Amber Fossil

Amber Fossil is one of the smaller fossil points of interest generated by the Ancient Specimen story trait. It appears on the same asteroid as the main specimen and the other companion fossils, and it is usually found in a Marsh biome. Unlike the larger specimen, it is associated with Zombie Spores rather than extreme heat or cold, so the main hazard around it is exposure to germ-infested materials and gases.

A Duplicant with Masterworks can excavate Amber Fossil. To be excavated, it must be fully supported on solid floor and cannot be entombed. Once discovered, no special action is required to begin excavating it. After excavation, the fossil can be deconstructed even if the story trait has not yet been completed. The site is typically partially buried in mixed terrain and may be surrounded by Fossil, Fertilizer, Sandstone, and Sand, with open spaces filled by a small amount of Carbon Dioxide.

Amber Fossil is part of the larger Ancient Specimen chain that eventually becomes the Fossil Quarry. When all four fossil points of interest are excavated, the story trait is ready for completion through the interface notifications. Completing it transforms the Ancient Specimen into the Fossil Quarry and awards a Keepsake, the Critter Collar, which can be displayed on a Pedestal. The Fossil Quarry still functions afterward, but it behaves differently from the original specimen: it emits light and can be used to produce Fossil, at the cost of Masterworks skill and 1 kg of Diamond for every 100 kg of Fossil.

Amber Fossil matters most because Fossil is a useful industrial resource. Fossil can be processed in a Rock Crusher into Lime and Sedimentary Rock, and unlike most Rock Crusher inputs it does not become Sand. The standard output ratio is 100 kg Fossil = 5 kg Lime + 95 kg Sedimentary Rock. This makes Fossil especially valuable for Steel production, since it provides an alternative source of Lime.

• Amber Fossil itself is not the main resource source; its value is in being one of the excavatable pieces tied to the Ancient Specimen story trait.
• If you want to clear the site safely, deal with the surrounding Zombie Spores and infected materials before or during excavation.
• Because Fossil is useful in the Rock Crusher and can also be generated from the completed Fossil Quarry, excavating the specimen early helps establish a renewable industrial loop in the Spaced Out! DLC when combined with Diamond, Rock Crusher processing, Hatches, Kiln, and Diamond Press.
• The excavation site can be worked once the fossil is accessible; it does not need the story trait to be completed first.