Amber in Lebanon is found in more than 450 outcrops. It constitutes the oldest amber with intensive biological inclusions and is considered among the most important material enabling the knowledge of continental palaeobiodiversity from the very important Lower Cretaceous, a crucial period for the coevolution between flowering plants (angiosperms) and insects. This period is largely admitted to witnessing the first occurrence and early evolution of angiosperms. Most times biological inclusions in Lebanese amber represent records of the earliest representatives of modern living insect families or the youngest ones for extinct families. Latest literature, geological data on age and lists of amber outcrops (yielding fossil inclusions), and described taxa from Lebanese amber are given.
14 September 2022 in Carnets de géologie (Notebooks on geology)
With 35 Cretaceous outcrops yielding fossil insects, either in amber or as rock (marls, limestones, cinerite, or dysodile) impressions-compressions (adpressions), Lebanon has continuously contributed significantly to the advance of palaeoentomology and to our understanding of entomological evolution and palaeobiodiversity. Compared to its small surface area, this country can be considered among the richest of fossil insect outcrops. This is due to its geological history and mainly to its forest, fluvial - lacustrine tropical and proximal marine subtropical palaeoenvironments plus Peritethys equatorial and subequatorial palaeogeography during the Lower and "Middle" Cretaceous. Herein, an exhaustive review of all outcrops with insects is given. A list of all fossil insects described from Lebanon is provided.
Lebanon is worldwide famous in Palaeontology for its rich Late Cretaceous marine fish deposits in Haqel, Nammoura and Hjoula. Recently, the two latter outcrops yielded surprisingly some complete and none-dislocated fossil insects (Azar et al., 2019; Vršanský & Makhoul, 2013; Nel et al., 2004), indicating a particular depositional marine palaeoenvironment, close to a palaeoshoreline during the mid-Cenomanian.
Two new fossiliferous amber outcrops in the heights of Baskinta and Bqaatouta (El-Maten and Kesserouan districts, Central Lebanon) are described. These new discoveries constitute respectively the 27th and 28th amber outcrops with biological inclusions in Lebanon, enrich and improve our knowledge about the palaeobiodiversity and palaeoenvironment of the North-Eastern coast of Gondwana during the early Barremian.
Libanophlebotomites ramyi gen. et sp. nov. is characterised, illustrated, and described from the lower Barremian amber of Qanat Bakish (Baskinta, Lebanon). It represents the first phlebotomine fly with slightly ellipsoid head without bump on occiput, round wing tip, and legs very slightly shorter than body length. The discovery of this Cretaceous psychodid fly improves our knowledge of the palaeobiodiversity of sandflies.
A fossiliferous amber outcrop in Tannoura (Rashayya District, Southern Lebanon) is described. This new discovery constitutes the 30th amber outcrop with biological inclusions in Lebanon and enriches and improves our knowledge about the palaeobiodiversity and palaeoenvironment of the North-Eastern coast of Gondwana during the early Barremian. Also, an infrared spectrum of the amber from Tannoura is given and discussed.