Researchers use CT and 3-D printers to recreate dinosaur fossils
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3D print of vertebral body [Credit: Radiological Society of North America] |
German researchers studied the feasibility of using CT and 3-D printers to nondestructively separate fossilized bone from its surrounding sediment matrix and produce a 3-D print of the fossilized bone itself.
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3D print next to the original unprepared and erroneously labeled plaster jacket [Credit: Radiological Society of North America] |
Dr. Issever and colleagues applied the method to an unidentified fossil from the Museum für Naturkunde, a major natural history museum in Berlin. The fossil and others like it were buried under rubble in the basement of the museum after a World War II bombing raid. Since then, museum staff members have had difficulty sorting and identifying some of the plaster jackets.
After studying the CT scan and comparing it to old excavation drawings, the researchers were able to trace the fossil's origin to the Halberstadt excavation, a major dig from 1910 to 1927 in a clay pit south of Halberstadt, Germany. In addition, the CT study provided valuable information about the condition and integrity of the fossil, showing multiple fractures and destruction of the front rim of the vertebral body.
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Digitized image of original excavation field map from Halberstadt, 1923. Inset is magnification of fossilized vertebra [Credit: Radiological Society of North America] |
Dr. Issever noted that the findings come at a time when advances in technology and cheaper availability of 3-D printers are making them more common as a tool for research. Digital models of the objects can be transferred rapidly among researchers, and endless numbers of exact copies may be produced and distributed, greatly advancing scientific exchange, Dr. Issever said. The technology also potentially enables a global interchange of unique fossils with museums, schools and other settings.
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Illustration of Plateosaurus skeleton [Credit: Radiological Society of North America] |
Source: Radiological Society of North America [November 20, 2013]
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