Re: feathers in amber

["Ralph Miller III" <gbabcock@best.com>]

> Are there feathers (sign of a larger vertebrate) found in amber?
> 
> -Betty Cunningham

You can see a photo of a feather in New Jersey amber, dated at between 90
million and 94 million years old, in:

Grimaldi, David A., "Captured in Amber: The exquisitely preserved tissues
of insects in amber reveal some genetic secrets of evolution," _Scientific
American_, April 1996, p. 91.

The text reads:" The feather (_top_) is the oldest record of a terrestrial
bird in North America."

The article also shows images of inclusions of a gecko, two frogs, flowers,
and a number of insects.  Some of the insects in amber reveal evidence of
behavior: two midges stuck in a spider web, midges mating, a moth laying
eggs, a queen ant carrying a scale insect, and a mite feasting on a midge. 
Sorry, no dinosaurs in amber, aside from the feather.

-- Ralph Miller III     gbabcock@best.com