Fossil amber reveals 99-million-year-old tick attached to dinosaur feather

A remarkable piece of Burmese amber has preserved a tick still attached to a dinosaur feather, providing the first direct evidence of parasitic relationships between ticks and feathered dinosaurs. The amber, dated to the mid-Cretaceous, contains a previously unknown tick species. The feather shows damage consistent with feeding. This rare discovery offers a glimpse into the ecological interactions of Cretaceous ecosystems and demonstrates the exceptional preservation potential of amber for studying ancient parasite-host relationships.