emmytee Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 (edited) I came up with the idea to do an independent study in school when I realized that my school's natural history course and the art class I wanted to take didn't fit into my schedule. Therefore, I am going to combine the two and study fossil preparation. I have already run this by a few teachers and the Head of my school and they like the idea, but I must come up with a curriculum. I was thinking of doing some physical prep on some Green River fish, but I would also like to try a chemical form of prep, for which I may need to use a different type of fossil. I also plan on hunting some dinosaur tracks and making some casts. I believe I must do some research papers along the way, and if I do chemical prep, I'd write a lab report. Any suggestions for fossils on which I can use mainly chemical prep? Any suggestions for my curriculum? Thanks for the help! Emily Edit: I also plan to make blog posts on TFF to track my progress! Edited November 14, 2009 by emmytee I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 I have used chemical prep extensively when cleaning up Devonian horn corals (Arcona, Ontario). They eroded out of rotting limestone, still have/had some limestone matrix attached. I use vinegar to loosen up that unwanted limestone and watch the progress of the reaction like a hawk. When I judge it to have done some work, I rinse it off and go at the specimen with a steel probe under the binocular microscope. The coral proper comes out somewhat bleached, but that is not an unpleasant presentation as it gives great contrast with the remaining limestone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 echinoids in marly matrix. echinoid tests are calcite, which is a more stable polymorph of CaCO3 than the limey matrix, so you can get rid of the matrix more with chemical prep without hurting the tests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmytee Posted November 14, 2009 Author Share Posted November 14, 2009 cool suggestions! ill be sure to check them out. i just need to find some haha I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Placoderms Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 (edited) Emmytee, Some of the more experience collectors have turned me on to RockQuat. I use it on crinoid and blastoid calyx's along with enrolled trilobites. I've attached some additional information from an article called "Fossil Preparation: A Chemist's Viewpoint" by Larry Osterberger. If you'd like some RockQuat along with some unprepped fossils let me know. Edited November 15, 2009 by Placoderms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmytee Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 thanks that will be really helpful! do you know what exactly RockQuat is made of? i will need to know it if i write a lab report. i'll send u a pm about the unprepped fossils I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Placoderms Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 It is also known as "Quarternary Ammonium Compound" what ever that is... I assume this the same stuff: http://www.biocel.ie/html/disinfectant.html That's about the extent of my knowledge on the subject. I'll look for your e-mail, I joined the forum to get rid of some of my fossils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmytee Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 cool! i can use that on my goats too hahahaha. I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Two techniques come to mind when I think of the chemical preparation of fossils. First is freeing silicified, fossils from limestone. Dilute hydrochloric acid (about 5 wt %) is used to dissolve the limestone freeing the silicified fossils. Second, is the dissolution of a fossil in shale with an acid forming a cavity or mold in the shale. Then the cavity is filled with a latex resin. When the resin solidifies the latex is pulled from the cavity or mold and you have a representation of the animal. JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmytee Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 Two techniques come to mind when I think of the chemical preparation of fossils. First is freeing silicified, fossils from limestone. Dilute hydrochloric acid (about 5 wt %) is used to dissolve the limestone freeing the silicified fossils. Second, is the dissolution of a fossil in shale with an acid forming a cavity or mold in the shale. Then the cavity is filled with a latex resin. When the resin solidifies the latex is pulled from the cavity or mold and you have a representation of the animal. JKFoam very interesting. thank you! -Emily I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 I've used vinegar to dissolve and/or soften calcite-cemented sandstone nodules. If the grain size is small enough, the grains fall away during acid bathing; if the grains are too large, they stay, and can be brushed off, or can be softened for preparation with pneumatic tools. Bobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmytee Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 there are a few different methods here, maybe i'll try each of them in my lab experiment and report which works the best! I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Ditto what jk said. Here is a nice ramos bryozoan that I prepped with a more concentrated HCl. Unfortunately, I don't have a before, but just the tips were exposed. The bryozoan(trepostomate) is silicified in a carbonate matrix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fig rocks Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Emily, if you're into chemical prep, maybe you should try something like the lady on that 60 mins show was doing, dissolving dino bones in acid. Maybe you will come up with some blood vessels or cellular material. Seems to me more research is needed in that area and you'd be on the cutting edge of research! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmytee Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 Emily, if you're into chemical prep, maybe you should try something like the lady on that 60 mins show was doing, dissolving dino bones in acid. Maybe you will come up with some blood vessels or cellular material. Seems to me more research is needed in that area and you'd be on the cutting edge of research! haha i wouldnt dare! I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmytee Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 UPDATE: My independent study has been approved, and I will officially begin on monday. I am writing up a syllabus that should last me until the end of the school year. I have quite a few ideas, but I'll probably run out before the end of the year. I would like to know some of your ideas of different topics for short papers on paleontology. Looking forward to reading your response! -Emily I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~ E. B. White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Congratulations! You now stand at the nexus of art and science; show 'em how cool the world is there. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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