Preparation of Dinosaur Fossils for Scanning Electron Microscopic Evaluation of Bone Histology

Authors

C. Barreto, University of Wisconsin-Madison
R. M. Albrecht, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Abstract

The quality of preservation is a major determinant of the amount and kind of information to be derived from a paleontological specimen. Various fossilization regimes may produce specimens that contain biological information on a microscopic level. Light microscopic inspection of adolescent fossil dinosaur bones from the Two Medicine Formation (northwestern Montana) revealed that precise preservation of tissue may occur at a cellular level. In the following report, we test and compare techniques of specimen preparation for examination by scanning electron microscopy and illustrate an example of faithful preservation of dinosaur bone histology.

Recommended Citation

Barreto, C. and Albrecht, R. M. (1993) "Preparation of Dinosaur Fossils for Scanning Electron Microscopic Evaluation of Bone Histology," Scanning Microscopy: Vol. 7: No. 2, Article 29.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy/vol7/iss2/29