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Green River insect ID


RLRanta61

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Newby at fossil forum.(or any other forum).Have been collecting fossils and minerals for years.Amateur/recreational,not too techy.but learning.Recently,Aug 2017 i was surface collecting wood and amber in the Green River Formation Area in Wyoming.USA.Examined a 4 inch x 3 inch piece of palm wood.(pictured).Found a visibly clear what appears to be a Damselfly,it has a reddish color tail and a black body,can also see a white colored tube on it.(feeding?).Also another insect in the piece is reddish colored which i cannot identify.And also another inclusion in the resin also pictured with the squiggly stuff on the bottom.I do not know what that is either.The photos are not the best.As I can see real detail in the insects with the naked eye as I look into this palmwood resin.My questions also are:Is ths 20-50 MYO Cretaceous? Where can i find more info on Green River Insects? Has anyone seen anything like this?

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I've never heard of green river amber, cool. 53.5-48.5 MYA According to Wikipedia.  I expect a myriad of PDFs will soon come in to help you with IDs and such from those who are skilled at finding them.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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I do not see amber here, or any fossils. See if You can scratch it with a (steel) knife. Amber is soft and will scratch easily where agate is hard and will not scratch.

I think You have some agate with mineral inclusions. This type of agate is commonly called "moss agate".

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection

My favorite thread on TFF.

 

 

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may be a fossil but it might not be an insect. I cant get a good look at the fossil so I might also be wrong. I also think you should scratch it. 

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I did have a good look and I know an insect when I see one.This is palm wood,which does have tree resin and these are visible.I was asking for insect Identification from the green river formation.Or if someone has seen this type of palm wood resin from this area.i know the pictures do not show detail.

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5 minutes ago, RLRanta61 said:

I did have a good look and I know an insect when I see one.This is palm wood,which does have tree resin and these are visible.I was asking for insect Identification from the green river formation.Or if someone has seen this type of palm wood resin from this area.i know the pictures do not show detail.

First - Palm does not have the resin to make amber. Amber comes from the abundant resin of conifers.

Second - There has never been any reports of amber found in the green river formation.

Did You try to scratch it ?

If You have found an insect in amber, We will need much better pictures to be able to identify them.

 

There are a lot of agates found in that area of Wyoming. 

I still think You have a piece of "moss agate". No fossil, no amber and no insect.

Please prove Me wrong with better pictures.

 

 

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection

My favorite thread on TFF.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, RLRanta61 said:

Is it possible an insect was trapped in Agate from a palm wood tree?

No there is not a possibility of an insect being trapped in agate.

Agate is a cryptocrystalline quartzite that forms in conditions that are not conducive for fossil inclusions. It does replace organic material in some instances (agatized wood or bone). 

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection

My favorite thread on TFF.

 

 

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2 minutes ago, RLRanta61 said:

ok cool,i can also see tree rings on it.agatized wood?

Could just be banded agate.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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