Over the last 10 years, the University of Texas has been using CT technology to study living specimens and fossils as old as 190 million years, belonging to some of the oldest known mammals. According to their website, “The 3-D scans revealed that even these tiny, 190-million-year-old animals had developed brains larger than expected for specimens of their period, particularly in the brain area for smell.”

Prior to modern technology, the only way to study these fossils was to cut into them, thus destroying them. With imaging, the fossils can remain intact and be preserved and further studied. 3-D CT scans also help create a clear picture of the brain, helping us to better visualize the size of the brain and how it developed.

Be sure to check out the university’s study archive to see some really neat 3-D videos and images!