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PLoS ONE recently published a paper by Olori and Bell on the cranial morphology of uropeltids, a highly-derived clade of fossorial snakes that may shed light on the early evolution of that lineage. The authors emphasized the study of disarticulated elements and multiple individuals, including this scan of Uropeltis woodmasoni, Woodmason's earth snake. Learn more about their study by reading this new DigiMorph account.
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| Suckermouth Armored Catfishes | 24 Jan 2012 |  |
| Loricariidae is a clade of detritivorous-herbivorous neotropical freshwater fishes that are unique in having a ventral oral disk and jaws that are specialized for benthic feeding and surface attachment. In the January 2012 issue of Journal of Morphology, Nathan Lujan and Jonathan Armbruster examine the anatomy and functional morphology of this apparatus in 25 loricariid species, three of which can be found on DigiMorph: Panaque nigrolineatus (shown here), Chaetostoma cf. milesi, and Leporacanthicus joselimai.
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| Alioramus altai, Tyrannosauroid | 18 Nov 2011 |  |
| Alioramus altai is a new species of tyrannosauroid that exhibits features intermediate between the basal theropod and avialan conditions that optimize as the ancestral condition for Coelurosauria—a diverse group of derived theropods that includes modern birds. The image at left shows the braincase of Alioramus rendered semi-transparent, with sinuses and the cranial cavity rendered as multicolored endocasts. Bever and coauthors use this CT imagery to analyze and describe this new taxon in a recently published study.
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| Origin of the Mammalian Brain | 18 May 2011 |  |
| In the May 20 issue of Science, Drs. Tim Rowe, Ted Macrini, and Zhexi Luo report the results of CT scanning two tiny fossils that lie very near the roots of the mammalian family tree and offer new clues about the origin of mammals. The fossils, Hadrocodium (shown here next to the much-larger Monodelphis) and Morganucodon are approximately 190 million years old and both were discovered in Early Jurassic rocks of China. From the scans, these researchers were able to discover a series of steps in the evolution of the shape and organization of the brain leading up to the origin of mammals. Learn more about the evolution of the mammalian brain by reading the DigiMorph accounts of these two pivotal taxa.
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| The Disappearing Third Dimension | 16 Feb 2011 |  |
| The February 11 issue of Science magazine features a special online collection, Dealing with Data, that examines the challenges surrounding the ever-increasing influx of data in scientific research. The collection includes a piece by Rowe and Frank, The Disappearing Third Dimension, that discusses the revolutionary role played by three-dimensional computing but also the lack of emphasis on sustainable archives for the raw data and derivative visualizations. The authors focus on voxels, the three-dimensional equivalent of pixels, and on how strategically-designed voxel archives like DigiMorph might pave the way for preserving these data investments for future generations.
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| Pug-nosed Crocodyliform, Simosuchus clarki | 14 Feb 2011 |  |
| Simosuchus clarki is an unusual, apparently herbivorous crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Since its initial description by Buckley and coauthors in 2000, five additional specimens have been discovered that collectively make its craniofacial skeleton one of the best known among all basal mesoeucrocodylians. A new paper by Kley and coauthors describes the craniofacial skeleton in detail, and all imagery derived from the HRXCT scan of the holotype skull has now been released on the DigiMorph page.
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