Abstract
The skeletal structure of large whales is not fully understood, as there are variations among different specimens. However, a recent study described the creation of a sperm whale specimen using plastination techniques, which preserve soft tissues and allow for the reconstruction of an accurately articulated skeleton. In this study, we utilized the lateral view of the plastinated specimen to rearrange the 3D model housed in the Ashoro Museum of Paleontology. The modified skeleton exhibited differences from other articulated specimens, particularly in the curvature of the thoracic vertebrae and the positioning of the scapula and pelvis. These configurations were consistent with observations from skeletal studies and CT imaging of smaller modern odontocetes. However, it is important to note that the plastinated specimen may show slight misalignment. Further research is necessary to investigate these aspects more thoroughly by generating 3D models of stranded whale specimens during dissection. Additionally, we created a 3D outer surface based on the rearranged articulated skeleton, and the total volume was calculated to be 22.77 m3, correlating with a body length of 12.85 m. This finding suggests that 3D modeling techniques are effective for estimating body volume.
