Preservation of Brachiopods

[brianjb]

As I said in my previous post I am a newbie in need of help. This is not an identification issue but a handling/conservation issue. Many of the specimens I have collected contain brachiopods, I think an atypa species from 3 to 20mm across. Almost every time I have broken a rock open the brown fossil is exposed in the grey shale. In some cases the body of the fossil falls out immediately. In some cases it has fallen out when the fossil dries. How can I preserve these tiny fragile things? I would love to be able to see them under a microscope once I can get my hands on one.

[Joe Botting]

They're very difficult, Brian. I know the sort of thing you mean, and it's an internal mould, probably originally pyritised, and then oxidised. The only suggestion I can make is to try consolidating it with some form of glue, in dilute solution - something like paraloid B72 in acetone. The material should be porous enough to absorb the solution, and if you keep applying small amounts to the surface it should be possible to harden it sufficiently to keep it intact. Worth a try, anyway!