Nº 005 — Good boy

Process

Diaphonization — a clearing and staining technique that renders soft tissue transparent while dyeing bone and cartilage. The specimen becomes a structural diagram of itself.

Subject

Golden Retriever, juvenile. In young canines the anterior fontanelle — the gap where cranial plates have not yet fused — remains open. During the staining process, this produces a star-shaped pattern on the top of the skull where no color is absorbed. An anatomical detail that only becomes visible once everything else is removed.

Presentation

Flat container, selected over round vessels. Curved glass distorts fine detail. A flat mount keeps the small bones and structural elements legible, which is the point of the exercise.

The specimen has not moved since preparation. Excellent behavior overall.