The earliest amber from the Middle Devonian of China

Resin production is a major innovation in land plants, signaling the evolution of specialized secretory systems, complex terpenoid biosynthesis, and defensive and wound-sealing functions. Yet its origin remains poorly constrained because fossilized resin (amber) is exceedingly rare in Paleozoic deposits, with the earliest widely accepted amber record from the Late Carboniferous. Here we report the earliest known amber from the Middle Devonian of China (~385 million years old), extending the geological record of amber by ~65 million years. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry reveal chemical signatures comparable to conifer-type amber. These data indicate that some Middle Devonian vascular plants—most plausibly progymnosperms or arborescent lycopsids—had already evolved biosynthetic capacity consistent with terpene synthase. The early emergence of resin production may have promoted the ecological success of Devonian-Carboniferous terrestrial floras by enhancing protection and wound sealing.