A multi-sample thin section preparation method: interest for the study of fossil eggshells

The discovery of eggshells in paleontological and archaeological contexts is particulary common. Dinosaur eggshells are found in very large numbers, and are the subject of diverse studies, sometimes even entering the field of archaeology. Similarly, ostrich eggs are of taxonomic interest in the identification of the species that laid them, but also archaeologic in the use made of them by humans over time. This type of artefacts sometimes requires the preparation of thin sections to understand their taxonomic affinities and/or possible diagenetic modifications. The production of thin sections of fossil eggshells is a complex process involving expensive materials, consumables and precise skills. Here we propose a new method based on the use of multiple samples per slide which has the advantage of limiting the consumables used, reducing the preparation time, and facilitating the study of the eggshells. This type of method not only allows simultaneous viewing all the eggshells from the same clutch at once but also saving. Finally, the presence of several eggshell samples on the same slide permit a significant time saving time during certain analyzes that require the establishment of a vacuum (cathodluminescence, scanning electron microscope).