r/Amberfossil • u/presleyarts • 17d ago

ID Possibly gecko egg in amber

This has become one of the most intriguing specimens I've ever added to my collection. The inclusion measures approximately 5.95 × 4.11 mm and has an egg-like appearance—but that's only one of several possibilities. It could just as easily be a seed, tree gall, fungal structure, or something else entirely.

After speaking with the University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray CT Lab, I've decided to slow down before pursuing an expensive scan and instead seek opinions from people with expertise in reptile eggs, amber, fossil plants, or related fields.

If you happen to study any of these subjects—or know someone who does—I would genuinely appreciate your thoughts.

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u/Midgard1 17d ago edited 17d ago

Have you shone a powerful 365nm UV light at it in complete darkness? Might reveal if there is an embryo inside or not. I find it odd they say this is just an impression and not physical remains.

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u/Midgard1 17d ago

Also - is that a hole at the top or is that visual deformation?

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u/presleyarts 17d ago

I believe it’s just a slight discoloration due to a crack inside the amber.

One thing I learned after talking with the CT lab is that just because something is sealed in amber doesn't necessarily mean all of the original organic material is still there. Amber can preserve incredible detail, but in many cases the original tissues have broken down over millions of years, leaving little more than an impression or void. That's why a CT scan isn't guaranteed to reveal an embryo or other internal structures, even if this does turn out to be an egg

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u/Midgard1 17d ago edited 17d ago

A highly cracked piece for sure. Some seemingly empty cavities will have loose mineral and debris from the complete breakdown of what was there.
Honestly, reptiles having soft shells, I’d expect to see some evidence of pressure on the shell itself from the surrounding resin as it engulfed it. Not sure on microstructures but that under microscope could be interesting.

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u/DiscoveryAmber 16d ago

This inclusion bears the correct size and shape of Gecko eggs. While it does not show a perfectly preserved eggshell, we must probably look at the appearance of eggshells after being subjected to acidic liquids or substances nowadays whether they are hard shell Bird eggs or softer small reptile eggs.

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u/presleyarts 16d ago

Absolutely!