Explore unique exhibits from a digital collection of curiosities.
The "scan-all-vertebrates" project, known as the oVert initiative, has been completed and has created a remarkable online repository of natural history specimens from museum and university collections across the United States. This ambitious project, directed by biologists at the Florida Museum of Natural History and funded by a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, is one of the largest collections of its kind, encompassing more than half the genera of all amphibians, reptiles, fishes, and mammals.
Over the course of six years, researchers from 18 collaborating institutions utilized CT scanning technology to create 3D reconstructions of over 13,000 vertebrate specimens. While most of the models are skeletons, some specimens were also stained with a contrast-enhancing solution to visualize soft tissues such as skin and muscle. The project faced challenges when scanning large specimens like a humpback whale, leading to creative solutions such as a Galápagos tortoise lying upside down on an inflatable swimming tube, captured in a charming video.
The resulting digital collection is reminiscent of the historical "cabinets of curiosity" that were popular in the 16th century, containing unusual animal specimens, but with a modern twist. Unlike the secretive nature of those historical collections, the oVert data are freely accessible to scientists, students, teachers, and the general public online.
Since its completion in December 2023, the database has received over 1 million views and nearly 100,000 downloads. The data from the collection have already led to fascinating scientific discoveries, such as unique bones in African spiny mice and insights into the evolutionary history of frogs losing and regaining teeth multiple times. The project also involved training secondary school teachers to use the images for educational purposes.
Looking ahead, the oVert team plans to continue imaging museum specimens and making them available to a wider audience. Jaimi Gray, a postdoctoral associate at the Florida Museum, is working on a project called the Non-Clinical Tomography Users Research Network to share oVert data with a broad network of users in science, industry, and education.
Project leader David Blackburn, curator of herpetology at the Florida Museum, noted the significant impact of the initiative, stating that they have played a role in fostering the growth of 3D imaging of specimens in museums and the scientific community.
In conclusion, the oVert initiative has successfully created a groundbreaking digital collection of vertebrate specimens, offering valuable resources for scientific research, education, and public engagement. The project represents a collaborative effort across multiple institutions to digitize and share important natural history specimens for the benefit of the scientific community and beyond.
Source: https://www.science.org/content/article/check-out-some-most-unusual-exhibits-digital-cabinet-curiosities
Over the course of six years, researchers from 18 collaborating institutions utilized CT scanning technology to create 3D reconstructions of over 13,000 vertebrate specimens. While most of the models are skeletons, some specimens were also stained with a contrast-enhancing solution to visualize soft tissues such as skin and muscle. The project faced challenges when scanning large specimens like a humpback whale, leading to creative solutions such as a Galápagos tortoise lying upside down on an inflatable swimming tube, captured in a charming video.
The resulting digital collection is reminiscent of the historical "cabinets of curiosity" that were popular in the 16th century, containing unusual animal specimens, but with a modern twist. Unlike the secretive nature of those historical collections, the oVert data are freely accessible to scientists, students, teachers, and the general public online.
Since its completion in December 2023, the database has received over 1 million views and nearly 100,000 downloads. The data from the collection have already led to fascinating scientific discoveries, such as unique bones in African spiny mice and insights into the evolutionary history of frogs losing and regaining teeth multiple times. The project also involved training secondary school teachers to use the images for educational purposes.
Looking ahead, the oVert team plans to continue imaging museum specimens and making them available to a wider audience. Jaimi Gray, a postdoctoral associate at the Florida Museum, is working on a project called the Non-Clinical Tomography Users Research Network to share oVert data with a broad network of users in science, industry, and education.
Project leader David Blackburn, curator of herpetology at the Florida Museum, noted the significant impact of the initiative, stating that they have played a role in fostering the growth of 3D imaging of specimens in museums and the scientific community.
In conclusion, the oVert initiative has successfully created a groundbreaking digital collection of vertebrate specimens, offering valuable resources for scientific research, education, and public engagement. The project represents a collaborative effort across multiple institutions to digitize and share important natural history specimens for the benefit of the scientific community and beyond.
Source: https://www.science.org/content/article/check-out-some-most-unusual-exhibits-digital-cabinet-curiosities
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