Visualization of the acoustic organ of Pygoscelis papua (Spheniscidae, Aves) via diceCT at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin

• Main Authors: Frahnert, Klara Henrike, Bendel, Eva-Maria, Westphal, Natascha, Frahnert, Sylke
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science 2020
• Subjects: Pygoscelis papua; Spheniscidae; ear; morphology; segmentation; Labyrinth; Gentoo penguin
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7479/a4t6-sn92; https://doi.naturkundemuseum.berlin/data/10.7479/a4t6-sn92

The video shows the digital reconstruction of ear structures of an adult specimen of the Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua). The segmentation was performed based on the CT scans of a head stored in alcohol at the ornithological collection at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (inventory number ZMB 2017.123). The specimen was stained with Lugol's iodine to make soft tissues visible. The visualization shows the bony ear structures as well as the external ear canal, tympanic membrane, the eustachian tube, the vestibulocochlear nerve as well as the facial nerve. Due to unspecific standard museums fixation methods the membranous labyrinth was not sufficient conserved for segmentation. The video allows the insight into the structures from different perspectives as well as the localization in the skull. The studies are part of the project "Hearing in Penguins" funded by the Umweltbundesamt (German Environment Agency).