A virtual world of paleontology

John A Cunningham; Imran A Rahman; Stephan Lautenschlager; Emily J Rayfield; Philip C J Donoghue

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2014.04.004

A virtual world of paleontology

John A Cunningham, Imran A Rahman, Stephan Lautenschlager, Emily J Rayfield, Philip C J Donoghue

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Abstract

Computer-aided visualization and analysis of fossils has revolutionized the study of extinct organisms. Novel techniques allow fossils to be characterized in three dimensions and in unprecedented detail. This has enabled paleontologists to gain important insights into their anatomy, development, and preservation. New protocols allow more objective reconstructions of fossil organisms, including soft tissues, from incomplete remains. The resulting digital reconstructions can be used in functional analyses, rigorously testing long-standing hypotheses regarding the paleobiology of extinct organisms. These approaches are transforming our understanding of long-studied fossil groups, and of the narratives of organismal and ecological evolution that have been built upon them.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	347-357
Number of pages	11
Journal	Trends in Ecology and Evolution
Volume	29
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2014.04.004
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2014

Bibliographical note

Keywords

palaeontology
digital visualization
computed tomography
functional analysis
computer modelling

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10.1016/j.tree.2014.04.004

Cunningham et al. 2014 - virtual palaeontologyFinal published version, 2.33 MB

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1851 Fellowship - Imran Rahman
Rahman, I. A. (Principal Investigator), Donoghue, P. C. J. (Researcher), Phillips, J. C. (Researcher) & Rayfield, E. J. (Researcher)
1/01/14 → 1/01/17
Project: Research
Functional evolution of the mammalian middle ear and jaw joint across the cynodont-mammaliaform transition
Rayfield, E. J. (Principal Investigator)
1/10/13 → 30/09/17
Project: Research
Shedding syncrotron light on early land plant evolution
Donoghue, P. C. J. (Principal Investigator)
1/10/12 → 1/01/14
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "A virtual world of paleontology",

abstract = "Computer-aided visualization and analysis of fossils has revolutionized the study of extinct organisms. Novel techniques allow fossils to be characterized in three dimensions and in unprecedented detail. This has enabled paleontologists to gain important insights into their anatomy, development, and preservation. New protocols allow more objective reconstructions of fossil organisms, including soft tissues, from incomplete remains. The resulting digital reconstructions can be used in functional analyses, rigorously testing long-standing hypotheses regarding the paleobiology of extinct organisms. These approaches are transforming our understanding of long-studied fossil groups, and of the narratives of organismal and ecological evolution that have been built upon them.",

keywords = "palaeontology, digital visualization, computed tomography, functional analysis, computer modelling",

author = "Cunningham, {John A} and Rahman, {Imran A} and Stephan Lautenschlager and Rayfield, {Emily J} and Donoghue, {Philip C J}",

year = "2014",

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AU - Cunningham, John A

AU - Rahman, Imran A

AU - Lautenschlager, Stephan

AU - Rayfield, Emily J

AU - Donoghue, Philip C J

PY - 2014/6/1

Y1 - 2014/6/1

N2 - Computer-aided visualization and analysis of fossils has revolutionized the study of extinct organisms. Novel techniques allow fossils to be characterized in three dimensions and in unprecedented detail. This has enabled paleontologists to gain important insights into their anatomy, development, and preservation. New protocols allow more objective reconstructions of fossil organisms, including soft tissues, from incomplete remains. The resulting digital reconstructions can be used in functional analyses, rigorously testing long-standing hypotheses regarding the paleobiology of extinct organisms. These approaches are transforming our understanding of long-studied fossil groups, and of the narratives of organismal and ecological evolution that have been built upon them.

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KW - palaeontology

KW - digital visualization

KW - computed tomography

KW - functional analysis

KW - computer modelling

U2 - 10.1016/j.tree.2014.04.004

DO - 10.1016/j.tree.2014.04.004

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

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JO - Trends in Ecology and Evolution

JF - Trends in Ecology and Evolution

IS - 6

ER -

A virtual world of paleontology

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

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Projects

1851 Fellowship - Imran Rahman

Functional evolution of the mammalian middle ear and jaw joint across the cynodont-mammaliaform transition

Shedding syncrotron light on early land plant evolution

Cite this