Late Cretaceous Amber in Texas: Chemical Characterization and Paleoenvironment

Amber is reported from a new locality in North Central Texas, USA. The amber clasts were found in thin carbonaceous horizons in the Woodbine Group. They exhibit a variety of colors including yellow, orange, red, brown and opaque white. No zooinclusions have been found, but some clasts present plant debris and inorganic inclusions. C NMR, H NMR, FTIR, and GC/MS analyses assign this amber to Group A or Class 1b and, as such, the botanical origin is considered to be a conifer. The low diversity palynomorph assemblage of the sediments is suggestive of a nearby source. The paleoenvironment is interpreted as non-marine, fluvial deltaic. Abundant charcoal fragments are noted. This observation is in concordance with the description of the Cretaceous period being a time of fires. Based on stratigraphic and palynologic data, the age of the amber is Early Cenomanian. This research represents the first study of amber in Texas.

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