Three-dimensional image surface acquisition in vertebrate paleontology: A review of principal techniques

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) surface scanning includes techniques of image acquisition and image processing. Among the former, hardware devices (e.g., portable and non-portable scanners, camera) capture images from the target, whereas image processing is conducted via specialized software, in which acquired images are processed to merge them into a single 3D surface model. Image surface scanning comprises a wide variety of devices which incorporate different image acquisition techniques, all of them with potential high standards results. We describe four different scanning devices and techniques commonly used in vertebrate paleontology in order to compare them in terms of pros and cons, considering different variables, such as scanning time, post-processing time, costs and image resolution. The decision on which device to choose will depend on the budget available, the portability as well as the nature of the fossil material being analyzed (e.g., size, weight, accessibility). In the light of this, photogrammetry constitutes the image surface technique which fulfills these requirements, having the best cost-benefit relationship.