Megalodon 3D Printed Tooth Fossil

I have been printing some more Megalodon shark tooth fossils based off the scanned model found here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1380493

These images show my latest variation where I printed the layers are 0.1 mm so the tooth consists of over 900 layers. I also added a base made with OpenSCAD as well raft printing to make the base more stable. I tried to slow the printing down so the bottom of the tooth is less stringy. It turned out better but still far from perfect. The print took about 6 hours.

3D Printed Gastropod

I have posted about this 3D model before but I printed it again this time with grey plastic. It reminds me more of the rock color of Loxoplocus fossils found in northern Kentucky Ordovician limestone.

Here are several images of a Turritella shell printed on a 3D printer. The design was created in modeling software. Link here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:13668

It was printed with grey PLA filament from 3D Solutech: https://www.amazon.com/3D-Solutech-1-75mm-Printer-Filament/dp/B00ME88QPC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486541162&sr=8-3&keywords=solutech+3d+grey+filament

Here is a link to my friend Dave's blog showing a Cretaceous Turritella fossil:
http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/2012/05/turritella-shell-mold-from-mt-laurel.html

Cretaceous Turritella fossil from Mississippi:
http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2013/04/cretaceous-turritella-fossil.html

3D Printed Turritella Shell

Here are several images of a Turritella shell printed on a 3D printer. The design was created in modeling software. Link here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:13668

It was printed with glow in the dark PLA filament from 3D Solutech: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ME7NHJ8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is a link to my friend Dave's blog showing a Cretaceous Turritella fossil:
http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/2012/05/turritella-shell-mold-from-mt-laurel.html

Cretaceous Turritella fossil from Mississippi:
http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2013/04/cretaceous-turritella-fossil.html

Merry Fossil Christmas 2016

It has become a tradition for me to each year to Photoshop a fossil Christmas tree image together. This year I went in a little different and used a fossil I 3D printed. The tree consists of a Megalodon tooth printed on a RepRapGuru printer and using the Repetier Host software with the Cura slicer. The print image can be found on Thingiverse and was posted by Emdahus.  I had to print with supports and then cut them out of the image, without them the print would move off the glass surface between layer 3-40.

Most prints have been with PLA filament from Hatchbox and 3D Solutech.

The fossil ornaments were ones I used on the 2014 Christmas image. http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2014/12/merry-christmas-2014.html

AMNH The Tiniest Fossils Video

Episode 6 has been released for April 2015 and it is entitled The Tiniest Fossils. These fossils have such intricate geometric patterns packaged in such a small shell. Essential for early fuel exploration and now researched as possible indicators for climate change. This video highlights some of the research work being done at the museum on these types of fossils. I especially liked the part showing the creation of 3D computer models and the creating them with a 3D printer. Image above is of a microscopic type fossil found Indiana of the Carboniferous period foraminifera Endothyra baileyi.




The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) located in New York city has created a monthly series of videos highlighting some of the 33 million specimens and artifacts held in their collection. Paleontological specimens make up 17.3% of the collection. Invertebrate fossils are a large part of the collection with approximately 4.5 million specimens. In 2014, they received the Mapes collection from Ohio University composed of more than 500,000 marine fossils. So the museum has a lot of material to pull from for creating videos.

Last picture is of a modern foraminifera found in the waters around the island of Guam. It is the Peneroplis plantus.

Darwin's Treasure Chest Kickstarter Campaign

Here is an interesting Kickstarter campaign that has do with a hot new technology and ancient creatures that existed before the dinosaurs. Two art related individuals, Chris Sloan and Ricky Lim have teamed up to create the Darwin's Treasure Chest project. The project is teach people about creature that lived before the dinosaurs by allowing them to create a replica of a selected group with a low cost 3D printers. Their focus is helping teachers create these models for their classrooms.

Their plan is to create 15 models from the time before the dinosaurs. The Proterozoic Era (Dickinsonia and fosssil tracks), Paleozoic: Cambrian (Anomalocaris, Pikaia, and conodonts), Ordovician (Jaekelopterus and Orthoceras), Silurian (Hemicyclaspsis and Nostolepis), Devonian (Coelacanth and Titaalik), Carboniferous (Hylonomus and Gerrothorax), and Permian (Dimetrodon and Youngina).

Later they will produce dinosaur and mammal models.

People who donate money at certain levels can get pledge rewards. See the Kickstarter site for details: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/920123593/darwins-treasure-chest-3d-printable-learning-model

Here is a link to their press release: http://sciencevisualization.org/?page_id=235

Seems like a great idea and wish them well on this venture.  If you want to donate, act soon as the funding period is from October 31, 2013 to November 28, 2013.