Morphology is the study of an organism’s unique form. In the case of paleontology, morphology focuses on bone anatomy and function as well as muscle reconstruction. How do scientists go about reconstructing where muscles were, what they might have looked like, and what they were capable of doing? Scientists look for and at evidence of muscle attachments on bone. Bones, especially old bones, tell an engaging–if not, cryptic–story. The trick (especially for paleontologists) is to pay careful attention to the story. As with most tales, there are explicit details (i.e., the bones are composed of known substances) and implicit details (i.e., the bones seem to be structured for a particular purpose, one researchers may be able to hypothesize).

How does technology help paleontologists make sense of stories that have been untold for thousands or millions of years? Among some of the most fascinating tools that help scientists demystify the stories locked with bones are tools that provide three-dimensional imaging and CAT scans.

Related Resources:

• Ewan Wolff of the Montana State University Geoscience Education Web Development Team has a helpful explanation of morphology as well as links to galleries and videos. Note: Ewan and his colleagues have some rich resources that highlight how digital library technologies can be used to “translate exciting new scientific discoveries into effective instructional practice.”
• Idaho Virtualization Laboratory generates incredible images using surface scanners (3 laser surface scanners).  The lab archives museum collections, materials from archaeological and paleontological excavations, and faunal remains. This work allows scientists to review important details without causing damage to ancient bones through repeated handling.
• Scott Hartman’s Skeletal Drawing blog is a feast for eyes that hunger for ancient denizens of prehistoric earth.
• Palaeontologia Electronica, is a must-see site for those interested in paleontologic pursuits. This rich resource comes to the web by way of the kind work of Coquina Press, a California non-profit organization whose sole purpose is “to provide instant, free, and global access to the latest developments in paleontology and related scientific fields to the paleontologic research community and the general public through the production and publication of its electronic journal.”
• Ever wonder how museums keep up with all of the items in their collections? Many use CollectiveAccess because it is FREE.
• The Digital Morphology Museum‘s work involved more current specimens but the technology is extremely intriguing.
• The Palaeontological Association promotes the study of palaeontology.