Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 2 July 1965:
Vol. 149. no. 3679, pp. 52 - 54
DOI: 10.1126/science.149.3679.52
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Infrared Spectra as a Means of Determining Botanical Sources of Amber

Jean H. Langenheim 1 and Curt W. Beck 1

1 Radcliffe Institute for Independent Study and Botanical Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts and Department of Chemistry, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York

Comparison of infrared spectra of amber no older than Oligo-Miocene with present-day resins provides convincing evidence as to source, especially with corroboration from paleobotanical remains and knowledge of living resin producers. Spectroscopy is also useful in establishing that amber in widely separated areas in the Cretaceous and Eocene is from the same botanical source, although it may not be possible to relate these older resins to those from present-day plant populations.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
A new proposal concerning the botanical origin of Baltic amber.
A. P. Wolfe, R. Tappert, K. Muehlenbachs, M. Boudreau, R. C. McKellar, J. F. Basinger, and A. Garrett (2009)
Proc R Soc B 276, 3403-3412
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Triassic Amber of the Southern Alps (Italy).
G. ROGHI, E. RAGAZZI, and P. GIANOLLA (2006)
Palaios 21, 143-154
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Amber: A Botanical Inquiry.
J. H. Langenheim and J. H. Langenheim (1969)
Science 163, 1157-1169
   PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)