14 DAY TRIAL // Just in case “Jurassic Park” was not scary enough for you, you can now become even better acquainted with scary-looking creatures that roamed the Earth ages ago.
This is thanks to paleontologist Daniel Fisher with the University of Michigan in the United States and some of his students, who have recently debuted a new website that showcases fossil remains in 3D.
The website in question is called the Online Repository of Fossils, and those who visit it can observe 3D images of mastodons, mammoths, and other prehistoric creatures.
When he started working on this project over 20 years ago, Daniel Fisher was looking to create an online tool that would help paleontologists identify fossil remains.
However, the University of Michigan paleontologist now assumes that the Online Repository of Fossils will also appeal to students and ordinary folks alike.
The 3D models that are currently available on the website can be manipulated as if somebody were to hold them into their own hands, and details are much more evident than they would be to the naked eye.
Daniel Fisher and his colleagues expect that, in time, the website will come to showcase thousands of 3D models of fossil remains and will become a valuable tool for scientific research.
“This new website makes doing science more efficient, increasing access to the collections while protecting invaluable specimens,” says Dan Miller with the University of Michigan's Museum of Paleontology.
Check out the video below to learn more about this project and Daniel Fisher's plans for the future, and head over to the Online Repository of Fossils if you feel like checking out some 3D fossil remains.
