A large deposit of amber 50 million years found in India can change the Earth’s geological history and anticipate the emergence of some species on the planet.
All because the insects found trapped in the material show that the subcontinent was not as isolated as previously thought.
Indian, Americans and Germans researchers spent two years in India’s northeast examining what may be the largest deposits of amber ever found. The material found in the province of Gujarat is extremely well preserved and full of animals.
So far, were found more than 700 arthropods from 55 different genres, most are insects (like bees and flies), but also spiders, mites and plant parts.
One of the most accepted theories about the formation of modern continents, says the Indian sub-continent “split” of East Africa about 160 million years ago and floated across the ocean, alone, to speed de20 cm per year.
If it were true, India would have been completely isolated from the rest of the world for 100 million years, allowing time for the emergence of a unique flora and fauna. Thus, the amber finding, which has 53 million years, show what life was like in India before its connection with Asia. The species found in it should therefore be different from any other places.
But this was not the case. Insects similar to findings in Gujarat have been found in Europe and Central America, indicating a large exchange of species before the amber form. The researchers speculate that then there could be a series of continental islands such as Japan and Indonesia are today, which would have allowed the insects to pass to India.
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