ABSTRACT
Non-destructive 3D imaging technology is used to determine if it can aid taxonomic identification of Palaeozoic palaeostome bryozoans. In previous studies it has not proved very successful with calcified specimens because the density contrast between the walls and zooecial infill is too weak to resolve the interior details. However, X-ray Micro Computed Tomography (X-ray µCT) and Microscopy (XRM) can be valuable in other ways and here we present two case studies. The interiors of extremely small, silicified Silurian fenestrate colonies have been visualised enabling us to create ‘digital thin sections’ at resolutions (voxel sizes) between 2.75 and 8.47 µm. The same technique can be used to gain a greater understanding of the borings common in Ordovician bryozoans, enabling construction of a 3D image of the structures produced.
