Uploaded June 2012 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Volume rendering of the skull and surface rendering of the brain endocast and endosseous labyrinth of the inner ear of a sharp-shinned hawk (Accipter striatus, OUVC 10650). Data segmentation and 3D visualization by Alexandra Spaw using Avizo 7 and QuickTime. Slicing through the skull reveals the highly compartmentalized nature of the skull's architecture. The tiny compartments or cells are filled with air, providing the skull with a light-but-strong "bubble-wrap" construction. The brain shows enlarged optic lobes and cerebellum, which is consistent with the hawk's highly visual and aerobatic hunting style involving maneuvering through dense foliage to catch small birds on the wing. Funding provided by the Ohio University Honors Tutorial College and National Science Foundation. For more content like this, visit facebook.com/witmerlab and http://www.ohio.edu/witmerlab.
Volume rendering of the skull and surface rendering of the brain endocast and endosseous labyrinth of the inner ear of a sharp-shinned hawk (Accipter striatus, OUVC 10650). Data segmentation and 3D visualization by Alexandra Spaw using Avizo 7 and QuickTime. Slicing through the skull reveals the highly compartmentalized nature of the skull's architecture. The tiny compartments or cells are filled with air, providing the skull with a light-but-strong "bubble-wrap" construction. The brain shows enlarged optic lobes and cerebellum, which is consistent with the hawk's highly visual and aerobatic hunting style involving maneuvering through dense foliage to catch small birds on the wing. Funding provided by the Ohio University Honors Tutorial College and National Science Foundation. For more content like this, visit facebook.com/witmerlab and http://www.ohio.edu/witmerlab.
