Creating an exact replica of a Tengrizaur vertebra

Paleontology is the foundation by which one can see how the planet developed and what absolutely unique animals lived in ancient times. Tandem with additive technologies allows you to create exact copies of fossil organisms for further study.

Scientists from St. Petersburg State University found the vertebra of an ancient dinosaur this summer. Tengrisaurus is the first Titanosaur in the history that lived on the territory of modern Russia. The four-legged and long-necked Tengrisaurus starkovi from Buryatia looked more like a South American than a typical inhabitant of the Russian hinterland.

Part of the tengrisaurus skeleton was too large and fragile for frequent use for educational purposes. In this connection, it was decided to digitize the found fossils and transfer them to the museum as an exhibit.

The scientists scanned the vertebra using a RangeVision Spectrum 3D scanner and printed it out in a reduced form, which made it possible to use an exact copy in the educational collection.

The resulting 3D model is better suited for everyday use and allows you to study fossils in detail when choosing any scale. While the fossil will keep its historical value intact in the museum.

There are more and more examples of the use of 3D scanning in science. Creating a virtual copy of the found objects simplifies their further study and allows you to leave the originals intact in complete safety.

We thank Dmitry Grigoriev for the provided material.