Fossil flea in amber. Close-up of a fossilized flea (order Siphonaptera) preserved in amber. Fleas are small, blood-sucking, wingless insects that par

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Fossil flea in amber. Close-up of a fossilized flea (order Siphonaptera) preserved in amber. Fleas are small, blood-sucking, wingless insects that parasitize a variety of animals including humans. Amber is a sticky resin produced by wounded pine trees, which sometimes traps and preserves insects as it solidifies. This is one of the few processes by which fossils are preserved in a complete form with their soft tissues intact.

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Size: 5059px × 3517px
Photo credit: © K. H. KJELDSEN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: amber, animal, animals, flea, fossil, fossilized, fossils, insect, invertebrate, invertebrates, palaeontology, paleontology