PREVIEW

CT scans of over 13,000 specimens have been made available to the public for free. Carried out under the name ‘openVertebrate,’ also called oVert, the project spanned six years and was completed in November 2023. The project was partly done with the help of approximately 380 loans of specimens exchanged across 50 United States institutions. Researchers generated over 29,000 media files encompassing more than half of all known genera of amphibians, reptiles, fish, and mammals. While the bulk of the digital reconstructions showcases skeletal forms, leading to eerie yet fascinating visuals, the application of special dyes to enhance contrast has enabled the creation of vibrant visualizations of the soft tissues of these creatures. The models offer a close-up of the insides of a specimen, which used to require damaging dissection and tissue sampling. Scientists have already used data from the project to gain astonishing insights into the natural world. As of March 2024, the program is already being used by more than 3,700 people and the data generated by oVert has been viewed more than one million times.