A method for separating acid-insoluble microfossils from organic debris

A method for separating acid-insoluble microfossils from unwanted organic debris utilizes the presence of cavities in such microfossils (dinoflagellates, acritarchs, spores and pollen). Residues produced by standard palynological preparation techniques are suspended in alcohol, and the microfossils absorb a sufficient amount of the alcohol to reduce their average density and settling rates relative to that of organic debris.