Dm750p

Tissue sections were decolorized with xylene and ethanol, and stained with hematoxylin to stain the nucleus. The excess hematoxylin was removed by washing in tap water, and then the cytoplasm was stained with eosin. Representative images of HE staining were captured using an optical microscope (Leica, DM750P).

Fossils specimens were photographed using a digital camera (D3X-Nikon with Nikon Micro-Nikkor 60 mm lens) and measured (lengths, distances, angles) from high-resolution digital images by using Image J, a public domain processing program. Polished and lithological thin sections were made using standard methods and observed under binocular stereo-microscope (Leica MZ125 and Leica DM750P). Elemental maps were acquired using a Tornado M4 micro-XRF system (Bruker, Germany) equipped with a silicon drift detector and a Rh source operating at 50 kV and 600 µA. A spot size of 40 µm was employed with dwell times of 7 ms/pixel, and mapping was performed under vacuum. Image processing included spectral deconvolution and 3-pixel averaging. Tomographic images of ROMIP 57013 were obtained via the same methods and with the same machine as in Kouraiss et al.^{69 (link)}.

For cross-sectional images the tubes were sectioned into thin segments of approximately 1 mm thickness cut perpendicular to the tube’s long axis. The images of the tube’s walls were obtained after sectioning along the tube’s long axis. The samples were placed in glass bottom 35 mm-dishes (MatTek Corporation, P35G-1.5-14-C) filled with milliΩ water. The samples were then imaged in between two perpendicular light polarizers using a Leica DM750 P instrument in reflection mode with a ×4 magnification using Leica Application Suite V4.2 software. A sample stage allowed for the precise rotation and x, y-positioning of the samples. Cross-sectional images were stitched using the ImageJ plugin tools “MosaicJ” and Grid/Collection Stitching by Preibisch et al^{41 (link)}. Bright-field images were recorded using the same instrument without the light polarizers.