Facilities and Equipment

The paleontology lab is set up for specimen study and high quality imaging. Multiple specimen cabinets allow secure on-site specimen storage, and preparatory tools allow for easy cleaning and preparation of newly acquired specimens. Macro- and microscopic imaging can all be done in-house, and access to the West Virginia University Shared Research Facilities permits easy use of Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopes. The lab also has computing equipment for phylogenetic, biogeographic, morphometric, and evolutionary rate analyses.

FOSSIL PREPARATION

The lab is equipped for the preparation and conservation of newly acquired fossils, including air scribes and a variety of picks and probes. Soft tissue dissection kits are also available for comparative work on extant organisms.

SPECIMEN IMAGING

Light microscopes are available for specimen study with inbuilt digital cameras for fine detail photography. Canon Digital SLR cameras combined with both standard and UltraViolet light sources facilitate high quality imaging.

Access to wvu shared research facilities

Full access to the shared research facilities hosting SEM and TEM imaging, XRD analysis, fluorescent microscopy, and ultramicrotome sectioning.