
Proceedings Paper
High-resolution x-ray computed tomography to understand ruminant phylogenyFormat | Member Price | Non-Member Price |
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Paper Abstract
High-resolution X-ray computed tomography has become a vital technique to study fossils down to the true
micrometer level. Paleontological research requires the non-destructive analysis of internal structures of fossil
specimens. We show how X-ray computed tomography enables us to visualize the inner ear of extinct and
extant ruminants without skull destruction. The inner ear, a sensory organ for hearing and balance has a rather
complex three-dimensional morphology and thus provides relevant phylogenetical information what has been to
date essentially shown in primates. We made visible the inner ears of a set of living and fossil ruminants using
the phoenix x-ray nanotom®m (GE Sensing and Inspection Technologies GmbH). Because of the high absorbing
objects a tungsten target was used and the experiments were performed with maximum accelerating voltage of
180 kV and a beam current of 30 μA. Possible stem ruminants of the living families are known in the fossil
record but extreme morphological convergences in external structures such as teeth is a strong limitation to our
understanding of the evolutionary history of this economically important group of animals. We thus investigate
the inner ear to assess its phylogenetical potential for ruminants and our first results show strong family-level
morphological differences.
Paper Details
Date Published: 12 September 2014
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 9212, Developments in X-Ray Tomography IX, 921216 (12 September 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2060841
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9212:
Developments in X-Ray Tomography IX
Stuart R. Stock, Editor(s)
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 9212, Developments in X-Ray Tomography IX, 921216 (12 September 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2060841
Show Author Affiliations
Loic Costeur, Naturhistorisches Museum Basel (Switzerland)
Georg Schulz, Univ. Hospital Basel (Switzerland)
Georg Schulz, Univ. Hospital Basel (Switzerland)
Bert Müller, Univ. Hospital Basel (Switzerland)
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9212:
Developments in X-Ray Tomography IX
Stuart R. Stock, Editor(s)
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