Ancient Chinese Amber Pushes Resin Evolution Before Seed Plants

Paleontologists in Xinjiang, China report 385-million-year-old amber—the oldest confirmed amber to date—embedded in a coal seam and comprising 241 tiny pieces extracted from about 10 kg of coal. Chemical analyses show its resin resembles conifer resins, suggesting resin production evolved before seed plants and likely came from progymnosperms or lycopsids. The find implies early resin’s role was wound sealing and antifungal defense, possibly influenced by ancient wildfires, and was published online July 15, 2026 in Science Advances (Lu et al.).