A micro X-ray computed tomography dataset of fossil echinoderms in an ancient obrution bed : a robust method for taphonomic and palaeoecologic analyses.
Date
2019-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Abstract
Background: Taphonomic and palaeoecologic studies of obrution beds often employ conventional methods of investigation such as physical removal and extraction of fossils from their host rock (matrix) by mechanical preparation. This often-destructive method is not suitable for studying mold fossils, which are voids left in host rocks due to dissolution of the original organism in post-depositional processes.
Findings: Microcomputed tomography (µCT) scan data of 24 fossiliferous rock samples revealed thousands of Paleozoic echinoderms. Digitally "stitching" together individually µCT scanned rock samples within three-dimensional (3D) space allows for quantifiable taphonomic data on a fossil echinoderm-rich obrution deposit from the Devonian (Emsian) of South Africa. Here, we provide a brief step-by-step guide on creating, segmenting, and ultimately combining sections of richly fossiliferous beds to create virtual models suited for the quantitative and qualitative taphonomic analyses of fossil invertebrate assemblages.
Conclusions: Visualizing the internal features of fossiliferous beds in 3D is an invaluable taphonomic tool for analyzing delicate fossils, accounting for all specimens irrespective of their preservation stages and with minimal damage. This technique is particularly useful for analyzing fossiliferous deposits with mold fossils that prove to be difficult to study with traditional methods, because the method relies on the large density contrast between the mold and host rock.
Description
CITATION: Reid, M., et al. 2019. A micro X-ray computed tomography dataset of fossil echinoderms in an ancient obrution bed: a robust method for taphonomic and palaeoecologic analyses. GigaScience, 8(3):1-8 doi:10.1093/gigascience/giy156
The original publication is available at https://academic.oup.com/gigascience
The original publication is available at https://academic.oup.com/gigascience
Keywords
Microcomputed tomography, Three-dimensional imaging in taphonomy, 3D imaging in taphonomy, Virtual reality in paleoecology, Obrution deposit -- Tomography, Echinoderms -- Tomography
Citation
Reid, M., et al. 2019. A micro X-ray computed tomography dataset of fossil echinoderms in an ancient obrution bed: a robust method for taphonomic and palaeoecologic analyses. GigaScience, 8(3):1-8 doi:10.1093/gigascience/giy156