Virtual paleontology – An overview

Journal article

Virtual paleontology is the study of fossils through three-dimensional digital visualizations; it represents a powerful and well-established set of tools for the analysis and dissemination of fossil-data. Techniques are divisible into tomographic (i.e. slice-based) and surface-based types. Tomography has a long pre-digital history, but the recent explosion of virtual paleontology has resulted primarily from developments in X-ray computed tomography (CT), and of surface-based technologies such as laser scanning. Destructive tomographic methods include forms of physical-optical tomography (e.g. serial grinding); these are powerful but problematic techniques. Focused Ion Beam (FIB) tomography is a modern alternative for microfossils, also destructive but capable of extremely high resolutions. Non-destructive tomographic methods include the many forms of CT; these are the most widely used data-capture techniques at present, but are not universally applicable. Where CT is inappropriate, other non-destructive technologies (neutron tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, optical tomography) may prove suitable. Surface-based methods provide portable and convenient data capture for surface topography and texture, and may be appropriate when internal morphology is not of interest; technologies include laser scanning, photogrammetry, and mechanical digitization. Reconstruction methods that produce visualizations from raw data are many and various; selection of an appropriate workflow will depend on many factors, but is an important consideration that should be addressed prior to any study. The vast majority of three-dimensional fossils can now be studied using some form of virtual paleontology, and barriers to broader uptake are being eroded. Technical issues regarding data-sharing, however, remain problematic. Technological developments continue; those promising tomographic recovery of compositional data are of particular relevance to paleontology.

Authors: Sutton, M; Rahman, I; Garwood, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Paleolontological Society
• Journal: Paleontological Society Papers
• Volume: 22
• Pages: 1-20
• Publication date: 2016-04-27
• Acceptance date: 2016-05-19
• DOI: 10.1017/scs.2017.5
• EISSN: 2399-7575
• ISSN: 1089-3326