A New Dimension in Primate Studies: Unveiling the Morphosource Dataset
How 3D models of primate skeletons are reshaping evolutionary science and global collaboration.
The Dawn of 3D Morphology
In the evolving landscape of evolutionary biology, where every bone tells a story, the Primate Phenotypes1 project offers an unprecedented leap forward. With over 6,000 3D scans from 386 individual specimens, this dataset marks the largest repository of its kind. Housed on the open-access platform MorphoSource, these scans provide a digital lens into the skeletal structures of 47 genera of non-human primates.
This treasure trove of 3D data spans iconic museums like the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, enabling researchers worldwide to study rare and irreplaceable specimens without stepping into a physical collection.
“This dataset empowers researchers to investigate primate evolution in ways that were previously unimaginable,” the authors write, underscoring its significance for evolutionary biology and anthropology.
A Database Born of Necessity
The Challenges of Traditional Morphology
Traditional morphology has long been constrained by logistical and methodological hurdles. Accessing skeletal specimens often required costly travel to museum collections. Meanwhile, analyses relied on calipers and two-dimensional measurements, leaving little room for nuanced interpretations of complex structures. The arrival of 3D imaging technologies has changed this, allowing researchers to virtually manipulate and measure bones with unmatched precision.
Yet, despite the technological advances, the field lagged behind genomics in terms of open data sharing. While geneticists began pooling datasets decades ago, morphologists clung to their siloed collections. The Primate Phenotypes project represents a shift toward a more collaborative model, democratizing access to data that could redefine our understanding of primate evolution.
“The future of morphology lies in open access,” the authors argue, “where datasets like this one can break down barriers to innovation and foster global research collaboration.”
A Masterpiece in 3D: The Creation of the Dataset
Digitization Across Continents
The dataset’s development was a decade-long endeavor involving diverse scanning techniques, including structured light, laser scanning, and medical and micro-CT imaging. These methods captured intricate details of skeletal elements ranging from crania to phalanges, with each scan carefully validated for accuracy. The scans, stored in universally accessible formats like PLY and DICOM, allow users to perform geometric morphometrics or simply visualize anatomical features with unprecedented clarity.
Each specimen tells its own story. Among the highlights are the smallest recorded wild bonobo, a holotype Grauer gorilla, and a host of rare taxa like Symphalangus syndactylus and Nasalis larvatus. The dataset includes elements vital for reconstructing primate evolutionary pathways, such as hands and feet, which account for over 70% of the scans.
Revolutionizing Research with Open Data
A Global Resource for Evolutionary Studies
By making this dataset freely available, the Primate Phenotypes project lowers the barriers to entry for researchers and students worldwide, particularly those in resource-limited regions. MorphoSource’s robust metadata system tracks specimen provenance and usage, ensuring transparency while facilitating collaboration.
“MorphoSource transforms museum collections into digital libraries, unlocking specimens for a global audience,” the authors explain.
This approach democratizes science, enabling institutions without access to vast collections to participate in high-impact research. For example, researchers can now study skeletal adaptations across primates to investigate how locomotion, diet, and social behaviors shaped evolutionary outcomes.
Critique and Challenges
While the dataset is groundbreaking, it is not without limitations. The reliance on high-tech scanning tools, while necessary, means that not all research facilities can replicate the digitization process. Additionally, the dataset focuses primarily on adult specimens, leaving gaps in understanding juvenile morphology and ontogeny. Ethical concerns surrounding historical collection practices—particularly for specimens acquired under colonial conditions—also loom large, requiring careful contextualization.
The authors address these issues by emphasizing transparency and ethical stewardship. Specimens are accompanied by detailed metadata, and future updates will reflect new ethical standards and taxonomic revisions.
“We cannot change the past, but by ensuring open access and collaborative research, we can work toward a more inclusive future for science,” the paper notes.
Looking Ahead: The Promise of Phenomics
The Primate Phenotypes dataset represents more than a technological achievement; it is a call to action for the scientific community. By embracing open data, researchers can tackle unanswered questions about primate evolution and human origins. The dataset’s focus on hands and feet, for instance, could yield insights into locomotor transitions, while its breadth offers a roadmap for digitizing other museum collections.
As phenomics gains traction, this project sets a standard for how technology and collaboration can illuminate the intricacies of life’s evolutionary tapestry.
The Primate Phenotypes project is a testament to the transformative power of open data. By digitizing and democratizing access to rare specimens, it has redefined the possibilities of morphological research. As we gaze into the digital future, datasets like this remind us that the story of evolution is far from finished—and every bone, digitized or not, has a chapter to tell.
Related Studies
Here are several studies related to 3D morphological data in primates, similar to the work by Almécija et al. (2024):
Copes, L. E., & Lucas, L. M. (2016). A collection of non-human primate computed tomography scans housed in MorphoSource, a repository for 3D data. Scientific Data, 3(1), 160001. This study presents a dataset of high-resolution microCT scans of primate skulls and certain postcranial elements, addressing questions about primate morphology and evolution.
Boyer, D. M., Gunnell, G. F., Kaufman, S., & McGeary, T. M. (2016). Managing 3D digital data sets of morphology: MorphoSource is a new project-based data archiving and distribution tool. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 160(3), 510–517. This paper discusses the development of MorphoSource, an open-access repository for 3D morphological data, facilitating data sharing and collaboration in the scientific community.
Copes, L. E., Lucas, L. M., Thostenson, J. O., Hoekstra, H. E., & Boyer, D. M. (2016). A collection of non-human primate computed tomography scans housed in MorphoSource, a repository for 3D data. Scientific Data, 3, 160001. This dataset includes high-resolution microCT scans of primate skulls and certain postcranial elements, contributing to research in primate morphology and evolution.
Gonzalez, P. N., & Bernal, V. (2024). RRmorph—a new R package to map phenotypic evolutionary rates on phylogenies using 3D geometric morphometrics. Communications Biology, 7, 6710. This study introduces an R package for mapping phenotypic evolutionary rates on phylogenies using 3D geometric morphometrics, enhancing the analysis of morphological evolution in primates.
Boyer, D. M., & Winchester, J. M. (2016). MorphoSource: An open-access, project-based web-archive where researchers can store and share 3D digital data. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 159(S62), 84. This abstract introduces MorphoSource, a web-based archive for storing and sharing 3D digital data, promoting open access and collaboration in morphological research.
These studies contribute to the growing body of research utilizing 3D morphological data to explore primate evolution, anatomy, and functional morphology.
Almécija, S., Pugh, K. D., Anaya, A., Smith, C. M., Simmons, N. B., Voss, R. S., Duncan, N., Lunde, D. P., Viera, M. K., Hsu, T., Gilissen, E., Maiolino, S. A., Winchester, J. M., Patel, B. A., Orr, C. M., Tocheri, M. W., Delson, E., Hammond, A. S., Boyer, D. M., & Catalano, S. A. (2024). Primate phenotypes: A multi-institution collection of 3D morphological data housed in MorphoSource. Scientific Data, 11(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-04261-5