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Biological Structures Dinosaur skeletons being exhibited in museums were not found in articulation as displayed. Rather, disarticulated or semi-articulated bones were individually cleaned and then connected back together by technicians, with or without guidance from scientists. While the reconstruction may be approximately correct, many skeletal mounts are known to have problems, including the famous Sue the Tyrannosaurus rex. This project aims to develop an objective and quantitative method to virtually reconstruct a skeleton based on 3D images of isolated bones. Three stages are involved in this project. First, algorithms will be developed to calculate the most likely placement of two adjacent bones from the shape and extent of articular surfaces. Second, the method will be applied to isolated bones of living animals for which the correct articulation is known. This would enable us to test the method and improve the algorithm. The living animal models will be made based on CT scanning of carcasses. Third, 3D images of fossil bones are virtually mounted as a skeleton using the method. Once the method is complete, the resulting computer program will be used for educational purposes so that students can interactively experience the difficulty and problems involved in skeleton building.
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