Modern technology restores ancient dinosaur fossil

Press release issued: 3 November 2014 A rare dinosaur fossil has been restored by an international team of scientists, led by Dr Stephan Lautenschlager from the University of Bristol, using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT scanning) and digital visualisation techniques. The work is described this week in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Fossils are usually deformed or incompletely preserved when they are found, after what can be millions of years of fossilization processes, and thus have to be studied very carefully to avoid damage. In addition, they are sometimes difficult to access as they might be located in remote museum collections. Dr Lautenschlager of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences said: "With modern computer technology, such as CT scanning and digital visualisation, we now have powerful tools at our disposal, with which we can get a step closer to restore fossil animals to their life-like condition." The focus of the study was the skull of Erlikosaurus andrewsi , a 3-4m (10-13ft) large herbivorous dinosaur called a therizinosaur, which lived more than 90 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period in what is now Mongolia. Co-author Professor Emily Rayfield said: "The fossil skull of Erlikosaurus andrewsi is one-of-a-kind and the most complete and best preserved example known for this group of dinosaurs. As such it is of high scientific value." Using a digital model of the fossil, the team virtually disassembled the skull of Erlikosaurus into its individual elements.