Thrinazodon : Digital Atlas of the Skull

Thrinaxodon liorhinus is an extinct, distant relative of mammals that is know from 225-million-year-old fossils found in Africa, Antarctica, and China. Thrinaxodon, though not itself a mammal, has played a central role in understanding the early history of mammals because it records many anatomical details of the primitive structure from which mammals ultimately descended. The Digital Atlas is the first work to exploit the extraordinary power of the newest high-resolution computed axial tomographic (CAT) scanning technology for interpreting fossils. The information on the disc presents a complete digital analysis of the skull and reveals all of the minute anatomical details of this rare and remarkable fossil-- the first such analysis ever published. It includes 800 images of the cross-sectional anatomy of the skull, anatomical labels for the imagery, and animation depicting the three-dimensional structure with novel visualization techniques.

Included on the disc are articles that introduce the disc, describe how to use it, and discuss the importance of Thrinaxodon. Also included are digitally reprinted studies on Thrinaxodon, which provide a library of the major technical work on its anatomy and importance.

As one of the first discs to explore CD-ROM as a medium for scientific publication, this is the most complete anatomical coverage ever given a fossil and published in its entirety. It is thus a complete reference source on the fundamental anatomy and history of study of this important animal.