Flower
Cretaceous
Vicinity of Maingkwan, north of Mogaunga, Myanmar (Burma)

2mm flower in 16mm Burmite amber.

Plant.

Flowers are fragile organic structures. Within days, they shrivel and decay so they are unlikely candidates for fossilization and yet we’ve seen some prehistoric flowers usually from the Eocene to Miocene. Some are quite well-preserved but some are exquisitely-intact because they were covered by running tree resin that fossilized – later collected and polished to reveal great detail.

This spherical piece contains a storm of plant debris with a little flower as a central figure – a golden crystal ball looking back at a tiny corner of the Cretaceous.