BRN 9-3 - Flipbook - Page 71
of the image. What that
really means is you are
able to generate multiple
views of the scans like the
ones shown to the left and on
the following page. The
important thing to note here is
the remarkable detail shown in
the scans. This wasp is not
crushed ßat by pressure.
What is the process through
which resin becomes amber?
The resin modules, whether
they contain a specimen or
not, undergo a variety of
chemical processes
(polymerization, isomerization, etc.) and eventually
reach a stage of chemical stability,
its fossilized structure. These
processes are referred to as
maturation. The maturity of a
specimen is dependent on its
chemical composition and
the forces (typically
thermal) which it is
exposed to during its
maturation.1 Other
substances may merge with
the resin nodule and modify
its physical characteristics,
including how it looks.
may be dislodged from the tree. This
resin, if it is to be considered ÒpreamberÓ must be resistant to decay.
Not a trivial matter. Resin is produced
by many trees but it is usually
ÒdamagedÓ by physical and biological
processes. ÒExposure to sunlight,
rain, microorganisms, and extreme
temperatures tends to disintegrate
the resin.Ó
The nodules I found on the
ground, pictured at the
bottom of the previous page,
may/may not be described as
copal, resin which has not yet
become amber.2 Resin which
remains at the surface may
harden a bit (like ÒmyÓ nodules)
but generally will decompose.
At some point in this stage of the resin
to amber transition an insect may
become trapped and engulfed by the
resin. Some amber nodules encase
insects in remarkable condition. The
wasp shown here is an example of
this phenomenon. There were many
scans of this specimen; the data from
these scans were used to create this
ParaView Glance image. ParaView
allows you to modify the opacity
When nodules like these are
buried and sequestered from the
atmosphere decomposition is
halted and chemical maturation
begins. The end of this process is
amber.3
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