Hymenaea protera in amber

Dominican amber is a fossil resin of plant origin that comes from the legume Hymenaea protera, dated between 25 and 40 million years ago.

Dominican amber differs from Baltic amber by being more transparent, and by having a greater number of fossil remains.

This piece contains a branch with leaves of Hymenaea protera.

Hymenaea protera It is an extinct tree of the Leguminosae family, and the probable ancestor of the species of Hymenaea current. H. protera It once grew over a wide area from southern Mexico, the Greater Antilles, South America, and the African continent. Morphological and genetic studies have revealed that H. protera It is more related to the species of Hymenaea that still remain in East Africa than with the most numerous species present in America.