Australia launches world-first 3D animal bone database

Flinders University's Associate Professor Vera Weisbecker holds real and 3D-printed bones of species represented in Ozboneviz, a new online 3D database, at Flinders University, Australia, April 16, 2025. (Flinders University/Handout via Xinhua)

CANBERRA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia's unique wildlife, both living and extinct, is now accessible to the world in stunning detail, thanks to a new online 3D database "Ozboneviz."

Developed by Australia's Flinders University and partners, the nation's largest open-access library of 3D biodiversity data features over 1,600 digitized skeletons, including kangaroos, platypuses, emu, extinct thylacines, pig-footed bandicoot, and more, according to a release from the Adelaide-based university on Wednesday.

The project, used advanced scanning and CT imaging to capture the anatomy of 189 iconic species. The models are hosted on the MorphoSource platform, which maintains museum-style cataloguing, and are open for anyone to download for non-commercial use, the release said.

Most bones were digitized using structured light scanners, while rare or fragile specimens, such as the presumed-extinct desert rat-kangaroo, were imaged with high-resolution computed tomography to capture internal structures, according to the research project, detailed in BioScience, an official journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences.

A companion Sketchfab site highlights over 500 of the most informative bones, complete with educational annotations. The database aims to support research, education, and public interest in Australia's remarkable and often endangered fauna, said project leader, Flinders University's Associate Professor Vera Weisbecker.

"We are all fascinated by bones and this new database is a way to go behind the glass cases at the museum, see specimens up close and understand their special features," Weisbecker said, adding that Ozboneviz is expected to set a new standard for digital natural history collections globally. ■

This picture shows a selection of bones from Australian species captured by Ozboneviz, a new online 3D database developed by Australia's Flinders University and partners. (Flinders University/Handout via Xinhua)