Pixels preserve world’s most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Oct-2026 21:16 ET (23-Oct-2026 01:16 GMT/UTC)
How do you preserve one of the world’s rarest animals when so few remain? Researchers created an unprecedented 3D digital archive of the vaquita — the world’s most endangered marine mammal. Using advanced CT and micro-CT imaging, the team captured the skeleton of a female porpoise from 1966, in extraordinary detail, from its overall anatomy to microscopic bone structures. Freely available online, the models provide a lasting resource for research, education and conservation, ensuring this critically endangered species on the verge of extinction can be studied for generations to come.
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