两种微体化石三维无损成像技术的对比

THREE DIMENSIONAL NONDESTRUCTIVE IMAGING TECHNIQUES FOR THE MICROFOSSILS:A COMPARISON

近年来,各种X射线三维无损成像技术在古生物学领域的应用越来越广泛。但是,不同的X射线三维无损成像技术针对不同保存类型和尺寸的化石标本在成像效果上各有利弊。本文以埃迪卡拉纪陡山沱组磷酸盐化的动物胚胎化石为研究对象,将目前应用最广的两种X射线三维无损成像方法,即基于实验室X光源的吸收衬度显微断层成像技术和基于同步辐射光源的相位衬度显微断层成像技术进行了对比分析。通过对两种技术的原理、效率、空间分辨率和图像衬度的对比,认为基于同步辐射光源的相位衬度显微断层成像技术是目前对于均一矿化的微体化石最佳的三维无损成像解决方案。

After X-ray was discovered by Wilhelm Konrad Rontgen in 1895, X-ray imaging techniques have been em- ployed in paleontology for more than a century, and have made great contributions to nondestructive studies of the fossil specimens. Here we used two kinds of X-ray three dimensional （3D） nondestructive imaging techniques, ab- sorption contrast- and phase contrast-based X-ray microtomography, to reconstruct the Ediacaran Doushantuo animal embryo fossils. Comparisons of the image contrast, spatial resolution and efficiency between the two techniques demonstrate that the phase contrast-based synchrotron X-ray microtomography is more powerful for 3D nondestruc- tive studies of homogeneously permineralized microfossils.