CT scanning natural history collections

To collect data on the diversity of shapes and sizes in salamanders, we use micro CT scanning. In this photo gallery we share photos of a recent visit to the CT scanning facility and explain how we create high-resolution meshes from natural history specimens.
Adult alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) feeding

An adult alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) feeding underwater, recorded using high-speed video.
Larval alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) feeding

A larval alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) eating a worm underwater, recorded using high-speed video.
Adult fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) feeding

An adult fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) eating a cricket, recorded using high-speed video.
Adult Lake Patzcuaro salamander (Ambystoma dumerilii) eating a worm

An adult Lake Patzcuaro salamander (Ambystoma dumerilii) eating a worm underwater, recorded using high-speed video.
Larval Macedonian crested newt (Triiturus macedonicus) feeding

A larval Macedonian crested newt (Triiturus macedonicus) swallows some food underwater, recorded using high-speed video.
Natural history collections: reference libraries of biodiversity

Natural history collections are vast repositories of biodiversity data. We share photos of a recent visit we made to a natural history museum to collect linear caliper measurements and other data from the specimens.
Metamorphosis shapes cranial diversity and rate of evolution in salamanders

Reconstructing the cranial evolution of the salamander using geometric morphometric data from 148 species, we demonstrate that life cycle influences cranial shape diversity and rate of evolution.
Salamander cranial landmark data

Geometric morphometric data from 148 salamander species collected from high-resolution 3D scans.
Cranial integration in the fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra (Caudata: Salamandridae)

Applying a high-dimensional geometric morphometric approach, we show that size has no significant effect on cranial shape in the Italian fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra giglioli).
Reconstructed meshes of Italian Fire Salamander crania (Salamandra salamandra gigliolii)

Segmented crania of 40 individual Italian Fire Salamanders (Salamandra salamandra gigliolii), reconstructed from micro CT scans.