Separating tiny fossils (IMAGE)

Northwestern University

Separating tiny fossils

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After obtaining drilled samples from the Smithsonian Institution, Chen used a fine-tipped brush to gently sort planktic and benthic foraminifera from the sediment. He also separated pristine shell material from secondary calcium carbonate. Because each fossil is the size of one grain of sand, the process was painstaking and time consuming, Chen said.

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Northwestern University

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