A high-resolution 3D reconstructed skeleton of the extinct dwarf whale Cetotherium riabinini from Ukraine.

Abstract

Cetotheres (family Cetotheriidae) were small-sized extinct baleen whales, likely the smallest among toothless baleen whales. Cetotherium riabinini Hofstein, 1948 is known as a single specimen, the holotype. It is represented by a well-preserved 3 meter long skeleton including an almost complete skull and most of the postcranial bones. This specimen is held in the National Museum of Natural History in Kyiv, and therefore it is the part of fragile Ukrainian heritage at risk. Thus, creating high resolution digital twins of the specimens serves not only for research purposes but also contributes to a partial preservation of heritage. Here we present a full-size 3D surface scan of the mounted skeleton of Cetotherium riabinini, a detailed scan of its right forelimb, and scans of its separately stored bones from the museum collection. Additionally, we provide a complete digital restoration of the C. riabinini skeleton, combining all available bones, reconstructing damaged elements, and modelling missing bones based on those in related baleen whale species both extinct and recent.