New micro-CT scanner to shed more light on human evolution

Blasting dynamite, hacking away at rocks with a pick, and sifting through piles of debris by hand. These were the techniques available to pioneers of palaeoanthropology in the early 20th century. But modern technology has changed the way fossils are found and studied, and they don’t come more exciting than the micro-CT scanner just unveiled at the University of the Witwatersrand.

This innovative new piece of equipment was unveiled by the Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, during a ceremony at the Wits Palaeosciences Centre on 24 April 2012.

Dr Kristian Carlson of Wits’ Institute for Human Evolution (IHE) was heavily involved in the bidding and acquisition of the scanner, which has taken more than two years. “I had a vision that one of the ways of strengthening the IHE would be to create an imaging centre for the palaeosciences at Wits,” says Carlson. “The micro-focus CT scanner is the culmination of a drive to get top-notch equipment into the IHE and step up our research capacity.”

Micro-CT scanners are used in palaeontology to study the bones of small animals and their fossils. They differ from medical CT scanners, which you see in hospitals, because they have a much
smaller field of view, and a much greater resolution. This allows scientists to see extremely minute details.

Remember that fossils are hardened rock, and that only an expert can chip away at the right areas in order to reveal the animal remains. But sometimes even the experts are hesitant – they know that they cannot afford to destroy even the smallest piece of information. In this way, the finer details of a fossil may remain hidden in rock, too delicate to work with.

The micro-CT scanner not only can reveal the location of potential fossils within a block of rock, but allows for these fine details to be studied without damaging the rock. That way the fossils can be preserved completely intact for future generations to come. It really allows palaeontologists to “have their cake and eat it” – they can study an ancient fossil, while leaving it entirely preserved!

This remarkable piece of equipment won’t be restricted to the palaeosciences either. Researchers from other disciplines, such as the botanical sciences, medical research and animal experimentation, will also be eager to put it to use.

And it extends beyond Wits, too. “There are people from four or five different museums in the country, at least five academic institutions in South Africa and at least six researchers at Wits who have asked whether they could use the machine,” says Carlson.

Maropeng Curator Lindsay Marshall says the scanner will have a significant impact on the study of human evolution. “We’re really excited here at Maropeng,” says Marshall. “This is the kind of technological development that will help scientists uncover these buried secrets. We look forward to showing the results here at Maropeng.”