我们已经开发了一种协议,用于重建小型哺乳动物灭绝物种头骨的3D模型。第一次,重建使用来自不同标本和相关现存物种混合物的化石碎片。我们使用自由软件和商用计算机来使该过程可重现并可用于科学界。我们提出了一种半定量方案,以解决在化石记录中不完整和/或由不同个体的混合物代表的化石物种的3D重建问题。通常发生在小脊椎动物身上。因此,当没有完整的头骨可用时,这种方法是有用的。该协议将microCT扫描技术的使用与随后的计算机治疗相结合,使用不同的软件工具从microCT和3D设计和打印进行3D重建(例如,斐济,蜘蛛侠,Meshlab,Meshmixer)按定义的顺序。这种免费且相对简单的软件,加上详细的描述,使此协议对于不一定有大量3D工作经验的研究人员来说是可行的。作为一个例子,我们已经对两种食虫动物小型哺乳动物(Eulipotyphla)的头骨进行了虚拟重建:Beremendiafissidens和Dolinasorexglypodon。由此产生的头骨,加上现存的泼妇BrarinaBrevicauda的模型,Neomysfodiens,Crocidurarussula和Sorexcoronatus,可以比较只能通过MicroCT3D重建观察到的特征,鉴于材料的特性,使用此协议。我们可以比较的字符是下颌骨的位置,所有牙齿之间的空间关系,鼻子的形状,总的来说,与讲台解剖有关的所有参数。此外,这些重建可以在不同类型的上下文中使用:出于解剖学目的,尤其是在整个颅骨尺度上看到内部特征或特征,对于生物工程,动画,或其他需要数字模型的技术。
We have developed a protocol for reconstructing 3D models of the skulls of extinct species of small mammals. For the first time, the reconstruction uses fragments of fossils from a mixture of different specimens and from related extant species. We use free software and commercial computers to make the process reproducible and usable for the scientific community. We present a semi-quantitative protocol to face the problem of making 3D reconstructions of fossil species that are incomplete in the fossil record and/or represented by a mixture of different individuals, as usually occurs with small vertebrates. Therefore this approach is useful when no complete skull is available. The protocol combines the use of microCT scan technology with a subsequent computer treatment using different software tools for 3D reconstruction from microCT and 3D design and printing (e.g. Fiji, SPIERS, Meshlab, Meshmixer) in a defined order. This kind of free and relatively simple software, plus the detailed description, makes this protocol practicable for researchers who do not necessarily have great deal of experience in working with 3D. As an example, we have performed virtual reconstructions of the skulls of two species of insectivore small mammals (Eulipotyphla): Beremendia fissidens and Dolinasorex glyphodon. The resulting skulls, plus models of the extant shrews Blarina brevicauda, Neomys fodiens, Crocidura russula and Sorex coronatus, make it possible to compare characteristics that can only be observed by means of microCT 3D reconstructions, and given the characteristics of the material, using this protocol. Among the characters we can compare are the position of the mandibles, the spatial relations among all the teeth, the shape of the snout and, in general, all parameters related with the anatomy of the rostrum. Moreover, these reconstructions can be used in different types of context: for anatomical purposes, especially to see internal features or characteristics at whole-skull scale, for bioengineering, animation, or other techniques that need a digital model.