Overview
- The study, which was published July 15, 2026, identified 241 microscopic resin grains (0.1–1.5 mm) recovered from 10 kilograms of coal in the Hujiersite Formation and dated the material to about 385 million years ago.
- Researchers used ultraviolet fluorescence to find the tiny grains and confirmed their resin chemistry with optical tests, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry that match conifer‑type terpenoid signatures.
- The authors conclude that complex resin biosynthesis existed before seed plants diversified, implying that non‑seed vascular plants such as tree‑like lycopsids or progymnosperms may have produced the resin.
- The paper argues that selective pressures like wildfire and microbial or fungal threats could have driven early resin evolution, though the exact ecological drivers and producing plant remain uncertain.
- Because early amber was likely microscopic and easily missed, the team recommends ultraviolet screening plus targeted geochemical assays of Early Devonian organic sediments to search for still older amber and refine our view of early forest chemistry.