Fly in Amber

    Amber is hardened tree sap. Insects and other small creatures that become trapped in the sap are thus protected from air and water, and can be preserved intact for millions of years. Besides morphological comparison with related living species, such creatures are an excellent source of ancient DNA, which can be sequenced and used to place the creatures in their correct taxonomic context. The bee (Hymenoptera) above is morphologically and genetically distinct from living forms.