Amber Listserv / Rock and flower

[TOM BUCKLEY]

Tammi,

    I'm glad that me and Andy entertain you. We aim to please. LOL 

    I used to have Dr. Poinar's e-mail but lost it (and 3 years of amber photos) when my hard drive crapped out.

Tom
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: tamber12 at aol.com 
  To: tbuck22 at optonline.net ; andy.ng.aik.hoe at gmail.com 
  Cc: amber at ambericawest.com 
  Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 9:09 AM
  Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / Rock and flower


  Dude's I'm loving all the funny scatalogical references about the vagaries of possible insect leavings.  You guys crack me up!  But George Poinar might be a good one to address this issue, seeing he wrote a very informative article on trace fossils titled, "Trace fossils in amber: a new dimension for the ichnologist", published in 1998 in Ichnos, Volume 6, pages 47-52.  Something like this could at least help you weed out the poop verses whatever issue.  We might also email him a copy of your photos and some of these transmissions, unless he does monitor this list.  I don't know if he does.  But he'd be a good person to ask.

  Tam


  -----Original Message-----
  From: TOM BUCKLEY <tbuck22 at optonline.net>
  To: Andy Ng <andy.ng.aik.hoe at gmail.com>
  Cc: amber group <amber at ambericawest.com>
  Sent: Sun, 9 Sep 2007 8:38 am
  Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / Rock and flower


  Andy,

      Has anyone else weighed in with a guess?

  Tom
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Andy Ng 
    To: TOM BUCKLEY 
    Cc: amber group 
    Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 2:17 AM
    Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / Rock and flower


    Tom,

    I'm not too worried that some bug's gonna walk up to me and say "OI! Don't sass my frass!" :-p

    The thing is, insect poop was one of the first things that crossed my mind after I reached the 320 grit sanding stage. Unfortunately my simple digicam has no spot-focusing; it only has a Phd button (as in "Push here, dummy"), and throw into the equation those brown globules. All that makes for obscured details. 

    I've just sawn off a chunk off the back portion and am not sawing off any more, because those translucent brown globules extend to the rear of the piece. Thinning this piece is futile, as details will still be obscured. 

    Anyhoo, take a gander at the white arrow I've drawn on the attached photo. The arrow points to one rising stem of a 'V' shape. The stem rises under some translucent brown globules and differentiates into a fan of those pellet-like things. As far as I can tell, the stem is contiguous until it reaches the fan shape. This is the only reason that makes me discount the frass premise. It's too much like part of a flower or pith and seeds of some veggie. 

    The other stem of the V also is of the same nature, and differentiates into a fan under the first stem's fan. I seriously doubt any insect could be such an artistic pooper (and excrete V-shaped thingys). This one's a keeper! 

    Andy


    On 9/9/07, TOM BUCKLEY <tbuck22 at optonline.net> wrote: 
      Andy,

          In the field of entomology it's considered bad form to ridicule another species' excrement. LOL

          Seriously, I've seen this type of doo-doo laid down by slow moving critters such as snails and caterpillars.

      Tom
        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: Andy Ng 
        To: TOM BUCKLEY 
        Cc: amber group 
        Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2007 3:31 PM
        Subject: Re: Amber Listserv / Rock and flower


        Tom,

        It's 3.13AM and I just got off a net conference with a customer from your side of the planet, so pardon me if my ramblings sound punch drunk.

        Insect poop you say? I'm smiling as I tiredly type, but nonetheless it's an interesting premise. Assuming that to be correct, the insect which dropped this load has a VERY accurate anal sphincter. The pellets are laid out in a row, insect makes a 180 degree turn, lays a splotch of diarrhoea and keeps laying 'em out and after that 'U' line is done, does another smaller 'U' within the first one. I bet there's a bunch of sanitation engineers who wish humans were that accurate! LOL! 

        I know my photos aren't the bee's knees. The piece was sanded down to within an estimated 2mm of the object within, and it's only half done. Gotta gingerly saw the bottom side and sand it for a 2-side view. Will post better pix next time round. 

        Andy


        On 9/8/07, TOM BUCKLEY <tbuck22 at optonline.net> wrote: 
          Andy,

              I think it looks like insect poop. Especially the way it appears to be a string of mashed-together pellets.

          Tom
            ----- Original Message ----- 
            From: Andy Ng 
            To: amber group 
            Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2007 2:21 AM
            Subject: Amber Listserv / Rock and flower


            Hi guys,

            The first photo is of the companion piece to my last post. Found in the same hole, it has some rock between the layers. 

            The other 2 photos are of a flower-like object I found in a piece today. At first glance I thought they were like seeds rather similar to the internals of a red chilli. Any botanist care to take a stab at it? 

            Andy


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