Other editions of book Amber

Amber is an engaging overview of this natural substance. It also explores how the fossilized inclusions trapped in the golden resin of spruce trees provide a superb record of prehistoric species and habitats. Lavishly illustrated throughout, this book includes all the current knowledge and ongoing research, such as: How amber is formed from the resin of ancient trees The fascinating process by which amber preserves natural specimens The secrets amber can reveal Types of amber Where amber can be found The role of amber in science and art Practical advice on how to distinguish genuine amber from fakes Recent discoveries and developments Exclusive and particularly valuable features of the book include: Stunning and previously unpublished photographs of specimens from the collection of the Natural History Museum in London Detailed illustrated identification keys to the most common insect inclusions The storied search for DNA in insect inclusions in amber Amber brings the study of this fascinating substance and its secrets within reach of any reader, and it will particularly fascinate rock hounds, fossil and gem enthusiasts, hobbyists and jewelry designers.

Amber has captured the human imagination for centuries, as amulets, ritual cups, and beads dating back 10,000 years attest. It is a fascinating substance, one that offers a unique intersection of the fields of paleontology, botany, entomology, and mineralogy. The fossilized resin of ancient trees, amber preserves organic material--most commonly insects and other invertebrates--and with it the shape and surface detail that are usually obliterated or hopelessly distorted during the mineralization we associate with fossils. To look at an ant or a bee caught in amber is to look not at an organism that has been turned to stone, but at the actual remains of an insect that lived hundreds of millions of years ago, remains that retain an uncanny semblance of life. Amber also offers clues to the evolution of certain behaviors, capturing such interactions as parasitism--a fruit fly with a parasitic mite still attached to it--or mutualism--a bubble of gas indicating the presence of beneficial bacteria in the gut of a termite. Unique to this book are identification keys to the most common insect inclusions as well as practical advice on how to identify all-too-common fakes. Amber will bring the study of this and its inclusions within reach of anyone with access to amber and a good magnifying glass.

A comprehensive introduction to amber and all its uses. Amber is an engaging overview of this natural substance. It also explores how the fossilized inclusions trapped in the golden resin of spruce trees provide a superb record of prehistoric species and habitats. Lavishly illustrated throughout, this book includes all the current knowledge and ongoing research, such as: How amber is formed from the resin of ancient trees The fascinating process by which amber preserves natural specimens The secrets amber can reveal Types of amber Where amber can be found The role of amber in science and art Practical advice on how to distinguish genuine amber from fakes Recent discoveries and developments Exclusive and particularly valuable features of the book include: Stunning and previously unpublished photographs of specimens from the collection of the Natural History Museum in London Detailed illustrated identification keys to the most common insect inclusions The storied search for DNA in insect inclusions in amber Amber brings the study of this fascinating substance and its secrets within reach of any reader, and it will particularly fascinate rock hounds, fossil and gem enthusiasts, hobbyists and jewelry designers.

A comprehensive introduction to amber and all its uses. Amber is an engaging overview of this natural substance. It also explores how the fossilized inclusions trapped in the golden resin of spruce trees provide a superb record of prehistoric species and habitats. Lavishly illustrated throughout, this book includes all the current knowledge and ongoing research, such as: How amber is formed from the resin of ancient trees The fascinating process by which amber preserves natural specimens The secrets amber can reveal Types of amber Where amber can be found The role of amber in science and art Practical advice on how to distinguish genuine amber from fakes Recent discoveries and developments Exclusive and particularly valuable features of the book include: Stunning and previously unpublished photographs of specimens from the collection of the Natural History Museum in London Detailed illustrated identification keys to the most common insect inclusions The storied search for DNA in insect inclusions in amber Amber brings the study of this fascinating substance and its secrets within reach of any reader, and it will particularly fascinate rock hounds, fossil and gem enthusiasts, hobbyists and jewelry designers.