Late Pleistocene fossils recovered from sediment cones of Florida caves may be composed of collagen-rich sub fossil bone that is soft, punky and often very damp. Other bones may be exposed to the drip of calcium rich water in some caves and become extremely hard and highly mineralized. Preservation of invertebrates and marine vertebrates found in the limestone is generally quite good. Each type of fossil preservation may require its own special collection techniques. The silty sand and clays found in sediment cones is usually friable and can be dug with small hand tools.
Protective jackets made with plaster bandages work well for removing bones from the sediment cones.
Since bones from these deposits tend to be very soft, it might be necessary in some cases to apply a consolidant to harden the bone before removal. As a rule, the damp specimens and high humidities found in Florida caves preclude the use of acetone based hardeners such as Butvar 76 or Acryloid B-72. Instead, water based resins such as Rhoplex or Acrysol are most compatible with the damp bone. Acrysol is especially good as a damp environment consolidant since it can be easily re-dissolved later with acetone or plain ethanol. At that point, a routine hardener such as Butvar or Acryloid B-72 can be applied to the specimen.