Hidden Structure of Fossils Revealed by Neutron and X-Ray Tomography

In the past, meaningful information about the internal features of plant and animal fossils has only been accessible through the application of irreversible destructive procedures to rare and in many cases irreplaceable fossils. Now, neutron tomography (NT) complemented with X-ray computer assisted tomography (CT or CAT-Scan), both Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) techniques, can be applied as research tools for detecting and visualizing hidden and unknown structures of plant and animal fossils, especially when they are embedded within a rock matrix. These analytical tools, available at the SANRAD facility of the SAFARI-1 nuclear research reactor in South Africa, have recently been used to investigate several palaeontological specimens. The success of both analytical techniques, in the scanning of a variety of plant and animal fossils, was found to be heavily influenced by the type of fossil preservation and the chemical composition of the matrix and its density. Furthermore, objects could not exceed similar to 20cm in diameter due to excessive attenuation of the incident radiation. In this paper the findings of the latest research, utilizing X-ray- and neutron tomography as analyzing tools, on several plant and animal fossils are discussed.