> How about in the lab in your NDT Non Destruct Testing use:
> NMR  Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.  This is a precursor to like machines
> in the ""X-RAY"" lab, turned into high tech lab.  Perhaps for Universities
> and Museums these machines that resonate atoms by their resonate frequency.
> (electron orbit injection of energy, release of said energy, sense impulse)
> [as in the chemical flame or bead test - this version is electronic and
> NDT.]
>
> Chemicals can be ID with certain peaks.  With this in mind, the various
> minerals a species uses in the glorification of itself would be a good
> source of 'finger printing' species.  Sub species might be sorted this way
> where an eye might not detect the subtle difference in the amount of iron or

In most cases, closely related species will be fairly similar
chemically, at least as far as the inorganic or analytical chemistry
level.  If you get into detailed organic chemistry (DNA sequencing,
antibodies, GC/mass spec, etc.), or possibly stable isotope analysis
(most helpful if there are significant geographic or ecological
diffferences) then more differences are likely to turn up.

Apart from hasty repairs and stray minor bits, mollusk shells are
aragonite and/or calcite.  Both are CaCO3, but calcite has appreciable
levels of Mg replacing Ca and aragonite has appreciable levels of Sr
replacing Ca (based on different crystal structure.)  You can tell
calcite and aragonite apart by X-ray diffraction, chemical stains,
etc. but differences in calcite versus aragonite are generally at
fairly high taxonomic levels in mollusks.

--
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"

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