in the same piece of amber. The amber specimen bearing the holotype and paratype is currently deposited in the collections of the Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, as number "Sd–9–101", where it was studied and described by George Poinar. Poinar published his 2002 type description for ''R. palaea'' in the ''Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society'', Volume 139. The species' second name is taken from the Greek word ''palaios'' meaning "ancient". The amber specimen bearing the flowers was excavated from the La Toca mine northeast of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. Taxonomy ''R. palaea'' has been placed in the Arecoideae genus ''Roystonea'', which has ten modern genera native to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palaeoraphe
''Palaeoraphe'' is an extinct genus of palms, represented by one species, ''Palaeoraphe dominicana'' from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola, in the modern-day Dominican Republic. Discovery and naming The genus is known from a single, diameter, full flower. The holotype is currently deposited in the collections of the Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, as number "Sd–9–158", where it was studied and described by Dr George Poinar. Dr Poinar published his 2002 type description for ''Palaeoraphe'' in the ''Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society'' volume number 139. The genus name is a combination of the Greek word ''palaios'' meaning "ancient" and '' Raphia'' a genus of palm, while the species name ''dominicana'' references the Dominican Republic, where the fossil was discovered. The type specimen was excavated from the La Toca mine northeast of Santiago de los Caballeros. Taxonomy ''Palaeoraphe'' has been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trypanosoma Antiquus
''Trypanosoma antiquus'' is an extinct species of kinetoplastid (class Kinetoplastida), a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. The genus name is derived from the Greek ''trypano'' (borer) and ''soma'' (body) because of their corkscrew-like motion, and the species name from ''antiquua'' (old) reflecting the age of the specimen. All trypanosomes are heteroxenous (requiring more than one obligatory host in order to complete life cycle) or are transmitted through some variation of a vector. The species was described in 2005 by George Poinar Jr. in the journal Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Diseases from metatrypanosomes preserved in several fecal pellets encased in '' Hymenaea protera'' amber. The fossil was recovered in the Dominican Republic from early Miocene Burdigalian stage deposits on the island of Hispaniola. Included with the pellets and thought to be the origin for them, is the extinct kissing bug '' Triatoma dominicana''. This association is the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paleoleishmania Neotropicum
''Paleoleishmania'' is an extinct genus of kinetoplastids, a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. At present it is placed in the family Trypanosomatidae. The genus contains two species, the type species ''Paleoleishmania proterus'' and the later described ''Paleoleishmania neotropicum''. The genus is known from the Albian aged Burmese amber deposits of northern Myanmar and the Burdigalian aged Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola. Etymology The genus name ''Paleoleishmania'' is derived from the Greek ''paleo'' meaning "old" and ''leishmania'' referencing the modern Leishmaniasis-causing genus ''Leishmania''. All trypanosomes are heteroxenous (requiring more than one obligatory host in order to complete life cycle) or are transmitted through some variation of a vector. ''Paleoleishmania proterus'' The genus was described in 2004 by George Poinar Jr. and Robert Poinar in the journal ''Protist'' from amastigotes, promastigotes and pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Odontomachus Spinifer SMNSDO2215 Profile
''Odontomachus'' is a genus of ants commonly called trap-jaw ants found in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world. Overview Commonly known as trap-jaw ants, species in ''Odontomachus'' have a pair of large, straight mandibles capable of opening 180°. These jaws are locked in place by an internal mechanism, and can snap shut on prey or objects when sensory hairs on the inside of the mandibles are touched. The mandibles are powerful and fast, giving the ant its common name. The mandibles either kill or maim the prey, allowing the ant to bring it back to the nest. ''Odontomachus'' ants can simply lock and snap their jaws again if one bite is not enough, or to cut off bits of larger food. The mandibles also permit slow and fine movements for other tasks such as nest building and care of larvae. The ants were also observed to use their jaws as a catapult to eject intruders or fling themselves backwards to escape a threat. The larvae of trap-jaw ants are remarkable in be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anochetus Intermedius BMNHP-II33 01
''Anochetus'' is a genus of small, carnivorous ants found in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world. This genus is present in both the Old and New World and is certainly native to all continents except Antarctica and Europe. In Europe only a single species, ''Anochetus ghilianii'', has been found, and it is not certain it is native to its European range (Province of Cadiz and Gibraltar). However ''A. ghilianii'' is native to Morocco. ''Anochetus'' is of some note due to it being one of the relatively few genera that possess ''trap-jaws'', or specialized long mandibles that have a rapid closing mechanism. However, it is the only other genus, other than ''Odontomachus'' that uses the mandibles for predator evasion as well as prey capture. Species *'' Anochetus africanus'' (Mayr, 1865) *'' Anochetus agilis'' Emery, 1901 *'' Anochetus alae'' Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 *'' Anochetus altisquamis'' Mayr, 1887 *†''Anochetus ambiguus'' De Andrade, 1994 *'' Anochetus angolensi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Nacional, city center had a population of 1,029,110 while its Metropolitan area, the Greater Santo Domingo, had a population of 4,274,651. The city is coterminous with the boundaries of the Distrito Nacional (D.N.), itself bordered on three sides by Santo Domingo Province. Santo Domingo was founded in 1496 by the Spanish Empire and is the oldest continuously inhabited European colonization of the Americas, European settlement in the Americas. It was the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World, the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo is the site of the first university, cathedral, castle, monastery, and fortress in the New World. The city's Ciudad Colonial (Santo Domingo), Colonial Zone was declared as a World Herit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
