PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Digital dinosaurs: New research employs high-end technology to restore dinosaur fossil

Digital dinosaurs: New research employs high-end technology to restore dinosaur fossil
2014-11-04
(Press-News.org) Fossils are usually deformed or incompletely preserved when they are found, after sometimes millions of years of fossilization processes. Consequently, fossils have to be studied very carefully to avoid damage, and are sometimes they are difficult to access, as they might be located in remote museum collections. An international team of scientists, led by Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager from the University of Bristol now solved some of these problems by using modern computer technology, as described in a recent issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

The team consisting of Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager and Professor Emily Rayfield from the University of Bristol, Professor Lindsay Zanno from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University, Dr. Perle Altangerel from the National University of Ulaanbaatar, and Professor Lawrence Witmer from Ohio University employed high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT scanning) and digital visualisation techniques to restore a rare dinosaur fossil.

Lead author, Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences said: "With modern computer technology, such as CT scanning and digital visualisation, we now have powerful tools at our disposal, with which we can get a step closer to restore fossil animals to their life-like condition."

The focus of the study was the skull of Erlikosaurus andrewsi, a 3-4m (10-13ft) large herbivorous dinosaur called a therizinosaur, which lived more than 90 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period in what is now Mongolia.

"The fossil skull of Erlikosaurus andrewsi is one-of-a-kind and the most complete and best preserved example known for this group of dinosaurs. As such it is of high scientific value" explains co-author Professor Emily Rayfield. Using a digital model of the fossil, the team virtually disassembled the skull of Erlikosaurus into its individual elements. Then they digitally filled in any breaks and cracks in the bones, duplicated missing elements and removed deformation by applying retro-deformation techniques, digitally reversing the steps of deformation. In a final step, the reconstructed elements were re-assembled. This approach not only allowed the restoration of the complete skull of Erlikosaurus, but also the study of its individual elements.

However, using digital models has further advantages adds Dr. Lawrence Witmer: "Digital models allow the study of the external and internal features of a fossil. Furthermore, they can be shared quickly amongst researchers – without any risk to the actual fossil and without having to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to see the original."

Co-author, Dr. Lindsay Zanno agrees: "Therizinosaurs , with their pot bellies and comically enlarged claws, are arguably the most bizarre theropod dinosaurs. We know a lot about their oddball skeletons from the neck down, but this is the first time we've been able to digitally dissect an entire skull."

INFORMATION: The research was funded by a research fellowship to Stephan Lautenschlager from the German Volkswagen Foundation, hosted by Emily Rayfield and grants from the National Science Foundation to Lawrence Witmer.

An additional image associated with this press release can be found in the EurekAlert Multimedia Gallery. http://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/81790.php

About the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has more than 2,300 members representing professionals, students, artists, preparators, and others interested in VP. It is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes, with the object of advancing the science of vertebrate paleontology.

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) is the leading journal of professional vertebrate paleontology and the flagship publication of the Society. It was founded in 1980 by Dr. Jiri Zidek and publishes contributions on all aspects of vertebrate paleontology.

CITATION: Lautenschlager, S., L.M. Witmer, P. Altangerel, L.E. Zanno and E.J. Rayfield. 2014. Cranial anatomy of Erlikosaurus andrewsi (Dinosauria, Therizinosauria): new insights based on digital reconstruction. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(6):1-29.

AUTHOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Stephan Lautenschlager (lead author), University of Bristol, UK
Email: glzsl@bristol.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0) 117 394 1351

Emily Rayfield, University of Bristol, UK
Email: E.Rayfield@bristol.ac.uk Phone: + 44 (0)117 394 1210

Lindsay Zanno, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences & North Carolina State University, USA
Email: lindsay.zanno@naturalsciences.org Phone: (773) 750-7715

Lawrence Witmer, Ohio University, USA
Email: witmerL@ohio.edu Phone: (740) 591-7712

OTHER EXPERTS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH STUDY:

Dr. Paul Barrett
Earth Sciences department
Vertebrates and Anthropology Palaeobiology
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 5BD
p.barrett@nhm.ac.uk

Dr. Stephen Brusatte
Chancellor's Fellow in Vertebrate Palaentology
Grant Institute,
James Hutton Road
Edinburgh EH9 3FE
Phone: +44 (0) 131 650 6039
sbrusatt@staffmail.ed.ac.uk

Dr. James Clark
Department of Biological Sciences
George Washington University
2023 G Street. NW
Washington, D.C. 20052
Tel. Lab: (202) 994-9210
Tel. Office: (202) 994-7144
E-Mail: jclark@gwu.edu

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Digital dinosaurs: New research employs high-end technology to restore dinosaur fossil Digital dinosaurs: New research employs high-end technology to restore dinosaur fossil 2 Digital dinosaurs: New research employs high-end technology to restore dinosaur fossil 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Nonobstructive CAD associated with increased risk of heart attack, death

2014-11-04
In a study that included nearly 38,000 patients, those diagnosed with nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) had a significantly increased risk of heart attack or death one year after diagnosis, according to a study in the November 5 issue of JAMA. Nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) is atherosclerotic plaque that would not be expected to obstruct blood flow or result in anginal symptoms (such as chest pain). Although such lesions are relatively common, occurring in 10 percent to 25 percent of patients undergoing coronary angiography, their presence has ...

Combination treatment for metastatic melanoma results in longer overall survival

2014-11-04
Among patients with metastatic melanoma, treatment with a combination of the drugs sargramostim plus ipilimumab, compared with ipilimumab alone, resulted in longer overall survival and lower toxicity, but no difference in progression-free survival, according to a study in the November 5 issue of JAMA. F. Stephen Hodi, M.D., of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, and colleagues conducted a phase 2 clinical trial in which 245 patients with unresectable (unable to be removed by surgery) stage Ill or IV melanoma were randomly assigned to receive ipilimumab (intravenously) ...

Study finds Google glasses may partially obstruct peripheral vision

2014-11-04
Testing of study participants who wore head-mounted display systems (Google glasses) found that the glasses created a partial peripheral vision obstruction, according to a study in the November 5 issue of JAMA. Interest in wearable head-mounted display systems for general consumers is increasing, with multiple models in production. However, their effect on vision is largely unknown. Peripheral visual field is a main component of vision and essential for daily activities such as driving, pedestrian safety, and sports. Conventional spectacle frames can reduce visual field, ...

Immune booster combined with checkpoint blocker improves survival in metastatic melanoma

Immune booster combined with checkpoint blocker improves survival in metastatic melanoma
2014-11-04
BOSTON – Patients with metastatic melanoma who were treated with ipilimumab, an immune checkpoint blocker, survived 50 percent longer – a median 17.5 months vs. 12.7 months – if they simultaneously received an immune stimulant, according to a study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists. Patients in the clinical trial who got the combined therapies also had fewer serious adverse side effects than those who received only ipilimumab, the researchers report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The group treated with both ipilimumab ...

Long-acting anti-meth treatment demonstrates protective benefits for meth addiction

2014-11-04
San Diego — A recently developed Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV)-based medication has the potential to offer substantial protective effects for patients attempting to cease methamphetamine use. This research is being presented at the 2014 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the world's largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting, in San Diego, Nov. 2-6. Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as meth, is an addictive substance that can cause brain damage, organ failure, stroke, open sores, rotting teeth, mania, paranoia, ...

Novel nanofiber-based technology could help prevent HIV/AIDS transmission

2014-11-04
San Diego — Scientists have developed a novel topical microbicide loaded with hyaluronic acid (HA) nanofibers that could potentially prevent transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through the vaginal mucosa. This research is being presented at the 2014 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the world's largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting, in San Diego, Nov. 2-6. HIV is an infectious virus that attacks T lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that prevents infections and disease. Over time, HIV ...

Medicare may need to expand options for behavioral weight loss counseling in primary care

2014-11-04
PHILADELPHIA – An important addition to the "eat less, move more" strategy for weight loss lies in behavioral counseling to achieve these goals. But research on how primary care practitioners can best provide behavioral weight loss counseling to obese patients in their practices — as encouraged by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) — remains slim, according to a systematic review of this topic published today in JAMA. The study was led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "After an ...

Autism spectrum disorder: 10 tips guidance article

2014-11-04
Washington D.C., November 4, 2014 – A Clinical Perspectives article published in the November 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry proposes a tool to empower stakeholders, guide caregivers, and provide a rationale for advocates, when considering the systems of support offered to people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Organizations such as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ...

NASA's SDO sees a mid-level solar flare: Nov. 3

NASAs SDO sees a mid-level solar flare: Nov. 3
2014-11-04
The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 5:40 p.m. EST on Nov. 3, 2014. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. To see how this event may affect Earth, please visit NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center at http://spaceweather.gov, ...

When less is more: Death in moderation boosts population density in nature

2014-11-04
In nature, the right amount of death at the right time might actually help boost a species' population density, according to new research that could help in understanding animal populations, pest control and managing fish and wildlife stocks. In a paper in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, a Princeton University researcher and European colleagues conclude that the kind of positive population effect an overall species experiences from a loss of individuals, or mortality, depends on the size and developmental stage of the creatures that die. If many juveniles ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors

Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep

Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots

NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma

Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits

Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products

Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV

Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)

Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

[Press-News.org] Digital dinosaurs: New research employs high-end technology to restore dinosaur fossil