JISC-funded project: GB/3D type fossils online

Figure 1. Examples of digital fossil models viewed in MeshLab™ v.1.2.3, a free, open-source, 3D mesh processing software program.

Figure 2. Examples of digital fossil models viewed as anaglyphs (red-cyan superimposed stereo pairs) in SpiersView™, a 3D viewing program.

The International Code on Zoological Nomenclature and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants require that every species or subspecies of organism, whether living or fossil, should have a type or reference specimen to define its characteristic features.

These specimens are held in museums and collections around the world and must be available for study.

Many of the UK fossil species were defined over a century ago, and with time, the type specimens may have deteriorated or been lost, causing major problems.

The GB/3D type fossils online project, funded by JISC, aims to develop a single database of the type specimens held in British collections, of macrofossil species and subspecies found in the UK, including links to photographs (including 'anaglyph' stereo pairs) and a selection of 3D digital models.

Project partners

These fossil images are 3D digital models, produced by laser scanning the original fossils, as part of the JISC funded GB/3D fossil types project. Watch it in 3D

This video shows pictures and 3D reproductions of some of our fossils, including Britain's oldest animal, as well as reconstructions of how they looked in life.

The BGS is partnered by:

Together we will develop a collaborative database of British type specimens.

It will build on existing databases, exploring the use of schemas such as ABCDEFG and dictionaries such as the BGS Lexicon and the Rock Classification Scheme (RCS) for the transmission and sharing of data.

The Geological Curators' Group will extend the partnership to local museums and other organisations holding type fossils.

The results will be made available through a single searchable web database. It will include links to view or download high quality images, stereo pairs (anaglyphs) and digital models.

Images will generally be in JPEG2000 format, and digital models as .PLY and 3Dpdf formats.

It will also include the ability to store and download other data types, as diverse as X-ray images, and links to or scans of original papers.

Contact

Further information in the Project Blog or from project manager Dr Mike Howe