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Controlled chemical cleaning in paleontological preparation: the use of gels on vertebrate fossil remains from the Late Cretaceous of Spain

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Abstract

The conservation of paleontological heritage depends greatly on the diversity and complexity of the materials that compose both the fossils and the matrix that includes and fills them. A common practice in fossil preparation treatments consists in removing part of the surrounding matrix that, in some cases, prevents direct access to the specimens or puts its conservation at risk. For this reasons, it is necessary the use of reliable treatments that do not compromise the fossil stability during the process. Cleaning methods based on the use of gelified solutions can be a remedy for some of those treatments in which the use of traditional techniques put in danger the preservation of the fossils. Here it is discussed the efficacy of different chemical cleaning techniques with gelled solutions using different thickening agents, acids, chelants and surfactants that can be applied to the fossils from Lo Hueco fossil site (Cuenca, Spain).

Resumen

La conservación del patrimonio paleontológico depende en gran medida de la diversidad y complejidad de los materiales que componen tanto los fósiles como la matriz que los incluye y los llena. Una práctica común en los tratamientos de preparación fósil consiste en eliminar parte de la matriz circundante que, en algunos casos, impide el acceso directo a las muestras o pone en riesgo su conservación. Por estas razones, es necesario el uso de tratamientos confiables que no comprometan la estabilidad fósil durante el proceso de eliminación de la matriz. Los métodos de limpieza basados en el uso de soluciones gelificadas pueden ser un remedio para algunos de esos tratamientos en los que el uso de técnicas tradicionales pone en peligro la preservación de los fósiles. Aquí se discute la eficacia de diferentes técnicas de limpieza química con soluciones gelificadas que utilizan diferentes agentes espesantes, ácidos, quelantes y tensioactivos que se pueden aplicar a los fósiles del yacimiento paleontológico de Lo Hueco (Cuenca, España).

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Fig. 1

Modified from Ortega et al. 2015). a General geographic location. b Geological situation inside the Arcas-Fuentes Syncline. c Sections of the Villalba de la Sierra Formation and of the site. Red arrow indicates the level at wich the samples were taken. d Lateral view of the eastern talus of the outcrop during the excavation phase, with the identified lithosomes

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Aknowledgements

The research was supported by the CGL2012-35199 and CGL2015-68363-P projects of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness; by the Ref: PNIC2014-001 project of Plan Nacional de Investigación en Conservación and by the Ayudas a la investigación arqueológica y paleontológica of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. Special thanks to the members of the Grupo de Biología Evolutiva of the UNED (Spain). The samples have been made and analyzed in the laboratory of the Centro de Ayuda a la Investigación (CAI) de Técnicas Geológicas of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Bellas Artes, UCM, C/Pintor el Greco 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Fátima Marcos-Fernández

  2. Grupo de Biología Evolutiva UNED, C/Senda del Rey 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Fátima Marcos-Fernández, Elena Fernández-Fernández, Irene Martínez-Fernández, Susana Bartolomé-Santos, Marta Onrubia-Chinarro & Francisco Ortega

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  1. Fátima Marcos-Fernández
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  2. Elena Fernández-Fernández
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  3. Irene Martínez-Fernández
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  4. Susana Bartolomé-Santos
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  5. Marta Onrubia-Chinarro
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  6. Francisco Ortega
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Correspondence to Fátima Marcos-Fernández.

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Marcos-Fernández, F., Fernández-Fernández, E., Martínez-Fernández, I. et al. Controlled chemical cleaning in paleontological preparation: the use of gels on vertebrate fossil remains from the Late Cretaceous of Spain. J Iber Geol 46, 335–349 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41513-020-00129-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41513-020-00129-w

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