Virtual reality and anthropology

Since the discovery of the Tyrolean Iceman in 1991 advanced imaging and pos t processing techniques were successfully applied in anthropology. Specific techniques include spiral computed tomography and 3-dimensional reconstruc tions including stereolithographic and fused deposition modeling of volume data sets. The Iceman's skull was the first to be reproduced using stereoli thography, before this method was successfully applied in preoperative plan ning. With the advent of high-end graphics workstations and biomedical imag e processing software packages, 3-dimensional reconstructions were establis hed as a routine tool for analyzing volume data sets. These techniques open ed totally new insights in the field of physical anthropology. Computed tom ography became the ideal research tool to access the internal structures of various precious fossils without damaging or even touching them, Many of t he most precious specimens from the species Autralopithecus (1.8-3.5 Myears ). Homo heidelbergensis (200-600 kyears) or Homo neanderthalensis (40-100 k years) were scanned during the last 5 years. Often the fossils are filled w ith a stone matrix or other materials. During the postprocessing routines h ighly advanced algorithms were used to remove virtually these incrustations . Thus it was possible to visualize the morphological structures that lie b eneath the matrix. Some specimens were partially destroyed, so the missing parts were reconstructed on computer screen in order to get estimations of the brain volume and endocranial morphology, both major fields of interest in physical anthropology. Moreover the computerized form of the data allows new descriptions of morphologic structures by the means of 'geometric morp hometrics'. Some of the results may change aspects and interpretations in h uman evolution. The introduction of new imaging and post processing techniq ues created a new field of research: Virtual Anthropology. (C) 1999 Elsevie r Science ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.