Twenty-five years ago, the cover of Nature magazine featured Ciro (Scipionyx samniticus), the first Italian dinosaur and one of the best preserved specimens in the world. Paleontologists Cristiano Dal Sasso and Simone Maganuco have used innovative techniques such as ultraviolet light, computed tomography, and scanning electron microscopy to study the exceptional fossilization of the internal organs of the specimen, which is in an exceptional state of preservation even at the cellular and subcellular level.
It is possible to see muscle cells, blood vessels, capillaries, bacteria, and food debris contained in the gut after 110 million years. The digital anatomical model of Ciro, together with the first scans of the “B-side” of the fossil, will be presented at the Natural History Museum of Milan during a meeting open to the public with the participation of the paleontologists who studied the specimen. Paleoartist Fabio Manucci will present the digital anatomical model of Ciro, which will show many new details about the dinosaur’s internal organs. In addition, new discoveries are expected to emerge from the first scans of the “B-side” of the fossil.
The virtual slice of the images will be reassembled by computer to view Cyrus’ organs in the round, without deformations produced by fossilization. According to Italian paleontologist Matteo Fabbri, the study of Ciro offers a unique opportunity to better understand dinosaur anatomy and study in detail how the transition from reptiles to birds occurred.