Various amberground marine animals on Burmese amber with discussions on its age

Abstract

Burmese amber represents the world’s most diverse biota in the Mesozoic. Previous studies have focused on the biodiversity of its inclusions, as well as pholadid borings. Here we report a variety of marine animals symbiotic with or adhere to Burmese amber or the amber deposits, including crinoid columns, corals and oysters. We propose that there is no distinct evidence indicating the secondary transportation of Burmese amber over long distances. The ancient sedimentary environment was likely located in the coastal area. The hardening time of the resin was not long after secretion. The resin has been mixed with fragments of marine organisms in the ancient sediments, and has been deposited for a long time. The zircon age in the sediments surrounding amber approximately represents the age of Burmese amber, but due to limits of the method, the current zircon U-Pb SIMS age may be younger. Therefore, as far as the situation is concerned, the age of Burmese amber may be close to the boundary between the Albian and Cenomanian, or even late Albian. We suggest that it is plausible to generally refer to the age of Burmese amber as mid-Cretaceous, and a precise age requires further biostratigraphic and chronological studies.