The microscopic analysis of microfossils or sedimentological specimens is part of the basic training in palaeontology. Microfossils are often not visible in the field with the naked eye or a magnifying glass. Nevertheless, in order to determine whether a rock contains microfossils, thin sections (slices of rock a few tenths to hundredths of a mm thick) are made from a rock sample, in which cross-sections of microfossils may be visible under the microscope. The microfossils can be obtained by …

The preparation lab offers different preparation methods such as thin-section production, polishes, dye methods, hardening methods and others.

The "Automated Mineralogy Lab" is equipped with a field emission SEM and light microscope for thin section mapping. The Zeiss Sigma 300 VP Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope is equipped with a Zeiss Gemini column, two Bruker Quantax Xflash 60 mm² SSD EDS detectors for quantitative element analysis, one variable pressure secondary electron detector (VPSE), one high definition backscatter detector (HDBSE), one Inlens detector, two Zeiss ATLAS correlative microscopy systems, two …