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Showing results for tags 'preservation'.
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Megalodon tooth consolidant application for conservation?
Footfootprint posted a topic in Fossil Preparation
So I have recently aquired a rather large megalodon tooth from Indonesia in excellent condition and, needless to say, it wasn't cheap. I want to make sure if lasts in good shape while I'm alive, at least , haha. So, other than the storage and handling itself (separate topic), I have three questions regarding the preservation of the tooth against any potential long-term degradation from temperature/moisture and consolidants: Should I apply any type of consolidant to preserve it? If so, should I apply it to the root only, or also to the hairline cracks in the tooth crown, where the underlying matrix is itself microscopically exposed to the elements? Also, Is there a consolidant that has a neutral, non-glossy appearance after application? (I dislike the unnatural glossy look that paraloid B-72 and other acrylic consolidants give fossils after application. At the same time, if I'm applying it to the crown as well, those are naturally lustrous, so a substance that would leave a matte look after application is also undesirable as it would degrade the beautiful look of the tooth crown.)
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i have a fragile dino bone. i dipped and soaked it into butvar b-76 solution at 5% w/v. after taking it out it broke into two at what looked like a crack/weak point. it seems the acetone weakened it? i thought this was supposed to be strengthening potential weak points such as cracks that were not separated yet. or, should i be breaking the bone apart at potential cracks and glueing it before soaking in butvar? what type of glue to use? attached before and after pics. butvar also left a white film. it was not full blown separated before dunking, it was one piece with a crack
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what size and type of “needle” to apply butvar/paraloid into small bone cracks?
Alberta_Cretaceous posted a topic in Fossil Preparation
looking to confirm which type of needle/application tool to insert the liquid into small dinosaur bone cracks! -
Greetings everyone! I had what may be a silly question. I have been trying to find ways to store my fossil collection to allow for individual handling while protecting them, and had come upon what seemed like an ideal low-cost solution at the time, but about which I am now having second thoughts. I found some small plastic bags, of the type used to hold party favors or baked goods, which came with ties. (Picture is attached.) I have heard of museums discouraging people from touching the artifacts as the oils from our hands/skin damage them over time and thought the same might apply to fossils. The bags would allow handling of the fossils with clear visibility while avoiding unnecessary damage to the specimens, or such was my thought process at the time. Now, however, I am beginning to second-guess this idea, especially since some of the fossils have had mineral oil applied to protect them/make the details easier to see prior to being bagged. Is this a viable long-term strategy, or should I try to find a different method? I would appreciate any help you all could provide. Thank you!
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where to purchase butvar b-76 (or similar) that ships to canada?
Alberta_Cretaceous posted a topic in Fossil Preparation
i cant find anywhere! -
Diatomite Fossil Preservation (Paper Thin Examples from NV)
Toothie posted a topic in Fossil Preparation
Hello, I did some research, but I didn't find anything on how to preserve paper thin diatomite fossils. I don't know if it's the same way to preserve the paper thin examples as it is with the thicker examples? Also, how do I apply the preserve to the paper thin fossils without breaking them. Some of the fossils already crumbled in my had when I was gently picking them up. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. It is truly appreciated.
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Differences between teeth of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
LauraMedea posted a topic in General Fossil Discussion
Hello everyone, I have a question to ask the experts on the forum regarding the teeth of the Spinosaurus. I was wondering what caused the presence or lack of the common vertical grooves on the crown of the tooth. I have seen that some teeth, described by the sellers as natural and having intact enamel, have these grooves very marked, in others they are practically absent (e.g. pics below). Does this depend on the state of preservation, the age of the animal, the position of the tooth within the mouth or what?Thanks to anyone who can give me the infos
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How can I keep this sandstone fossil from crumbling?
EntomoloJosh posted a topic in Fossil Preparation
Hello, Yesterday I collected some bivalves from a local sandgate formation site. Most of the ones I collected are in ironstone so should be relatively not-fragile, but the one pictured is an imprint into sandstone and so it is much more fragile. I'm wondering what would be the best method to keep it from crumbling or being damaged (ie adding consolidant, etc.) Thank you!
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Hello dear fellow forum members. After a long time finally something I found myself again. Went on a trip to some locations of my youth in the "Oberbergisches Land" region of North-rhine-westphalia. The usual rock there is devonian Greywacke, which is much used as a very hard building material. Crinoid stem sections of 5-10 mm diameter are abundant in spots, usually they form rust colored layers in the otherwise dark grey wacke. Among blocks of the usual grey stuff that had at least been moved to close an old quarry I found a piece of an unusually soft, chalky yellowish stuff with a crinoid hash of very thin (about 2-3mm) segments. It does not foam or fizz at all with acetic acid. (the dark brown spot in the pic is still wet). The spotted clast in the middle of the closeup pic caught my eye. I wonder if it is a piece of crinoid anatomy or rather a piece of pumice. Could this be volcanic ash containing crinoids? Scale in cm/mm obviously. Best regards, J
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Best-preserved trilobite fossils ever found jolt scientific community - Earth.com Enjoy! Steve
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How do I identify, preserve, and display this big guy?
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I found this mammoth molar piece in North Florida submerged in the water yesterday. It is extremely brittle and flaky. How do I care for this right now, and how do I preserve it?
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The majority of fossil specimens are a solid color because typically they are all composed of the same mineral and fossilize under the same conditions at the same time however it is very common for petrified wood to contain a variety of colors. Why? How does this occur when it used to just be wood? I found this piece the other day which got me thinking about it. There is a variety of browns, some white and even a couple streaks of red and green most visible when wet. Also part of it has a crumbly texture similar to wood that has been underwater for a while. How does all this happen in a single specimen? Edit: Better photos
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Been using paraloid for a while now but I've found that it dries way too quickly making it difficult to achieve a smooth and consistent finish. I've heard I could use isopropyl alcohol instead of acetone which takes longer to evaporate which could be useful in allowing me to cover my entire specimens with an even layer. I was wondering if anyone else has tried this and if so I was wondering if there was anything I needed to know before trying this. I also wanted to ask about concentrations, at the moment I'm using a roughly 2% mixture to improve contrast and minimise that dusty look you get on many fossils on some brachiopods I found in Morocco. Is this the correct concentration? I hope someone can provide some insight here. Thanks.
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Hello! I have this iridescent Petalodus tooth that I would like to preserve. Firstly, it has a severe crack though the matrix (see pictures). Secondly, is there anything that I should do with the tooth itself? What are my options? I appreciate your help.
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Mouth of Anomalocaris
crimsonfossils posted a topic in Partners in Paleontology - Member Contributions to Science
Contributed this anomalocaris mouth to my university’s collection for research. Owner of the quarry said he only finds one every decade or so. Found in the Wheeler Formation in Utah (a Konzentrat-Lagerstätte where soft bodied organism can be preserved).
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Based on comments in the Fossil Forum, I am not the only one who has had prized specimens reduced to small piles of rubble (e.g., a prized ammonite and a prized evaporite mineral). There appears to be at least two types of problems with preservation: 1) reactive iron sulfide oxidation after exposure to atmospheric humidity (marcasite, greigite, mackinawite etc.; pyrite appears to be relatively more resistant), and drying out of specimens (I have some isotelus trilobites that have become more brittle with age). I was wondering what other members have done to forestall this problem. I have read that a coating of polyvinyl acetate dissolved in acetone has been successfully used by some. Have others exercised this option? What other options are available? It would be helpful if sources of preservation material supplies were given with other preservation options. Thank you in advance.
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Preservation of colour in fossil shells
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon posted a topic in Questions & Answers
Hi all, Some time ago I found this shell in (what I believe to be) the French Upper Muschelkalk (Triassic). Now I'm not into shells myself, but to judge from the remains of operculum on the underside of it, the specimen concerns an oyster. Most strikingly, however, the shell has a pattern of darker-coloured lines that do not correspond to any three-dimensional/elevational differences on the shell surface - which is, in fact, entirely flat. I haven't seen this on a fossil shell before. Now when doing a Google search for my response on whether it would be possible for crustacean carapaces to retain traces of their original colour, I bumped into an article that described that molluscs may incorporate melanin in the calcite of their shells to create the colour patterns we see (e.g., here). This got me wondering: could the lines I'm seeing indeed be traces of the original melanin pigmentation of this shell? And, if so, how common is this phenomenon? Does anybody else have examples of such shells? I'd also be very happy if someone could furnish me with a genus or species name to go with my specimen. But here I'd like to primarily raise the topic of ancient colour reconstruction in shells.
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I posted a topic in the prep subforum, but I guess it's also a general question. I notice that a lot of dinosaur claws from Niger have raised patches of black material on them and I'm wondering what this is. Is it hard rock/matrix attached to the bone or are they remnants of the original bone. Sometimes they seem to have some bone texture, other times they are very rough and rugose. Here are a few photos of what I mean. @LordTrilobite@jpc
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Have a collection of what appear to fossils though none authenticated, samples below. If correct, as they come in different media. Closest have found regarding simple care is a mixture of water and Elmers glue mixed up to to 90-10. Results are disappointing bt would like to have advice as some turn rust colored after a while. Additional question, is it advisable to wash salt from sea off before storing? Many different varieties including fossilized bone.
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Hello again! I have done my first experiment with Butvar 76 after drying my Green River fish fossils for 15 days. For this first experiment I selected a thin partially complete Diplomystus from the lower quality end of my haul last month. I gently blew compressed air over the fossil which had been picked lightly with a dental tool, then applied my mix of Butvar-76 and acetone. I found different recommendations for the ratio, and probably used to much powder in my solution because as you can see, upon returning from work I found that small bubbles were trapped inside. I assume the surface tension was too high to allow them to escape as a result of using too thick Butvar. For my next experiment I will thin it out, and brush on thin coats and apply them one at a time instead of thickly applying it. I also noticed that some of the stone dust washed into the solution above the fossils midsection in the depressions between the thin bones. Feel free to critique my first attempt and give any advice.
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Preservation/Sealing of extremely fragile Green River Limestone
Superhedger posted a topic in Fossil Preparation
Hello, My wife and I recently returned from the Green River Formation in SW Wyoming and have about 20 decent fish fossils. The limestone was wet from snow melt and is currently drying out on a table. My question is, what is the best medium to use to seal them forever? I have read about using Elmers-Glue All, Butvar and other resins, and clear lacquer. I read through some posts on this but they seemed more focused on cleaning/detailing the fossils which I have done as much as I am willing to risk already with an air blower and dental pick. Once they are dry, what is the best method to seal them completely with a clear finish so I can give some as gifts and not worry about how fragile they are?
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Greetings! I just learned about pyrite disease and got really scared. Is it really common to happen to a fossil? Is it present this possibility for every fossil? How do I recognize it if it starts happeningnon a fossil? How to prevent it from happening? How do I stop it if it happens? Please help me because I start to become paranoid....
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Does anyone know of deposits other than the LeGrand crinoids where each species is preserved in a different characteristic color, all on the same slab? We have this kind of thing in the brachiopods and trilobites of the Decorah Formation (Late Ordovician) here in Missouri, which is what got me thinking about it. But I've never seen a report summarizing other cases of this phenomenon, and as I think about it I'm not sure I can name any others. Can you? Brachiopod photo info: A= Zygospira B= Rafinesquina C= Doleroides 1 = Isotelus, rusty brown 2 = ?Achatella, light gray. Highway M near Antonia, Jefferson County Decorah Formation, Late Ordovician, ~450 million years old
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Hi there! I am brand new to the forum, but have been a fossil lover all my life. I am hoping to learn the best way to preserve sandstone leaf fossils. I've been finding them since I was a kid and my mother use to coat they in polyurethane, I believe. I'm just not convinced this is the best practice. I imagine the chemicals would deteriorate the stone overtime? Anyways, I would appreciate any and all advice. Thanks in advance! Dea
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