Burmese amber - Amber - Ricinulei

Fascinating and mysterious, this fossilized specimen of Ricinulei (also known as the hooded tick-spider) is housed inside a precious fragment of Burmese amber. Ricinulei are a very rare order of primitive arachnids, today found only in some tropical regions, and represent one of the oldest and least understood evolutionary lineages among arachnids.

Burmese amber, also known as Myanmar amber, is a type of tree fossilized resin that is found mainly in the Hukawng Valley in Myanmar. It is renowned for the exceptional preservation of ancient life forms, including insects, plants, and other organisms, often trapped within it. It is estimated that this amber is about 99 million years old, dating to the Cretaceous period (before the T. Rex!). Its deep golden color leaning toward reddish-brown and its transparency make it highly prized by both collectors and scientists, offering a rare window into prehistoric ecosystems.