It seems to me that, if you want to do C-14 work in the future, that you would be best off reserving a sample and *NOT* treating it with *ANYTHING* rather than trying to find the perfect consolidant that will leave no contamination. The people I know who are working with amino acid traces in dino bones view any glue, consolidant, coating, sweaty human handprint, or prolonged exposure as a source of contamination. As one colleague phrased it, "We don't touch these things with WATER, let alone anything else." A lot of old field processes were based on the assumption that collecting was done for the purpose of exhibition and that the morphology of the bone was its only scientifically important feature. Now that there is increasing emphasis on the biogeochemical nature of these specimens as well, the actual shape may be of secondary importance. I don't have the perfect solution, other than to suggest that a sample be left untreated for C-14 or other such tests. Comments? Sally Shelton Collections Conservation Specialist San Diego Natural History Museum