From necropsy to 3D reconstruction: How 3D models can help to attract youth into STEM

We noticed most of the students had many difficulties to imagine the detailed whole organisms and to understand the anatomy on the basis of dissections, cross sections or book pictures. New and updated teaching techniques would be then required to help the understanding and so to make sciences more appealing to students. It appears 3D modelling is a powerful teaching tool because establishments of models allow highlighting the most important parts of the organisms and scenarios can help to draw attention on the relationships between anatomical parts. A µCT scan, also known as computed tomography scan, makes use of computer-processed combinations of many X-ray measurements taken from different angles to produce cross-sectional images (virtual "slices") of specific areas of a object, allowing the user to see inside the object without cutting it. Once the slices are acquired, the aim is to re-construct the body by keeping the structures of interests (bones, skins, etc.). At the level of the skeleton for example, different bones can be then coloured to underline the different units that form the skeleton. Thanks to an EU-funded project (Marine Mammals Science Education) and collaboration between professors from universities and teachers from high schools, we use 3D animal models to explain precisely the anatomy of marine mammals to pupils and students. µCT scans were realized on harbour porpoise and a harbour seal at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (ULiège) to get a closer look at the animal skeleton to highlight the different adaptations (flippers, nares position, elongated skull, cervical vertebrae, etc.) related to their peculiar way of life. The porpoise and seal skulls are compared with human and dog skulls to highlight the common and different features. These 3D animations are also intended to be used by museums to highlight the complexity of marine science for a large public.