Who is Anomodont A? Archiving and Reconstructing Serially-sectioned Dicynodont Skulls

2012 REU Project:

Anomodonts are an extinct group of ancient mammal-relatives (nonmammalian synapsids), and during the Permian and Triassic periods of Earth history, they were the most diverse and abundant tetrapod herbivores. In 1944, the paleontologist Everett Olson published a long paper describing the braincase morphology of several nonmammalian synapsid specimens, including anomodonts, in the Field Museum's paleontology collections. To carry out this work, Olson serially-sectioned the specimens, essentially cutting them into thin slices and then studying the arrangement of the bones exposed in the successive cross-sections. Unfortunately, Olson did not provide detailed identifications for the specimens he sectioned, making it hard to use his data in further comparative studies. Of particular interest is a specimen he identified only as “Anomodont A,” which may be a rare specimen of a non-dicynodont anomodont. The sections that Olson made are still housed in the Geology Department's collections.

Research methods and techniques: In this project we will first scan the sections that Olson made, and then will make virtual 3D reconstructions of the specimens using software designed for processing CT scan data. Once the reconstructions are available, it should be possible to identify the specimens more precisely, making the specimens much more valuable for research on synapsid braincase evolution.

Curator/Advisor: Dr. Kenneth D. Angielczyk (Geology)