The Principles of Stratigraphical GeologyMarr, J. E. (John Edward)
Science
The Principles of Stratigraphical Geology
Marr, J. E. (John Edward)
Geology, Stratigraphic
In argillaceous rocks which have been affected by the processes
producing cleavage, the fossils may be distorted beyond recognition or
owing to the difficulty of breaking the rocks along the original
planes of deposition, may remain invisible. Under such circumstances,
small nodules of sandy or calcareous nature may sometimes be found
included in the argillaceous deposits and may perhaps yield fossils.
Oftentimes, also, where the argillaceous rock is in close proximity
to a harder rock, such as massive grit, the argillaceous rock in
close contiguity to the hard rock may escape the impress of
cleavage-structure, and fossils may be readily extracted from rocks in
this position when not obtainable from other parts of the deposit. It
was under these circumstances that the trilobites alluded to above
were obtained from the Llanberis slates.
The fossils of calcareous rocks are often very obvious, but difficult
to extract, as they break across when the rock is fractured. They are
frequently obtainable in a perfect condition when the rock is
weathered. Occasionally they may be extracted from certain
argillaceous limestones if the limestone be heated to redness, and
suddenly plunged into cold water. Fossils are often found in a state
which enables them to be readily extracted when a limestone is
coarsely crystalline, though they cannot be extracted in a perfect
condition when the same limestone is in a different state.
Many microzoa, which are invisible in rocks, even when viewed through
a lens, may be found in microscopic sections of calcareous and
silicious rocks, and plant structures may be detected under similar
circumstances in the case of carbonaceous rocks.
Various special methods of extracting fossils from rocks have been
described by different writers, many of which are very complex, and
require much time. The mechanical action of the sand-blast and the
solvent action of various acids as hydrochloric and hydrofluosilicic
have been found of use upon different occasions[11]. The various
processes which have been utilised in order to extract and develop
fossils can, however, be best learned by information obtainable from
curators of palæontological collections, and by actual experience,
and there is yet much information to be acquired as to the manner of
extracting fossils from various kinds of rocks.
[Footnote 11: For information concerning use of acids see especially
Wiman, C. "Ueber die Graptoliten," _Bull. Geol. Inst._, Upsala, No. 4,
vol. II. Part II.]
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