40-Million-year-old cockroach fossil is found in Russian amber

(MENAFN) A remarkably well-preserved cockroach fossil, estimated to be between 35 and 40 million years old, has been discovered in a piece of amber in Russia's Kaliningrad Region, according to announcements from the facility responsible for the find.

The ancient insect was uncovered during manual sorting at the Kaliningrad Amber Combine, an industrial amber mining facility operated by a major Russian technology conglomerate. Encased in a 41x21 mm chunk of amber weighing 7 grams, the cockroach is positioned close enough to the surface to allow a clear view of its wings, legs, and head.

Anna Dugina, a gemologist at the facility, described it as the largest cockroach-like inclusion discovered at the site in the past five years. She confirmed the age to be no less than 35 to 40 million years.

“The cockroach was covered in resin in an exceptionally fortunate way,” she explained. “It is located very close to the surface of the amber, but still far enough from the edge. This made it possible to spot the inclusion during sorting and later grind and polish the surface without damaging it.”

Although the fossil differs from today’s cockroaches, related species still exist in tropical regions, Dugina added.

The Kaliningrad Amber Combine, unique for being the world’s only industrial-scale amber mining operation, employs specialized techniques to extract amber while preserving inclusions like prehistoric insects and plants. This latest find will be added to the extensive collection of the Kaliningrad Regional Amber Museum, which contains over 14,000 pieces — including more than 3,000 featuring embedded flora and fauna.

Kaliningrad’s Baltic amber deposits are renowned for their clarity and ability to preserve ancient life in extraordinary detail. The region is home to over 90% of the world’s known amber reserves, much of it located near the village of Yantarny.

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