“We've seen thousands of amber fossils, but the color preservation in these specimens is just amazing.”
Kai et al. The exoskeletons of these colorful insects (left) remain intact thanks to the tree resin that coats them.
The study revealed fully preserved beetles, cuckoo wasps and soldier flies, all in vibrant colours of varying hues. Their iridescence is reportedly caused by the anatomical or nanostructure of their exoskeletons.
“The nanostructure of the surface scatters light of certain wavelengths and creates very intense colors. This mechanism is responsible for many of the colors we encounter in everyday life,” explained Pan Yanhong, a paleocolor reconstruction specialist who also participated in the study.
But why were these beetles more vibrantly colored than other specimens found in amber? To answer this question, the researchers used diamond blades to cut the exoskeleton of two wasps and a sample of normal, dull cuticle from an amber sample that was not part of the bright batch.
Using electron microscopy, the scientists found that the nanostructures in the dull sample were significantly damaged, explaining their predominantly brown and black coloration.
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