PALAEONTOLOGY 2.0 – A COMPREHENSIVE PROTOCOL FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF HARD- AND SOFT TISSUE STRUCTURES IN FOSSILS

The last decade has seen a digital revolution in palaeontology. CT scanning and 3D visualisation technologies have become integral and popular tools in palaeontological research, making “virtual palaeontology” a veritable subdiscipline of its own. Three-dimensional models form the basis for visualisation of hard and soft tissue structures, finite element analysis and biomechanical modelling. However, the accuracy of the results and the wider implications of these studies are intimately connected to the true-to-life correctness of the respective models. This poses a problem when dealing with fossil specimens, which necessitate the anatomical reconstruction and the removal of taphonomic and preservational artefacts.

In a case study based on the Cretaceous therizinosaur Erlikosaurus andrewsi, a comprehensive protocol for the digital reconstruction of hard- and soft-tissue structures is introduced. Techniques for the restoration of osteological structures, ranging from the simple removal of cracks and breaks to the restoration of missing data and retrodeformation, are presented. To facilitate this process and its individual steps, different software scripts and applications have been developed. Methods for the reconstruction of soft tissues, such as the musculature, based on the restored skeletal anatomy are explored and their biomechanical effects are tested. The presented techniques are generally independent of taxonomic units and are transferable to various software tools. Although, the preservation of fossil material still represents a limiting factor, these techniques can considerably improve the quality and completeness of digital models.