Yes! I know Rudy! I also know Brian Atkinson who just started his post-doc there.
Yes again. I have used this method during my undergrad research and have taught this method in Paleobiology at Oregon State. It is one of the cornerstone methods of paleobotany. I’m glad you mentioned it because I think it would make a great idea for an infographic. The method can be used for any permineralized plant remains and is actually how we study wood preserved in calcareous sediments. HCl is the acid used for the calcareous concretions. While HF can be used for silica based fossils, thin sectioning is generally a safer method.