X-ray microtomography (XMT) of fossil brachiopod shell interiors for taxonomy
Błażej Błażejowski, Marcin Binkowski, Maria Aleksandra Bitner, and Piotr Gieszcz
The ability to see and understand the three−dimensional structure of an investigated object plays a key role in studying fossil remains. All living organisms are formed in three-dimensions, but unfortunately fossilization processes often reduce overall shape, making it difficult to gather information about real overall appearance, functionality, and inner structure. Here, using a specimen of the brachiopod Terebratula terebratula we demonstrate a non−destructive technique for exploring the 3−D internal structure of fossil remains. The use of tomography allows the construction of a set of transverse serial sections in the manner used by brachiopod researchers for decades.
Błażej Błażejowski [bblazej@twarda.pan.pl] and Maria Aleksandra Bitner [bitner@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Paleobiology PAS, Twarda 51/55, Warsaw PL 00-818 Poland; ; Marcin Binkowski [marcin.binkowski@us.edu.pl], Department of Biomedical Computer Systems, Silesia University, Będzińska 39, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland; Piotr Gieszcz [p.gieszcz@twarda.pan.pl], Association of Polish Climatologists, ul. Międzynarodowa 58/36, 03-922 Warszawa, Poland.
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