Studying creatures that have long been out of existence has never been an easy feat. Even with the discoveries of new and exciting fossils, the fact remains that little is known about the lives and ways of dinosaurs and other types of prehistoric life.
Of course, this is what paleontology aims to accomplish – uncover new fossils of long-gone species and piece together the puzzles of their lives. With the relatively recent emergence of laser technology and its application in what may seem to be unlikely fields, paleontologists are teaming up with engineers to make headway in these great mysteries.
Laser Scanner Technology and Paleontology
Laser scanners and 3D imaging have been around for a good while now, at least as far as the technological timeline is concerned. These technologies have been applied in a number of fields, especially medicine, but also in areas such as archaeology, history, and anthropology. More and more, 3D laser scanners are employed in the task of preserving paleontological fossils.
Researchers, technicians, and engineers all work together in these processes. As far as fossil-scanning goes, the procedure sounds devilishly simplistic, though remains an esoteric one for many. Though the public awareness of such processes is virtually non-existent, this 3D imaging is extremely conducive to the field of paleontology.
How Laser Scanning Works with Fossils
As the name suggests, laser scanning works by scanning multiple fossils, bones, or bone fragments and importing the raw, 3-dimensional data into a computer. Once the x, y, and z axes are loaded in from the multiple scans, the images are “pieced together” by a technician.
For instance, if a near-complete skeleton of a dinosaur is uncovered, at once or over time, paleontologists work together with laser-scanning techs to scan each fragment, individually. Because this act does not require any physical contact with the specimens, it is highly valuable in insuring the integrity of the bones.
Once all the images of the dinosaur skeleton are scanned in, the technician compiles all of the 3-dimensional points (which are computed with software) and works with researchers to piece the results together into what can potentially be a complete, digital, 3D skeleton.
One of the more beneficial aspects of this technology is that if a bone is incomplete or fragmented in any way, laser scanner technology (and of course the techs and researchers) helps to fill in the gaps in the final, 3D construction.
One company that specializes in this kind of work is called Direct Dimensions (DD), and they often team up with various research groups to contribute to the preservation of these fossils through 3D imaging. Through use of their software, called PolyWorks, they put together the “digital jigsaw puzzle in 3D,” according to Jeff Mechlinski, a technician with DD.
Why Laser Scanning Is Useful
Importing the scanned models of dinosaur skeletons into a 3D environment not only makes the preserving of the images (in a sometimes more-complete form than before) easier and more malleable, but it allows for easy manipulation of the model skeleton. This can help paleontologists theorize how dinosaurs moved and, perhaps, acted.
Of course, as briefly mentioned above, this type of technology minimizes unnecessary contact with already-fragile specimens. By curtailing the number of times fossils or bones are handled, they are likely to remain intact longer. Anything that does this and simultaneously allows paleontologists to study their samples more is considered valuable progress.
As laser and other types of technology advance, paleontologists and other archaeo-scientists alike can expect to make strides in their studies and, with a bit of luck, unearth the mysteries of the past.
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