DigIMorph.org
Title
Digital Morphology at the University of Texas
Description
Digital Morphology, part of the National Science Foundation Digital Libraries Initiative, develops and serves unique 2D and 3D visualizations of the internal and external structure of living and extinct vertebrates, and a growing number of 'invertebrates'. The Digital Morphology library contains nearly a terabyte of imagery of natural history specimens that are important to education and central to ongoing cutting-edge research efforts. The Digital Morphology library site now serves imagery, optimized for Web delivery, for almost 300 specimens contributed by more than 80 collaborating researchers from the world's premiere natural history museums and universities.
Digital Morphology visualizations are now in use in classrooms and research labs around the world and can be seen in a growing number of museum exhibition halls. Digital Morphology visualizations have been featured by the media in television broadcasts by NOVA, the BBC's HORIZON, and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER, and in print by NATURE, SCIENCE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE, THE NEW YORK TIMES, and many other magazines and newspapers.
The information core for the Digital Morphology library is generated using a state-of-the-art high-resolution X-ray computed tomographic (X-ray CT) scanner. This instrument is comparable to a conventional medical diagnostic CAT scanner, but with greater resolution and penetrating power. Our CT scanner was custom built and optimally designed to explore the internal structure of natural objects and materials at macro- and microscopic levels. This instrument is at the center of The University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility (UTCT), a designated NSF-supported Multi-User Facility. Now in its seventh year, UTCT has scanned hundreds of rocks, meteorites, fossils, and modern organisms, providing unique data and visualizations for a wide range of interests in education and research. UTCT was established with funding from The University of Texas Geology Foundation, The University of Texas College of Natural Sciences, the National Sciences Foundation, and the W. M. Keck Foundation.
Contact
- University of Texas
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- Austin TX
- United States 78712
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- +1.5124710260
