Raccoon Skull 2017

thingiverse

A digital model of a raccoon skull from my personal collection, crafted through photogrammetry, lies before us. To facilitate easier modeling and smoother 3D printing, I filled most major foramina with clay prior to photographing the skull. The infraorbital foramina were left open, but they constricted slightly upon building the model. On the right side, a single opening allowed the nerve, artery, and vein to pass through collectively. This passage remains open in the model, albeit somewhat constricted compared to the actual skull. Conversely, on the left side, each of these structures had its own foramen, which have since closed within the model, yet remain as distinct depressions. For those well-versed in coding, this serves as a cautionary tale regarding the perils of assigning multiple infraorbital foramina on a single side as a character in phylogenetic analyses. Others may simply find it fascinating. To bring this skull to life via 3D printing, each component would need to be sliced into multiple parts, arranged to minimize support requirements. I present them to you as-is, allowing maximum flexibility and creative freedom for your projects.