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Absorption and Phase Contrast X-Ray Imaging in Paleontology Using Laboratory and Synchrotron Sources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2015

Pidassa Bidola ,
Marco Stockmar ,
Klaus Achterhold ,
Franz Pfeiffer ,
Mírian L.A.F. Pacheco ,
Carmen Soriano ,
Felix Beckmann  and
Julia Herzen
Pidassa Bidola*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
Marco Stockmar
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
Klaus Achterhold
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
Franz Pfeiffer
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
Mírian L.A.F. Pacheco
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Federal University of São Carlos, Campus Sorocaba, 18052780-Sorocaba, SP—Brazil
Carmen Soriano
Affiliation:
Advanced Photon Source—Argonne National Laboratory, 9700S Cass ave, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
Felix Beckmann
Affiliation:
Institute for Materials Research, Helmholtz-Centre Geesthacht, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
Julia Herzen
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
*
*Corresponding author.pidassa.bidola@tum.de
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Abstract

X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) is commonly used for imaging of samples in biomedical or materials science research. Owing to the ability to visualize a sample in a nondestructive way, X-ray μCT is perfectly suited to inspect fossilized specimens, which are mostly unique or rare. In certain regions of the world where important sedimentation events occurred in the Precambrian geological time, several fossilized animals are studied to understand questions related to their origin, environment, and life evolution. This article demonstrates the advantages of applying absorption and phase-contrast CT on the enigmatic fossil Corumbella werneri, one of the oldest known animals capable of building hard parts, originally discovered in Corumbá (Brazil). Different tomographic setups were tested to visualize the fossilized inner structures: a commercial laboratory-based μCT device, two synchrotron-based imaging setups using conventional absorption and propagation-based phase contrast, and a commercial X-ray microscope with a lens-coupled detector system, dedicated for radiography and tomography. Based on our results we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the different imaging setups for paleontological studies.

Keywords

X-ray micro CTsynchrotronfossilspaleontologyCorumbella werneri
Type
Biological Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 21 , Issue 5 , October 2015 , pp. 1288 - 1295
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2015 

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