Amazing fossils found in amber, preserving their color
A new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, is devoted to the study of dozens of Cretaceous amber fossils that still contain traces of ancient insects that have retained their original color. Nevertheless, in these creatures that are alien to modern man, the familiar outlines and images that we see every day are guessed.
As a rule, pigments undergo decay very quickly. Therefore, even those fossils that reach us almost in their original form, most often represent gray or brown gloom, which does not allow us to reliably judge the past and its inhabitants.
Color is not only a decoration, but also a factor in many behavioral mechanisms. He can tell paleontologists about what kind of survival strategy this or that creature adhered to. For example, bright coloring can serve to attract the attention of a mating partner, and can be a means of scaring away predators or camouflage in a motley environment.
