Disarticulated fossil lateral arm plates of brittle stars from the upper Pleistocene Fujisawa Mud in the Sagami Group, Sakaigawa-Yusuichi Park, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture and the Pleistocene Shimosa Group, Shimazu, Ami Town, Ibaraki Prefecture, central Japan, are described. They are assigned to Ophiuroglypha kinbergi on the basis of their microstructural morphology. The latter is the first description of the disarticulated fossil lateral arm plates of this species from Ibaraki Prefecture.

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 Geochemical analysis of fossil hard tissues in paleontology has particularly advanced for calcium carbonate skeletons such as foraminifera and shells. On the other hand, the application of geochemical analysis to phosphate and silicate fossils is less common than for calcium carbonates due to technical difficulties. The rarity of phosphate fossil skeletons, such as bones and teeth, also has hampered the application of destructive chemical analysis. In particular, the application of non-traditional isotopes and micro-scale geochemical analysis, which require advanced analytical techniques, still need further development. Thus, geochemical analysis of phosphate fossil skeletons in palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental contexts is still an unexplored research area. This paper reviews the current status of paleontological and paleoecological researches using geochemical analysis, specifically focusing on topics using micro-scale analytical methods. Particular attention is also given to methods for tracing the growth history of individuals.

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