Scientists from the British Geological Survey have just launched the world’s first virtual 3D fossil library.

This is a valuable resource, helping researchers and the public to easily access and learn information about fossil samples, and even use 3D printing techniques to print copies of these models.

The British Geological Survey said there are about 20,000 fossil CT scans at the library. Dr. Mike Howe – who supervises the process of tomography and photography of most fossils found in the UK, affirmed: “Currently, no agency has publicly announced a large collection of 3D fossils. so. Our library is the first place to carry out this work.”

Technician Michela Contessi said that the process of taking fossil samples and posting them online takes a lot of time and requires patience and meticulous attention to detail. He said: “The number of scans depends on the shape of the fossil. To capture all the details of a complete 3D model of a fossil shell, we had to take at least 10 photos.”

The public and researchers can search and download all CT scans for free using personal computers or phones. According to the expert group, this is a useful resource for geologists because they do not have to pay access fees and see the original fossil samples firsthand. In the future, scientists plan to apply this method to larger specimens such as dinosaur bones.