Fossils from Russia

Russia has a large and varied fossil record spanning almost every geological period, although many of its sites remain understudied or poorly accessible.

The Udurchukan Formation, found in the Amur region of the Russian Far East, is from the Late Cretaceous and is known for its rich dinosaur fauna. Notable finds include hadrosaurs like Amurosaurus, along with various theropods, turtles, and plant material.

The Zaza Formation, located in Buryatia, is (probably!) Aptian in age and best known for its well-preserved insect and plant fossils. The preservation is often exceptional, with delicate wings and leaf impressions recorded in fine-grained shales. This formation has contributed significantly to our understanding of Early Cretaceous terrestrial life.

The Khasurty Fossil Site, also in Buryatia, is another important Cretaceous site, preserving a range of freshwater fish and insects. The material from here is sometimes compared to the Zaza Formation in terms of age and quality of preservation.

Russia is also one of the most important sources of amber, particularly from the Kaliningrad region. The amber here dates to the Eocene and is commercially known as Baltic amber. It often contains a wide range of inclusions — mainly insects and plant fragments — and has been collected for both scientific and decorative purposes for centuries.

Also known from Russia are a more modern ‘fossil’, which… isn’t really a fossil. As some of the worlds permafrost melts in Alaska, Canada, and Russia, mammoth carcasses are being revealed.

In recent years woolly mammoth and woolly rhinoceras jaws, teeth, hair and tusks from Siberia have been flooding onto the market. Many of these are from black market ‘miners’ who do not have permission to dig on the land.

Russia