Taimyr Amber

Perkovsky & Vasilenko (2019), Fig. 1. Map of Taimyr amber localities: (1) Nizhnyaya Agapa, (2) Romanikha, (3) Yantardakh, (4) Isaevsky, (5) Bulun, (6) Sokolovsky, (7) Tumulda, (8) Ugolyak, (9) Kresty, (10) Gubina Gora, (11) Zhdanikha, (12) Novaya, (13) Moroskop, (14) Nikon-Yuryakh, (15) Bediey, (16) Khatangskaya Guba, (17) Logata, (18) Baikura (locations with ants shown in red).

Taimyr amber is known from a large number of localities in northern Krasnoyarsk Krai, Siberia, Russia. It ranges in age from Albian (Early/Lower Cretaceous, 113 to 100 mya) to Santonian (Late/Upper Cretaceous, 86.3 to 83.6 mya) (Perkovsky & Vasilenko, 2019).

While a wide range of insects are known from Taimyr amber, only a handful of ants have been found. These occur at two localities, Baikura-Neru Gulf (Late/Upper Albian to Late/Upper Albian, 105.3 - 94.3 mya) (map locality 18) and Yantardakh Hill (Kheta Formation, Late/Upper Santonian, 85.8 - 84.9 mya) (map locality 3).

Ants known from Baikura-Neru Gulf

The amber-bearing deposits of Baikura are layered loose sands, similar to those of the Kheta and Dolgan formations (Zherikhin and Eskov, 1999; Rasnitsyn and Quicke, 2002) dated back to the Santonian, but the only geological report (Saks et al., 1959) refers the locality to the Ognevka Formation (Albian). Upper Albian-?lower Cenomanian in Gumovsky et al., 2017 (fossilworks).

Genera known from Baikura

• Baikuris

Species known from Baikura

• Baikuris mandibularis
• Baikuris mirabilis

Location of Formation

[{"name":73.8,"title":null,"lat":73.8,"lon":101.4,"otherValues":[]}]

Ants known from Yantardakh Hill

See fossilworks for details.

Genera known from Yantardakh

• Cretomyrma
• Dlusskyidris

Species known from Yantardakh

• Cretomyrma arnoldii
• Cretomyrma unicornis
• Dlusskyidris zherichini

Location of Formation

[{"name":71.3,"title":null,"lat":71.3,"lon":99.6,"otherValues":[]}]

References

• Perkovsky, E.E., Vasilenko, D.V. 2019. A summary of recent results in the study of Taimyr amber. Paleontological Journal 53: 984-993 (doi:10.1134/S0031030119100149).