Clear time boundaries for amber, copal and resin help in biodiversity loss studies

In a study published today in the journal Nature Scientific reports, Senckenberg scientist Mónica Solórzano-Kraemer defines specific time periods for the terms amber, copal and resin. Together with researchers from the Universitat de Barcelona, ​​the Instituto Geológico y Minero de España and the University of Kansas, he also supports the introduction of the term “resin defaunation”. These fossilizations, formed after 1760, fall over a period of time significantly influenced by man. They often provide the only direct opportunity to track environmental change and species loss.

Around the world, species become extinct every day and losses are particularly high in tropical areas such as lowland forests. “These same landscapes were and are home to a large number of resin-producing trees,” explains Mónica Solórzano-Kraemer of the Senckenberg Research Institute and the Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, and continues: “In these resins we can find animals that have been preserved for several hundreds, or even thousands, of years, thus giving us information on a past fauna, often no longer existing “.

“Default resin” is the name given to these fossilizations by Solórzano-Kraemer and his Spanish and American colleagues Xavier Delclòs, Enrique Peñalver and Michael Engel in their recently published study. Deforestation refers to the loss of species and populations of wild animals, analogous to the term deforestation for the loss of forests. From now on, this name must be used for all resins that formed after the year 1760. “With this, we want to establish a clear differentiation from the terms ‘copal’ and ‘amber’, while emphasizing the importance of young resins, which were deposited in an era strongly influenced by man “, adds the researcher from Frankfurt.

The chosen time period is oriented to the – still informal – Anthropocene epoch, which began with the beginning of the industrial revolution and is characterized by deforestation, loss of species diversity and further human-caused environmental changes. “Aside from historical collections, these relatively young resins often provide the only opportunity to examine past ecosystems and to quantify the loss of species,” adds Solórzano-Kraemer.

For the term “copal”, the team suggests an age classification between 2.58 million years ago and the year 1760; henceforth, the term “amber” should only be used for fossilizations older than 2.58 million years. “This clear demarcation is very important to us to ensure comparability. More than 120 new species have been described by East African and Malagasy” copals “alone, and many more will follow: we therefore need a uniform and concise terminology that can be assigned to a specific time period, “adds Solórzano-Kraemer in conclusion.