A new preparatory approach of decapod and thoracican crustaceans from the Middle Danian at Fakse, Denmark

Many papers on the taxonomy of fossil crustaceans are often based upon poorly preserved material and/or specimens that have been insufficiently prepared. The purpose of the present note is to outline some preparation methods that are applied in our (J.S.H. Collins and S.L.J.) ongoing studies of anomuran and brachyuran decapods from the Middle Danian limestones at Fakse quarry (Denmark), which have greatly enhanced the quality of our material. The techniques briefly outlined here involve: 1 – staining method; 2 – water blasting (as a cleaning tool in preparation of fossils); and 3 – negative preparation (with acid). Some of these techniques will have wide applications in other fields of paleontological research.