Description
Madagascar copal is a hardened, partially fossilized tree resin that has been exuded from the tree Hymenaea verrucosa, a relative of extinct trees Hymenaea protera and Hymenaea mexicana, trees responsible for creating Dominican and Mexican amber, respectively. Traditionally, this substance was burned as incense and used to make a hard varnish.
Copal itself is often known as "young amber". When the resin has been exuded from the tree, it falls to the ground, hardens, and is buried under leaves and soil. Eventually, over time, it will be transformed into amber as the volatile organic compounds are replaced by more stable ones, making the resin much harder.
The age of this copal is debated. It is thought that Madagascar copal may be over a million years old, but the general consensus is that much of it is hundreds of thousands of years old. Given that many extinct species have been found in this type of copal, some of these copal specimens are undoubtedly very old. However, because the tree that produces this resin still exists, production of this substance is still ongoing, and some specimens may be only a few decades old.
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