The adventures of Dr. Poinar got me enthused about my upcoming historical geology class, taught by my friend and Head Web Dog Daddy, Dr. Paul Howell . Paul seemed to think the paleontology angle would be cool for the Dogs and the Amber page was born. A Window to the Past . Both books are extraordinary and a must read for persons interested in the subject. You will find though, both men differ in how they approach research and use of amber specimens in that research.
Ethics can be subjective, and both researchers state their case well.
Go to the links and discover more about this mysterious substance. Amber comes from resin formed by various conifer trees. Resins contain aromatic chemicals called terpenes which make them volatile, or flammable. Burning amber or copal as incense has been done for thousands of years. Volatiles evaporate into the air from conifers in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee producing the smokey haze that gives the mountains their name.