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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Matthew Pearce

Skeleton of the world’s rarest marine mammal preserved by digital imaging

A vaquita skeleton laid out on a black background, showing skull, ribcage, spine, and limbs
The digitised skeleton of a vaquita captured by advanced imaging techniques – between seven and 10 of the porpoises are left in the wild. Photograph: Jamie Knaub/Florida Atlantic University

Scientists have created a digital reconstruction of the world’s most endangered marine mammal, preserving its anatomy in three dimensions to aid research and conservation efforts as the species teeters on the brink of extinction.

The project digitised the skeleton of a female vaquita, a small porpoise found only in Mexico’s northern Gulf of California, using a combination of medical imaging, ultra-high-resolution micro CT scans and photography.

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