Elemental mapping can open new frontiers in paleontology and paleobiology by providing spatial geochemical distributions. Micro-XRF and X-ray microanalysis are element mapping technologies that allow non-destructive analysis of even the most sensitive samples. For example:
Plet, C., Grice, K., Pagès, A., Verrall, M., Coolen, M. J., Ruebsam, W., ... & Schwark, L.
Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1-10, 2017
Reolid, Jesús, and Matías Reolid
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 538: 109456, 2020