Has anyone tried fossil microscopy???

[microbe fanatic]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone has tried to observe fossilized cells. I heard that their has even been such a thing as fossilized DNA! Anyways, I have a piece of petrified wood. Would anyone know the best way to prepare it for viewing? I am guessing I would saw it flat the polish it with a buffering wheel. I have neither of those. I might be able to hand buffer or use a drill. But I would not know how to saw it, any suggestions?

[gekko]

I hope someone else can answer your question; all I can do is welcome you to the forum.

[microbe fanatic]

Thanks!!! do you collect any slides? I have a monarch butterfly wing (it already died), and a somewhat rotted tape covered
flower petal slide so far! I have gotten better at preserving them using school glue and glass slides. Anyways, I think I will just polish one side of it and then use dark field techniques to illuminate the fossil. Thanks again!

[gekko]

I neither collect nor make slides (although I've bought a few). You can find much useful information about making a slide of your butterfly wing on the main MicrobeHunter website and it is well worth spending time checking it out.

[Mintaka]

Never looked at fossils either, but I have been meaning to examine chalk under the microscope. If I understand correctly it is made up of little ancient skeletons. Welcome from my side too!

[Crater Eddie]

Never looked at fossils either, but I have been meaning to examine chalk under the microscope. If I understand correctly it is made up of little ancient skeletons. Welcome from my side too!

Be careful what chalk you try, I think they are making it from a synthetic material these days. Or at least some of it.

And "Welcome to the forum" to the original poster!
CE

[microbe fanatic]

Never looked at fossils either, but I have been meaning to examine chalk under the microscope. If I understand correctly it is made up of little ancient skeletons. Welcome from my side too!

Thanks to all the welcoming posts! I believe that most chalk is made of limestone, limestone contains fossils I believe so
that would indirectly mean it would have been made of skeletons.

[microbe fanatic]

butterflyscales300x.png (58 KiB) Viewed 4300 times

I neither collect nor make slides (although I've bought a few). You can find much useful information about making a slide of your butterfly wing on the main MicrobeHunter website and it is well worth spending time checking it out.

Thanks! I have researched my slides quite a bit actually. I have had them for awhile. Here are some photos of the butterfly wing!