title: A microworld in Triassic amber.
abstract: Amber provides an effective medium for conservation of soft-bodied microorganisms, but finds older than 135 million years are very rare and have not so far contained any microbial inclusions. Here we describe 220-million-year-old droplets of amber containing bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoans that are assignable to extant genera. These inclusions provide insight into the evolution and palaeoecology of Lower Mesozoic microorganisms: it seems that the basal levels of food webs of terrestrial communities (biocoenoses) have undergone little or no morphological change from the Triassic to the Recent.
authors.affiliation: Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany. alexander.schmidt@museum.hu-berlin.de
authors.forename: Alexander R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ragazzi
authors.forename: Olimpia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Coppellotti
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roghi
mesh_terms: D018647:Amber; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044822:Biodiversity; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005580:Fossils; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008829:Microbiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018647:Amber