DNA similarity analysis of a putative ancient bacterial isolate obtained from amber

Bacterial isolate BCA16, a putatively ancient bacterium apparently recovered from the abdominal contents of an insect preserved in amber, was identified by DNA similarity analysis as belonging to similarity group III of the Bacillus sphaericus complex. Thus, it is closely related to strains of this species frequently isolated from soil. Although some strains of B. sphaericus are pathogenic for mosquito larvae, isolate BCA16 is nonpathogenic.