Andrew Ross

Dr. Andrew Ross


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

20Years (2007-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 March 2016 in Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
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RSRu D. A. Smith
Ru D. A. Smith
ARAndrew Ross
Andrew Ross
Clavate (club-shaped) structures rimming mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber from Myanmar, previously misdiagnosed as fungal sporocarps, are shown to be domichnia (crypts) of martesiine bivalves (Pholadidae: Martesiinae). They are similar in form toTeredolites clavatusLeymerie, 1842 andGastrochaenolites lapidicusKelly & Bromley, 1984; however, the former identification is preferable, given that they are martesiine crypts in amber as opposed to a lithic substrate. Cross-cutting relationships between the clavate features and inclusions in the amber demonstrate that the features post-date hardening of the resin. The fills of the crypts are variable, including sand grade sediment of very fine to coarse sand grainsize, and sparry calcite cements. In some cases, the articulated valves of the pholadid bivalve responsible are visible inside the borings. However, one remarkable specimen contains two pairs of articulated shells ‘floating’ in amber, not associated with crypts; an observation that suggests that the resin was still liquid or soft when the bivalves were trapped in the resin. One individual is associated with an irregular sediment-filled feature and shows shell breakage. Formation of a solid rim around a liquid central volume has been documented in subaqueous bodies of resin in modern swamp forests, and argues for a close proximity between the amber-producing trees and a brackish water habitat for the bivalves. The presence of pyrite as thin films and crystal groups within Burmese amber is further consistent with such a depositional environment. Comparison of the size of pholadid body fossils with growth rates of modern equivalents allows the duration of boring activities to be estimated and suggests that small fossil pholadids in Burmese amber became trapped and died within 1–2 weeks of having settled on the resin. Larger examples present within well-formed domichnia formed in hardened resin. Since ‘hardground’ describes early lithified sediment as a substrate and ‘woodground’ describes wood as a substrate, the term ‘amberground’ is used here to described borings in an amber substrate.

26 February 2021 in Palaeoentomology
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ARAndrew Ross
Andrew Ross
This is a supplement to the Burmese (Myanmar) amber checklist and bibliography covering taxa described or recorded during 2020, plus a few earlier records that were missed previously. Up to the end of 2020, 1,859 species were recorded from Kachin amber of which 362 were named in 2020, which is the highest number of species named from any kind of amber in one year. Two species were also named from older Hkamti amber.

28 March 2024 in Mesozoic
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ARAndrew Ross
Andrew Ross
This is a list of all known taxa described or recorded from Burmese (Myanmar) amber from the published literature up to the end of 2023. Data from previously published checklists have been merged, the higher taxonomy has been updated and the total numbers of taxa have been checked and corrected. A total of 2,805 species have been described or recorded from Cretaceous amber of Myanmar.


5 January 2022 in Palaeoentomology
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ARAndrew Ross
Andrew Ross
This is a supplement to the Burmese (Myanmar) amber checklist and bibliography covering taxa described or recorded during 2021, plus a few earlier records that were missed previously. Up to the end of 2021, 2,198 species were recorded from Kachin amber of which 337 were named in 2021. Five species were named or recorded from older Hkamti amber.

28 February 2023 in Palaeoentomology
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Journal Article
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ARAndrew Ross
Andrew Ross
This is a supplement to the Burmese (Myanmar) amber checklist and bibliography covering taxa described or recorded during 2022, plus a couple of earlier records that were missed previously. Up to the end of 2022, 2,524 species have been recorded from Kachin amber, of which 350 were named in 2022; ten species have been recorded from older Hkamti amber, of which two were named in 2022 (one species known from both Hkamti and Kachin amber). Another 17 species were named in 2022 though it is uncertain whether they are in Kachin or Hkamti amber. In total 368 species were named from Cretaceous amber from Myanmar in 2022.