Imaging and visualizing fossils in three dimensions with tomography is a powerful approach in palaeontology. Here, the authors introduce select destructive and non-destructive tomographic techniques that are routinely applied to fossils and review how Virtual Paleontology has improved our understanding of the anatomy, function, taphonomy, and phylogeny of fossil echinoderms. Building on this, this Element discusses how new imaging and computational methods have great promise for addressing long-standing paleobiological questions. Future efforts to improve the accessibility of the data underlying Virtual Paleontology will be key for realizing the potential of this virtual world of palaeontology.
1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. Anatomy and Function
4. Taphonomy
5. Phylogeny
6. Current Perspectives and Future Developments
7. Conclusions
References