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What is this? Found this one in my dad's stuff.


Eva213

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I found this one in my dad's stuff. It looks like it has some kind of hair and bugs in it. It's a yellowish/orange stone or glass. Feels more like a stone but can see through it so I don't know. 

H5631-L150153855.jpeg

H5631-L150153856-2.jpg

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Oh wow, I could be wrong but I really think your right and that is some sort of biological filament, if you could find out where this was found that would be very good, if that's actually hair this is an amazing specimen! 

rydysig.JPG

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If it was mine I firstly would  find out if it is amber or man made resin. You can do a hot pin test, if you don't mind leaving a small mark (in the side or bottom where it is most hidden) use a very hot needle on it. If it's resin, the needle will go in easily and the smell as plastic. If amber the needle will encounter more resistance and the smell will be different like old wood or tree smell, more natural. Welcome to TFF.

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He has been all over. I don't know for sure if he went there or not but I know he has been to the dead sea, africia, Peur, Brazil and many other places. He worked for a university  

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1 hour ago, Eva213 said:

It has a paper that says

 Berivotra, 1968. 

Copral/ C10H60

 

If you do the hot pin test copal smells like pine. 

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Copal (not copral) is a tree resin that is the intermediate stage between fresh, gummy tree sap and amber.  Like other 'gummy' secretions from trees, it can often contain 'inclusions' - things that got trapped in it before it hardened completely.  Berivotra is a formation of Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) age in Madagascar...so apparently you have some hardened tree sap, possibly of Cretaceous age, from Madagascar.

 

-Joe

Illigitimati non carborundum

Fruitbat's PDF Library

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The inclusion looks like hair, but if this is from a Cretaceous formation then how could it be hair? Maybe some kind of bird down or early mammal hair? 

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17 minutes ago, Bone guy said:

The inclusion looks like hair, but if this is from a Cretaceous formation then how could it be hair? Maybe some kind of bird down or early mammal hair? 

Apparently the Berivotra formation is a contemporary of the Maevarano formation (Majungasaurus, Masiakasaurus, Beelzebufo, Rahonavis, etc.) and the in the latter there have been several species of Multituberculate mammals. If the specimen is the real deal that could be the potential owner of the filaments.

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On 8/18/2018 at 11:15 PM, PaleoNoel said:

Apparently the Berivotra formation is a contemporary of the Maevarano formation (Majungasaurus, Masiakasaurus, Beelzebufo, Rahonavis, etc.) and the in the latter there have been several species of Multituberculate mammals. If the specimen is the real deal that could be the potential owner of the filaments.

If you're correct then perhaps this should go to a museum rather than a personal collection, however that's just my opinion, does anyone know if there has ever been Cretaceous mammal hair amber inclusions found before?

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On 8/18/2018 at 9:49 PM, Fruitbat said:

Copal (not copral) is a tree resin that is the intermediate stage between fresh, gummy tree sap and amber.  Like other 'gummy' secretions from trees, it can often contain 'inclusions' - things that got trapped in it before it hardened completely.  Berivotra is a formation of Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) age in Madagascar...so apparently you have some hardened tree sap, possibly of Cretaceous age, from Madagascar.

 

-Joe

Sap is the watery fluid used by plants to transport water and nutrients. Resin is a very sticky fluid exuded by the plant for protection against damage from fire or other injury, especially insects. Very different substances with very different jobs.

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Technically true from a botanical perspective...but to the average person on the street the distinction isn't really relevant.  I should have written 'fresh, gummy tree resin' and 'some hardened tree resin' to be completely accurate.

 

-Joe

Illigitimati non carborundum

Fruitbat's PDF Library

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The way we use words depends on the audience. We have recently had poisonous and venomous snakes as well as sap and resin amber. I understood what was being said and am not bothered by either usage.

  Calling a Cucullea steinkern a deer heart or turtle head requires a correction but I don't think the above examples require one. Just my opinion.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Personally, I think clarity is critical in science, especially when conversing with laypeople. If we want laypeople to love and understand science, we need to treat them like scientists and have them use the same language, within reason.

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Well, from what I've read so far, I would suggest that this specimen is certainly worth at least an initial study to confirm its authenticity, preferably from a professional at a reputable museum.

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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So I did the hot needle test. I could not really get the needle to go directly into it, but it did make a little dent like crack. Small but I can definitely tell it punctured it. But it really did not go in. I did press hard and the needle was very hot. Well not sure what that means but thought I give an update. Sitting here in NC with no power thanks to Florence so had a little time on my hands. Thanks to all who have helped. 

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54 minutes ago, Eva213 said:

Well not sure what that means but thought I give an update.

It means it is most likely not plastic or modern sap.

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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I have had a lot of copal from Madagascar, but I have never seen a piece of Cretaceous amber from there. This piece looks like copal to me.

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That is a specimen that I would definitely get checked out. If I were you (and after Florence) I would contact people from the North Carolina Museum Of Natural Sciences Research Lab since you are in North Carolina.  That is definitely a specimen that could be very worthwhile to the scientific community.

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