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Type: Review
Published: 2020-04-30
Page range: 125–155
Abstract views: 1065
PDF downloaded: 13

Lebanese amber: latest updates

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China Lebanese University, Faculty of Sciences II, Department of Natural Sciences, P.O. Box: 26110217, Fanar–Matn, Lebanon
Lebanese University, Faculty of Sciences II, Department of Natural Sciences, P.O. Box: 26110217, Fanar–Matn, Lebanon
General Lebanon Lower Cretaceous Upper Jurassic fossil insects Lower Barremian palaeoenvironment palaeobiodiversity

Abstract

Amber in Lebanon is found in more than 450 outcrops. It constitutes the oldest amber with intensive biological inclusions and is considered among the most important material enabling the knowledge of continental palaeobiodiversity from the very important Lower Cretaceous, a crucial period for the coevolution between flowering plants (angiosperms) and insects. This period is largely admitted to witnessing the first occurrence and early evolution of angiosperms. Most times biological inclusions in Lebanese amber represent records of the earliest representatives of modern living insect families or the youngest ones for extinct families. Latest literature, geological data on age and lists of amber outcrops (yielding fossil inclusions), and described taxa from Lebanese amber are given.

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