Research facilities

Facilities for palaeontological research at UNE are second-to-none in Australia. We employ the latest technology, giving our research and our students a competitive edge.

Our facilities


Hydrofluoric acid labHF Lab

Hydrofluoric acid dissolves rock but leaves organic microfossils intact.


High resolution camera equipmentDigital Imaging

A range of high-res photographic equipment for capturing macro- and microscopic fossils, including a Canon EOS5D with 1-5x macroscopic lens, and a Leica M80 stereomicroscope with IC80 HD camera.


3D Scanner3D Scanning

Top-of-the-line Breuckmann smartSCAN 3D-HE scanner for superior digitisation of 3D specimens.


XRF equipmentX-Ray Fluroscopy

XRF is a non-destructive method for analysing major and trace elements in rocks and minerals. Our equipment includes an Axios PANanalytical XRF and a portable XRF for chemical analysis of geological samples in the lab or in the field.


Scanning Electron Microscope UnitScanning Electron Microscope Unit

Includes a JEOL-JSM-5800LV SEM and JEOL 1200 EX transmission electron microscope as well cas oating capabilities.


Acid labAcid Lab

HCl, formic and acetic acid digestion of carbonates for the extraction of siliceous and phosphatic fossils.


3D reconstructin3D Digital Reconstruction

Mimics is software specially developed for the segmentation of 3D images (coming from CT, MRI, micro-CT, CBCT, 3D Ultrasound, Confocal Microscopy) and the result will be highly accurate 3D models of the subject's anatomy.


Computer generated 3D map of animal jawFinite Element Analysis

Strand 7 is a fully integrated engineering program used to construct detailed 3D finite element models, and run analyses to assess stress and strain in biological, and man-made structures.


Thin sectioning equipmentThin Sectioning

For petrographic and histological analysis.


X-ray diffraction machineX-Ray Diffraction

Philips PW1050. XRD is a non-destructive tool for identifying mineral species within a rock.


Fossil preparation machineryFossil Prep and Rock Processing

Includes a wide range of airscribes, drills, rock saws, grinders, and crushers for rock and fossil preparation.


CT scannerMicro and Medical CT Scanning

A micro and medical-grade GE Lightspeed QXi 4 Slice CT scanner is available on campus at the University of New England.


Geomorph logoStatistical Analysis of Shape

Geomorph R package is software for the statsitical analysis of form (shape + size) a.k.a (morphometrics), used to quantify the morphological diversity of organisms.


Software for Interactive Musculoskeletal ModellingSIMM (Software for Interactive Musculoskeletal Modelling)

SIMM 7.0 is a powerful tool kit that facilitates the modeling, animation, and analysis of 3D musculoskeletal systems.