Michael Strange, Utah State University
Geology
For the past century, the standard technique used to interpret soft-tissue preservation in the fossil record has been the camera lucida drawing. A new technique called False Color Treatment (FCT), which uses digital photography and photo manipulation, shows an increased ability to not only interpret soft-tissue features but also identify trace amounts. Hyolithids from the Cambrian of northern Utah were used to test the capabilities of FCT. Results were then compared to camera lucida drawings of the same specimens. Comparisons show the camera lucida drawings missed areas of soft-tissue that FCT found. Depending on the specimen, and the type of preservation, this disparity in interpretations can increase or decrease. Hyolithid specimens from the Spence Shale show an odd form of Burgess Shale Type (BST) preservation which makes them particularly well suited for FCT manipulation. Overall, False Color Treatment provides an informative and aesthetic method for interpreting soft-tissue fossils with BST-like preservation.