Once material is consumed for analysis, it is gone.

The sampling strategy must balance the need for sufficient material to conduct reliable analysis against the need to preserve as much of the specimen as possible for potential future analysis using methods not yet developed.

For a specimen as rare and as potentially significant as the Trail Creek tooth, this trade-off is particularly acute.

The researchers who conducted the 2018 analysis made choices about sampling that reflected current best practices for maximizing analytical yield while minimizing destructive impact.

Future researchers may have access to methods that can extract more information from smaller samples, and the preservation of as much of the tooth as possible for future analysis is a reflection of the scientific humility that characterizes responsible ancient-specimen research.