Microtomography of Inclusions in Amber
WEBINAR
19th February 2025 19:00 GMT
by Prof. Ru Smith (University of Malaya)
Abstract
Amber is a remarkable preserving medium for Mesozoic and Cenozoic terrestrial biotas, not only preserving individual organisms in fine detail, but also recording interactions between organisms, including symbiotic relationships of various kinds.
While density contrasts are typically small, microtomography of inclusions in amber complements optical methods and may reveal striking new insights. Examples will be illustrated in the talk using three case studies: one providing evidence for the coastal setting of the Myanmar Cretaceous 'amber forest’, another revealing a remarkable mealybug-farming ant in Dominican Miocene amber, and a third a group of hitch-hiking nematodes
Biography
Ru Smith is a sedimentologist by background, specialising in deep-water depositional systems and 3D computer modelling of stratigraphic architecture across a large range of scales and resolutions. An international career in industry spanning more than three decades was followed by a return to academia as adjunct professor of geology at Universiti Malaya. Current research interests include applications of microtomography in palaeontology and mineralogy, together with a growing interest in the history of geology.