Insects

Insects and arachnids are still another type of invertebrate. Most of these are found in amber which some people call, the "Gem of the Ages". Millions of years ago, the insect got stuck in amber oozing from a tree which hardened over the years. And there you have your fossil insect. It is interesting to think that all that scientific knowledge is contained in these small drops of golden fluid!

Here is some information on other ancient insects. Oedischia was an insect that looked like the water bug today. It lived during the Jurassic Period. Aeschnogomphus is another type of Jurassic insect. It looked like a modern day dragonfly. Eocicada is still another type of Jurassic insect that looked like a small moth. Many amber fossils are found in New Jersey dating back 95 million years ago and there are many more sites around the world. To learn more about Amber fossils, check out Steve Kurth's The Amber Room.

Back to Invertebrate Fossils