A predatory praying mantis is preserved in amber, frozen in the moment of its creation. Heritage Auctions sold the item in 2016 for $6,000 for a height of just more than one inch. The Dominican Republic’s immaculate amber provides a unique look at this fantastic mantis.
The prehistoric leguminous tree Hymenaea protera is the source of the amber. The resin of this tree is the source of the vast majority of Central and South American amber. Dominican resin, amber from the Dominican Republic’s remarkable purity and abundance of inclusions, is sometimes referred to as “Dominican resin.”
At a range of 23 million to 33.9 million years old, Heritage Auctions places the artifact in issue in the Oligocene era. The shift from the ancient Eocene to the more contemporary Miocene environments, which lasted until 5 million years ago, was critical. Incredible, the mantis does not look all that different from what we see now.
More than 2,400 mantises are known today, most of which live in tropical areas. Siberia’s region is considerably colder—where the oldest mantis fossils, dating back 135 million years, were discovered: Mantises had spines on their front legs, precisely like contemporary mantises.
This amber specimen is a fascinating piece of evolutionary history that may be seen every day by its new owner.
Take a peek at this amber-encased praying mantis that is 30 million years old!
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