Ancient mummy, dinosaur skulls scanned for a peek into the past
The mummified remains of a 2,000-year-old infant boy and the skulls of two triceratops were scanned using computed tomography (CT) to obtain information on the infant mummy’s diet, lifestyle, habits, etc., and the dinosaur’s brain development.
The project included collaboration between the St. Louis Science Center and the Washington University School of Medicine. Radiologists Sanjeev Bhalla, MD, Vincent M. Mellnick, MD, and MiGeetika Khanna, MD, studied the scans of the infant’s body to see if there were indications of recognizable tissues or signs of disease.
Scans of the infant mummy showed an amulet inside the infant’s chest cavity. It was unclear whether the jewelry was placed inside the baby’s chest or had fallen into the body due to disintegration of the body. Previous scans in 2007 of this infant mummy showed other amulets around his body.
The triceratops’ skulls, estimated to be 66 million to 67 million years old, were scanned to enable researchers to produce endocasts which will help them recreate the size and shape of the brain.
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As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.