Lebanese amber is fossilized resin found in Lebanon and surrounding countries. A majority of the amber with fossil inclusions has been found within 3 layers of the Grès du Liban alloformation, which dates back approximately 130-125 million years to the Hauterivian of the Early Cretaceous. Upper Jurassic Kimmeridgian amber has also been found in Lebanon from the Bhannes formation, but so far only one locality, Aintourine, has produced inclusions. The main amber deposit was formed on what was then the northern coast of Gondwana, probably within a tropical or subtropical zone in a temperate or hot climate.Raif Milki, George Poinar, Lebanese Amber: The Oldest Insect Ecosystem in Fossilized Resin, 2001. Analysis of the sediment from the site indicate the amber was produced in coastal, possibly estuarine conditions.
It is the oldest source of amber with a significant number of inclusions. Up to 300 sources of Lebanese amber have been recovered and 17 of them are important sources of organic inclusions, which are the oldest of their kind. The inclusions help to document Cretaceous fauna and flora.
Origins Lebanese amber can be found in Lebanon and neighboring areas of the Levant. Up to 300 different sources of amber had been discovered by 2010. The amber was deposited in the Cretaceous era and is rich in fossil synclusions. 19 of the discovered sources are rich in inclusions from the Early Cretaceous. All of them are located in Lebanon, which makes it the largest source of inclusion from that period.David I. Green, David Penney, Fossils in Amber: Remarkable Snapshots of Prehistoric Forest Life, Siri Scientific Press, 2011
History Aside from possible early reports of Phoenician usage, the oldest reports of Lebanese amber are from 19th-century accounts, these tended only to be incidental due to Lebanese amber's gemological quality in comparison to Baltic amber, and the local people were more interested in the associated lignite as a source of fuel.
Properties Lebanese amber can be found in many colors such as yellow, orange, dark red or iridescent jet black, and rarely in white, milky or cream. The variation of color tone is caused by the air contained in the amber. The density of Lebanese amber is 1.054 g/cm3. It tends to be fragile and easy to damage.Andrew Ross, Amber, Harvard University Press, 1998
Inclusions
Inclusions are quite common for Lebanese amber, which is rich in organisms of the Barremian epoch. Next to Jordanian amber, Lebanese amber is the oldest amber to have yielded significant invertebrate inclusions alongside the Wealden amber from the equivalently aged Wessex Formation of the UK, which is much less productive. Organisms preserved in Lebanese amber are dated back to the period prior to the angiosperm radiation, which was the period of massive extinction of old groups of arthropods, as well as the emergence of the new ones, some of which co-evolved with angiosperms. The organisms are preserved in good condition and shape. The diversity and number of co-inclusions help to draw conclusions about mutual relations and co-existence.George Poinar, Life in amber, Stanford University Press, 1992
Paleobiota After Poinar & Milki (2001), Maksoud & Azar (2020) and subsequent studies.
Bacteria GenusSpecies Notes ImagesStreptomycessp.
Fungi GenusSpecies Notes ImagesChytridialesindet.Mucoralesindet.
Plants Genus Species Notes ImagesAgathislevantensisAn araucarian tree responsible for the production of amber.
Hexapoda GenusSpecies Notes ImagesAlphaspilusA. heliades The earliest known Megaspilid Hymenopteran.ArchaeatroposAn archaeatropid psocodean.Arthropleonaindet.A springtail.AsphaeropsocitesA sphaeropsocid psocodean.Azar, D. (2012). Lebanese amber: a "Guinness Book of Records". Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis. Studia ad Didacticam Biologiae Pertinentia, 2(I), 44-60.AphelopusA dryinid wasp.ArchiaustroconopsA ceratopogonid fly.ArchiculicoidesA ceratopogonid fly.ArchisciadaA sciadocerid fly.AtelestitesAn empidid fly.AustroconopsA ceratopogonid fly.AvenaphoraA dolichopodid fly.BanoberothaA beaded lacewing.BcharreglarisAn archaeatropid psocodean.BernaeaA whitefly.Blattodeaindet.A cockroach.ChomeromyiaA fly.ConovirilusA leptophlebiid mayfly.CorethrellaA corethrellid biting midge.CretaceomachilisA meinertellid bristletail.CretacetroctaA pachytroctid psocodean.CretapsychodaA psychodid fly.EnicocephalinusAn enicocephalid.ExitelothripsA scudderothripid thrips.FossileptoconopsA ceratopogonid fly.GlaesoconisA dustywing.HeideaA whitefly.IncurvariitesA incurvariid moth.JankotejacoccusA jankotejacoccid scale insect.JezzinothripsA jezzinothripid thrips.LebambromyiaA phorid fly.LebanaphisA tajmyraphidid hemipteran.LebaniaA tipulid crane fly.LebanoconopsA ceratopogonid fly.LebanoculicoidesA ceratopogonid fly.LeptoconopsA ceratopogonid fly.LibaneuphorisA libanophorid pscocodean.LibanobythusA scolobythid hemipteran.LibanochlitesA non-biting midge.LibanoculexA chaoborid fly, previously interpreted as a mosquito.LibanoglarisAn archaeatropid psocodean.LibanophlebotomusA psychodid fly.LibanomphientomumA electrentomoid psocodean.LibanopsychodaA psychodid fly.LibanopsyllipsocusA psyllipsocid psocodean.LibanorhinusA nemonychid weevil.LibanosemidalisA dustywing.LonchopteritesA lonchopterid fly.LonchopteromorphaA lonchopterid fly.RhadinolabisAn earwig.SetoglarisAn archaeatropid psocodean.LebanotermesA termite.MegarostrumA tajmyraphidid hemipteran.MesobolbomyiaA rhagionid fly.MundopoidesA cixiid.NeocomothripsA neocomothripid thrips.PaleochrysopilusA rhagionid fly.PaleopsychodaA psychodid fly.PalaeosiamoglarisA prionoglarid psocodean.ParasabatincaA micropterigid moth.ParaberothaA beaded lacewing.ParamesopsocusA electrentomid psocodean.PhaetempisAn empidid fly.PhlebotomitesA phlebotomid fly.ProgonothripsA rhetinothripid thrips.ProtoculicoidesA ceratopogonid fly.ProtopsychodaA psychodid fly.Psocodeasp. 1A juvenile psocodean.RaptorapaxA rhachiberotid neuropteran.RhetinothripsA rhetinothripid thrip.ScaphothripsA scaphothripid thrips.ScudderothripsA scudderothripid thrips.SphaeropsocitesA sphaeropsocid psocodean.TrichinitesAn empidid fly.YuripopovinaA yuripopovinid hemipteran.Xenosycorax X. bouareji A psychodidid fly
Arachnida GenusSpecies Notes ImagesAcariindet.Various free-living mites.Anystidaesp.An anystid mite.ArchaeobuthusAn archaeobuthid scorpion.Erythraeoideaindet.A erythraeid mite.Erythraeoidea indet.Leptus sp.?LebansegestriaA segestriid spider.LebanoecobiusA oecobiid spider.Linyphiidaesp.A linyphiid spider.MicrosegestriaA segestriid spider.NeoliodesA neoliodid mite.Oonopidae sp.An oonopid spider.PalaeomicromenneusA deinopid spider.PlumorsolusA plumorsolid spider.Pseudoscorpionesindet.A pseudoscorpion.ZamiliaA oecobiid spider.
Other invertebrates GenusSpecies Notes ImagesChilopoda indet.CretaciomermisA nematode.ElectroxenusA polyxenid millipede.HeleidomermisA mermithid nematode.LibanoxenusA polyxenid millipede.Pupilloidea indet.A possible pupillid snail.
Vertebrates +Vertebrates of the Lebanese AmberGenusSpeciesNotesImagesAvesindeterminateA single feather and the only known bird remains of the biota.BaabdasaurusB. xenurusAutarchoglossan lizard.
References