Ancient bugs found in 50-million-year-old Indian amber (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Katia Moskvitch
Science reporter, BBC News

More than 700 new species of ancient insect have been discovered in 50-million-year-old amber.

The discoveries come from some 150kg of amber produced by an ancient rainforest in India.

Scientists say in the journal PNAS that many insects are related to species from far-away corners of the world.

This means that, despite millions of years in isolation in the ocean, the region was a lot more biologically diverse than previously believed.

The amber, dubbed Cambay amber, was found in lignite mines in the Cambay Shale of the Indian state of Gujarat.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11618809

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/10/14/1007407107.abstract?sid=4c0486e0-97d7-4821-843f-d6894848ac14 (supporting info downloadable as a pdf file, even to nonsubscribers)

[FSogol]

1. Cool, thanks for posting. n/t

[Hosnon]

2. T-Rex time! nt.

[sakabatou]

3. So when are we gonna extract the dino DNA?

[Skittles]

4. this is SO cool

K&R!!!