You Can Make Amber Fossils in 24 Hours, Instead of Millions of Years

Amber has been cleared all over the world as a jewelry and a ship for prehistoric remains, with rare samples that maintain old water, air bubbles, Plantsand Insects Or even Birds.

Amber is usually formed over millions of years as a fossil of tree resins, but fossil scientists have started to do so, creating amber -like fossils from a pine resin in 24 hours. This technique can help detect the biochemistry of amber during its formation, a process that will remain hidden in prehistoric fog.

Posted on Monday in Scientific magazine reportsThe results of the fast experiment are closer to a meal made in the pressure cook. “It is similar to the control of Instapot,” said Ivan Saita, a co -researcher in the field of field in Chicago and a co -author of the paper.

The pine pine pine is started from the Chicago Plant Park. Dr. Saita and his author, Thomas Kai, the independent excavation world, developed semi -inch deposits that were included in a device that Mr. Kai created using a medical pill compressor, air cans and other engraved parts.

By heating and pressing the samples, researchers were trying to simulate deformities, and the slow and wet chemical transformation required before the sediments were combined into the rocks.

Dr. Saita said: “The distortion is the final obstacle you need to become fossil.” “It is a kind of final president.”

Some of the samples produced by researchers were incomplete, but some physical properties of amber, such as dark coloring, fracture lines, drought and increased shine.

The two also realized that they started with the wrong pine family. Amber is often taught in fossil science, which is Sciadopitys, which is a group of trees Only the living is the Japanese canopy.

Maria McKina, a fossil scientist at College Cork University in Ireland, who did not participate in the study, said future experiences should test the types of additional plants.

“What we really want to deal with is the resins that touch faster,” she said. She also indicated that the chemical analysis of the accelerated amber was necessary to know how near – or not – was for real things. She said, “Rating has survived the tree, but we need a suitable and complete chemical description.”

For all the study restrictions, Dr. McKinama said that the simulation hole was an increasingly important research. Some excavation scientists re -created Bone decomposition To explore microbial effects. In her laboratory, researchers “Thermal maturity “samples To investigate the preservation of biological molecules under heat.

Without such simulation, “We only trust in the fossil registry,” she said. “Experiences help us know the truth from imagination and determine the extent of lying, the fossil record.”

Dr. Saita has tried other simulations. In 2018, burial Vinch In wet sediments to see how it will be pressed. This was chaotic and unclean. But after working with Mr. Kaye on the Comkoker Pressure, they have achieved more success in studying the early stages of the hole Leaves, feathers and lizards. With these samples, the keratin in a feather, for example, was raised far away, leaving a dark melanin -like imprint similar to a fossil feather. (In the conferences, Dr. Saita said that he loves to test other excavation scientists to discover the visual difference between real simulation and excavation.)

In future amber experiences, Dr. Saita aims to include insects, feathers or plants in the resin. One of the reasons why this is useful is that real samples are of value – some trade for thousands of dollars – which makes the devastating analysis not possible. Dr. Saita said: “The insect preserved in the artificial amber will not be precious, because it will be made by the laboratory.”

Researchers are also planning to adapt their technology to record organic materials and simulate geological weathering. This would capture more realistic more stages than fossils.

Dr. Saita said that experimental excavation techniques may even allow scientists to explore future fossils. How will it be Anthroposin life The hole? What will happen for tissues or bones filled with heavy or industrial minerals?

Here we will not be millions of years from now to discover it. But with a koker -like device, we may approach.