BACKGROUND Taphonomic and palaeoecologic studies of obrution beds often employ conventional methods of investigation such as physical removal and extraction of fossils from their host rock (matrix) by mechanical preparation. This often-destructive method is not suitable for studying mold fossils, which are voids left in host rocks due to dissolution of the original organism in post-depositional processes. FINDINGS Microcomputed tomography (µCT) scan data of 24 fossiliferous rock samples revealed thousands of Paleozoic echinoderms. Digitally "stitching" together individually µCT scanned rock samples within three-dimensional (3D) space allows for quantifiable taphonomic data on a fossil echinoderm-rich obrution deposit from the Devonian (Emsian) of South Africa. Here, we provide a brief step-by-step guide on creating, segmenting, and ultimately combining sections of richly fossiliferous beds to create virtual models suited for the quantitative and qualitative taphonomic analyses of fossil invertebrate assemblages. CONCLUSIONS Visualizing the internal features of fossiliferous beds in 3D is an invaluable taphonomic tool for analyzing delicate fossils, accounting for all specimens irrespective of their preservation stages and with minimal damage. This technique is particularly useful for analyzing fossiliferous deposits with mold fossils that prove to be difficult to study with traditional methods, because the method relies on the large density contrast between the mold and host rock.

中文翻译：

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古代渗流床中化石棘皮动物的X射线计算机断层扫描显微数据集：一种可靠的方法，用于进行法律和古生态学分析。

背景技术对流化床的水床学和古生​​态学研究通常采用常规的研究方法，例如通过机械制备从其宿主岩（基质）中物理去除和提取化石。这种经常破坏性的方法不适用于研究霉菌化石，这些化石是由于沉积后过程中原始生物体的溶解而留在宿主岩石中的空隙。研究发现24个化石样品的微计算机断层扫描（µCT）扫描数据揭示了成千上万的古生棘皮动物。在3D（3D）空间内将µCT扫描的岩石样本进行数字“缝合”在一起，从而可以得到来自南非泥盆纪（Emsian）富含化石棘皮瘤的闭塞沉积物的定量的塔隆学数据。在这里，我们提供了有关创建，细分，最后结合丰富的化石床的各个部分，以创建适用于对无脊椎动物化石组合进行定量和定性分析的虚拟模型。结论在3D模式下可视化化石床的内部特征是分析精细化石的无价之宝，可以分析所有标本，无论其保存阶段如何，而且破坏程度最低。该技术对于用霉菌化石分析化石沉积物特别有用，因为用常规方法很难研究，因为该方法依赖于霉菌和基质岩石之间的大密度对比。结论在3D模式下可视化化石床的内部特征是分析精细化石的无价之宝，可以分析所有标本，无论其保存阶段如何，而且破坏程度最低。该技术对于用霉菌化石分析化石沉积物特别有用，因为用传统方法很难证明这种化石化石，因为该方法依赖于霉菌和基质岩石之间的大密度对比。结论在3D模式下可视化化石床的内部特征是分析精细化石的无价工具，可以对所有标本进行分析，无论其保存阶段如何，而且破坏程度最低。该技术对于用霉菌化石分析化石沉积物特别有用，因为用常规方法很难研究，因为该方法依赖于霉菌和基质岩石之间的大密度对比。