Article: Elemental mapping: a technique for investigating delicate phosphatized fossil soft tissues

Some phosphatized soft tissues of vertebrates and invertebrates from the Santana Formation (Cretaceous) of Brazil are too delicate to withstand acid preparation despite their relative insolubility. Examination of sectioned specimens using energy dispersive analytical systems attached to scanning electron microscopes provides an alternative method. This allows the nature of such delicate fossil soft tissues to be seen for the first time, and the relationship of fossil soft tissues to skeletal elements, to other diagenetic mineral phases and to sedimentary structures to be examined.