Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) and its application to fossil dinoflagellate cysts

by Susanne Feist-Burkhardt Institute for Geology and Palaeontology Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany and Jörg Pross Institute and Museum for Geology and Palaeontology University of Tübingen, Germany

This contribution has been presented in a similar form as a lecture and a poster presentation at DINO 6, the Sixth International Conference on Modern and Fossil Dinoflagellates, June, 7 - 12, 1998 in Trondheim, Norway, and displays parts of the publication:
FEIST-BURKHARDT, S. & PROSS, J. (1999): Morphological analysis and description of Middle Jurassic dinoflagellate cyst marker species using confocal laser scanning microscopy, digital optical microscopy, and conventional light microscopy. – Bull. Centre Rech. Elf Explor. Prod., [1998] 22(1): 103-145, 3 fig., 16 pl.; Pau.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. What is CLSM and how does it work?
3. Image acquisition
4. Application of CLSM to fossil dinoflagellate cysts -
   Examples from some Middle Jurassic taxa:
   a) Protobatioladinium mercieri
   b) Wanaea cornucavata
   c) Hapsidaulax margarethae
5. Summary of experiences
6. Advantages of CLSM in the application to fossil dinoflagellate cysts
7. Conclusions and Outlook
8. Acknowledgements