Russian miners discover 40-million-year-old roach

(MENAFN) A fossilized cockroach believed to be between 35 and 40 million years old has been unearthed in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region. The ancient insect was discovered encased in amber during manual sorting at the Kaliningrad Amber Combine, a facility run by Russian tech giant Rostech, the company announced on Thursday.

The cockroach is preserved within a 41x21 mm piece of amber weighing 7 grams. Its proximity to the amber’s surface allows for clear viewing of its wings, legs, and head. According to Anna Dugina, a gemologist at the facility, this is the largest cockroach-like inclusion found there in the past five years.

Dugina explained that the insect was encapsulated in tree resin under ideal conditions — close to the surface, yet far enough from the edge to allow polishing without damaging the specimen. She added that while the insect differs from modern cockroaches, comparable species still exist in today’s tropical regions.

The Kaliningrad Amber Combine is the world’s only industrial-scale amber mining operation, using specialized techniques to preserve amber integrity, especially when it contains prehistoric organisms. This latest find will join over 14,000 items, including more than 3,000 biological inclusions, in the Kaliningrad Regional Amber Museum's collection.

Baltic amber from the Kaliningrad area is renowned for its ability to preserve ancient life in stunning detail. The region, particularly around the village of Yantarny, holds more than 90% of the global amber reserves.

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