Harnessing 3D microarchitecture of pterosaur bone using multi-scale X-ray CT for aerospace material design.

ABSTRACT: Pterosaurs were the largest animals to have achieved powered flight in the history of life on Earth, possessing wingspans akin to some modern light aircraft. Vertebrate fossils have shown their potential to retain information on the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of precursor bone. However, the fossil record is not a traditional source of inspiration for engineers to create palaeo-bioinspired designs. To explore its potential, this study has imaged the three-dimensional porosity of pterosaur bone intending to inspire and improve the mechanical properties of aerospace materials. Historically, two-dimensional histological analysis has resolved fine-scale structures in fossilised bone, which damages the sample. By applying advanced X-ray imaging techniques in this study (using

SUBMITTER: Pili N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11833079 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature