Ptyctolepis brachynotus: CT Scans and Surface Files of an Early Devonian Lobe-Finned Fish

Early Devonian (Pragian) fossil data from South China includes X-ray computed microtomography scans and surface meshes of a new sarcopterygian species, Ptyctolepis brachynotus. The data was generated by Jing Lü using a 225 kV microCT scanner at IVPP, Chinese Academy of Sciences, segmented in Mimics, and imaged in Blender. It provides three-dimensional preservation of the skull, including a completely ossified otoccipital braincase, to study the evolution of lobe-finned fishes.

Use Cases

• 3D anatomical reconstruction and visualization based on high-resolution microCT scan data.
• Phylogenetic analysis of early osteichthyans based on character-rich endocranial morphology.
• Comparative morphology studies of skull roof ornamentation and hyomandibular facets.
• Investigating the stepwise evolution of key sarcopterygian features in the Early Devonian.

Strengths

• High-resolution micro computed tomography (μCT) data provides detailed internal cranial anatomy.
• Data includes three-dimensionally preserved skulls and surface meshes exported for visualization.
• Specimen preserves the only known example of a completely ossified otoccipital braincase in a stem sarcopterygian.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

IVPP, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.

Collection Method

X-ray computed microtomography scanning, segmentation in Mimics, and surface mesh export to Blender.

Time Range

Early Devonian (Pragian).

Geography

South China.