Objet 3D Printing Helps Shed Light on Ancient Human Evolution - Objet - #1

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At a Glance Company: Anthropological Institute, University of Zurich, URL: www.aim.uzh.ch Location: Zurich, Switzerland Industry: Research into the origins of human morphology and behavior Challenges • Provide exact computerized reproductions of fossils for research purposes • Provide detailed models of fossils to facilitate the understanding of anatomic structures • Provide non-invasive replication possibilities to prevent damage to delicate fossils Solution Eden250™ 3D Printing System Results • Objet models enabled researchers to gain new insights into female Neanderthals’ anatomical structures, Neanderthal brain size evolution and other aspects of the history of human evolution • Printing parts from CT images of fossils makes it dramatically easier and faster to reconstruct the placement of skeletal parts • New revelations were discovered in fossil bone that were otherwise invisible to the eye, including tooth roots and inner ear cavities • Exact models of fossils are available for display in museums and for research Recently, when the Anthropological Institute at Zurich University was investigating Neanderthal brain size at birth (fossils dating ~50,000 yrs of age), it gained new insights into the history of human evolution. Using the remains of a newborn from the Mezmaiskaya Cave (Crimea, Russia) and of two infants from the Dederiyeh Cave (Syria), Prof. Dr. Christoph P. E. Zollikofer and his team were able to procure new insights into ‘Neanderthal obstetrics’, patterns of brain growth and the evolution of human life history. These remarkable findings were further developed using computerized reconstruction techniques on a fragmentary female Neanderthal pelvis (discovered by Dorothy Garrod in the early 1930s) from the Tabun Cave (Israel). By simulating scanned imagery and embedding the remains of the infants digitally with that of the ‘Tabun Lady’, Prof. Zollikofer and Dr. Marcia Ponce de Le’on were able to shed new light on female Neanderthals. The research undertaken by the Anthropological Institute at Zurich University made use of Objet’s PolyJet™ Technology. Being proud owners of an Eden250™ 3D Printing System, Prof. Zollikofer and his team were able to use 3D modeling to further enhance their findings regarding Neanderthal brain size evolution. High-accuracy printing makes Objet the only solution Prof. Zollikofer first saw an Objet system in 2005 at Tokyo University. Prof. Gen Suwa of the University Museum, which has an Eden™ system, showed Prof. Zollikofer the capabilities of combining 3D printing with anthropological findings. “It became apparent to me that we needed this technology in-house. The advantages were immediately clear to me,” recalled Prof. Zollikofer. At the time, the team at Tokyo University was using the system (employing micro-CT technology) to scan teeth from the hominid fossils and to scale them up to be able to classify and show both the variation and evolution of the teeth. “Such a straightforward yet simple application convinced us we needed Objet in-house,” said Prof. Zollikofer. Objet 3D Printing Helps Shed Light on Ancient Human Evolution “We needed highly accurate parts to best replicate the actual fossils found. Academic research does not allow us to have anything less than an accurate replica of a fossil skeleton, Objet was the only solution that offered us such capabilities” Prof. Dr. Christoph P. E. Zollikofer, Anthropological Institute, University of Zürich Case Study