The Prussian Formation, previously known as the Amber Formation, is a geologic formation in Prussia, today mostly Kaliningrad Oblast that dates to the Eocene.[1] It holds 90% of the world's amber supply and Baltic amber is found exclusively in the Prussian Formation.[2]
The Prussian Formation is equivalent to the Obukhov Formation of Ukraine and Belarus.
In situ Baltic amber is found within the Prussian Formation, with the main amber bearing horizon being referred to as "Blue Earth", so named due to its glauconite content. The formation is exposed in the northern part of the Sambia Peninsula in Kaliningrad.
Different authors have given estimates of 40-47 million years ago and 35-43 million years ago as the age of the Prussian Formation.[1]
Paleobiology
Numerous extinct genera and species of plants and animals have been discovered and scientifically described from inclusions in the Prussian Formation.[3] Inclusions of insects make up over 98% of the animals preserved in the amber, while all other arthropods, annelids, molluscs, nematodes, protozoans contribute less than 0.5% of the animals. Vertebrates are another 0.5% of the animals included and mostly are represented by mammal fur, feathers, and reptiles.[4]
↑Weitschat, W.; Wichard, W. (2002). Atlas of Plants and Animals in Baltic Amber. Pfeil. ISBN978-3931516949.
↑Weitschat, W.; Wichard, W. (2010). "Chapter 6: Baltic amber". in Penney, D.. Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits. Siri Scientific Press. pp. 80–115. ISBN978-0-9558636-4-6.
↑Heinrichs, J; Schmidt, AR; Schäfer-Verwimp, A; Gröhn, C; Renner, MAM (2015). "The leafy liverwort Notoscyphus balticus sp. nov. (Jungermanniales) in Eocene Baltic amber". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology217: 39–44. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2015.02.006. Bibcode: 2015RPaPa.217...39H.
↑Heinrichs, J; Hedenäs, L; Schäfer-Verwimp, A; Feldberg, K; Schmidt, AR (2014). "An in situ preserved moss community in Eocene Baltic amber". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology210: 113–118. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2014.08.005. Bibcode: 2014RPaPa.210..113H.
↑ 7.07.17.27.37.4Wheeler, W. M. (1914). "The Ants of the Baltic Amber". Schriften der Physikalisch-Ökonomischen Gesellschaft zu Königsberg55 (4): 56–59.
↑ 11.011.1Eskov, K. Y.; Zonstein, S. L. (2000). "The First Ctenizoid Mygalomorph Spiders from Eocene Baltic Amber (Araneida: Mygalomorphae: Ctenizidae)". Paleontological Journal34 (3): S268–S274.Part 1; part 2, PDF.
↑ 14.014.1Engel, M. S. (1995). "A New Fossil Snake-Fly Species from Baltic Amber (Raphidioptera: Inocelliidae)". Psyche: A Journal of Entomology102 (3–4): 187–193. doi:10.1155/1995/23626.
↑Azar, D.; Nel, A. (2008). "First Baltic amber megapodagrionid damselfly (Odonata: Zygoptera)". Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. New Series 44 (4): 451–457. doi:10.1080/00379271.2008.10697580.
↑Engel, M.S.; Ortega-Blanco, J. (2008). "The fossil crown wasp Electrostephanus petiolatus Brues in Baltic Amber (Hymenoptera, Stephanidae): designation of a neotype, revised classification, and a key to amber Stephanidae". ZooKeys (4): 55–64. doi:10.3897/zookeys.4.49.
↑Makarkin, VN; Wedmann, S; Weiterschan, T (2014). "First record of the family Ithonidae (Neuroptera) from Baltic amber". Zootaxa3796 (2): 385–393. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3796.2.10. PMID24870683.
↑Alekseev, VI; Lord, NP (2014). "A new species of Xylolaemus (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Colydiinae) from Baltic amber". Baltic Journal of Coleopterology14 (1): 97–102. ISSN1407-8619.
↑Poinar, G. Jr. (2000). "Fossil Onychophorans from Dominican and Baltic Amber: Tertiapatus dominicanus n.g., n.sp. (Tertiapatidae n.fam.) and Succinipatopsis balticus n.g., n.sp. (Succinipatopsidae n.fam.) with a Proposed Classification of the Subphylum Onychophora". Invertebrate Biology119 (1): 104–9. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7410.2000.tb00178.x.