Synchrotron phase-contrast microtomography of coprolites generates novel palaeobiological data

Martin Qvarnstrom (1) , Grzegorz Niedzwiedzki (1) , Paul Tafforeau (2) , Zivil Zigaite (1) , Per E. Ahlberg (1)

1 Uppsala Univ, Evolutionary Biol Ctr, Dept Organismal Biol, Norbyvagen 18A, S-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
2 ESRF - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

Coprolites (fossil faeces) reveal clues to ancient trophic relations, and contain inclusions representing organisms that are rarely preserved elsewhere. However, much information is lost by classical techniques of investigation, which cannot find and image the inclusions in an adequate manner. We demonstrate that propagation phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography (PPC-SR mu CT) permits high-quality virtual 3D-reconstruction of coprolite inclusions, exemplified by two coprolites from the Upper Triassic locality Krasiejow, Poland; one of the coprolites contains delicate beetle remains, and the other one a partly articulated fish and fragments of bivalves

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Martin Qvarnstrom, Grzegorz Niedzwiedzki, Paul Tafforeau, Zivil Zigaite, Per E. Ahlberg. Synchrotron phase-contrast microtomography of coprolites generates novel palaeobiological data. Scientific Reports, 2017, 7, 6 p. ⟨10.1038/s41598-017-02893-9⟩. ⟨hal-01691861⟩