Elemental mapping
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Elemental mapping is a microscopic technique where the abundance of elements on the surface of a sample is determined. It requires the use of a modified scanning electron microscope.
How it works
Uses
Palaeontology
In exceptionally preserved fossils, such as those of the Burgess shale, soft parts of organisms may be preserved. Since these fossils are often compressed into a 2D fil, it can be difficult to deduce what features were what: a famous example is that of triangular extensions in Opabinia, which were interpreted as either legs or extensions of the gut. Elemental mapping showed that they had a similar composition to the gut, favouring the second interpretation.[1]
- For more information about element abundance in the Burgess shale, see Burgess_shale_type_preservation#elemental mapping
References
- ^ Zhang, X. & Briggs, D.E.G. (2007). "The nature and significance of the appendages of Opabinia from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale". Lethaia. 40 (2): 161–173. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.2007.00013.x. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
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