NEW ADVANCES IN THE THREE-DEMENSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION OF TRACE FOSSILS
Reliable identification and classification of trace fossils are essential to ichnological research,and the morphology of trace fossil is the key to taxonomic identification.Epichnia and hypichnia can be clearly observed on the bedding surface.However,the three-dimensional characterization of endichnia is difficult,and represents a major obstacle in ichnological research.In previous studies,three-dimensional reconstruction of trace fossils was generally based on the information obtained by serial grinding.However,with the development of new technologies,various methods have been used in ichnological research.X-ray imaging in combination with serial grinding can be used to visualize endichnia that are distinct from their host rocks in lithology and density,thus allowing their three-dimensional reconstruction.Magnetic resonance imaging is another method that can be used in the three-dimensional reconstruction of endichnia.In this paper,the authors report promising results from the application of X ray computed tomography in the three-dimensional morphological characterization of trace fossils.Phase contrast-based synchrotron X-ray microtomography is considered as the most optimal method in the three-dimensional characterization of body fossils,but it has not been used in the study of trace fossils yet;this technology has promise to be a powerful tool in the three-dimensional visualization of trace fossils in the future.
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
维普
