Skeletons made of animal bones go digital
ELAZIĞ
Skeletons and taxidermy specimens made from animal bones by students at Fırat University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Elazığ are being digitized with artificial intelligence to create a mobile application for interactive learning.
The project, launched three years ago by the Anatomy Museum Development Society to contribute to the university’s 46-year-old “Anatomy Museum,” involves students collecting bones from various animal species found in their hometowns and surrounding villages.
So far, 485 students have helped prepare 130 skeletons and 70 taxidermy samples from 40 different species, including exotic birds, goats, snakes, turkeys, foxes, sheep, cows, pigs and rabbits.
The specimens, currently housed in the Anatomy Museum and used as educational materials in anatomy classes, are now being scanned in 3D as part of a new initiative to create a mobile app that students can access anytime.
Through this app, users will be able to explore the skeletal structures of various animals and learn more about their anatomy, offering a flexible and interactive learning experience.
Professor Meryem Karan from the Department of Anatomy at FU said they have implemented numerous projects to enhance students’ understanding of anatomy.
She explained that the student-led society has been collecting bone fragments from rural areas and animal hospitals for the past three years to assemble skeletons and perform taxidermy.
“Veterinary faculties typically focus only on a few domestic species. Thanks to this project, our students are exposed to a much broader range of animals, which helps improve their clinical skills,” she said. “This experience will significantly benefit them once they become practicing veterinarians.”
Karan noted that the project is supported at the national level by the Youth and Sports Ministry’s University Student Communities Cooperation and Support Program (ÜNİDES), which has helped facilitate students’ fieldwork and provided opportunities for them to meet with academics through conferences.
“We will develop a mobile app by scanning the skeletons in 3D and integrating them using artificial intelligence,” she said. “This will take our teaching quality to the next level and greatly improve student success. Once completed, the full version of the app will be made available to students for free, allowing them to study anytime, anywhere. We will be the first veterinary faculty in Türkiye to implement an AI-supported anatomy education tool.”
While other faculties may use 3D scanning, Karan emphasized that their project is unique in its use of artificial intelligence. The app will provide audio information and answer students’ questions about the bones or skeletons they are studying.
All anatomical materials used in the classes are prepared by students themselves, which Karan says keeps them motivated and deeply engaged in the learning process. She added that the team aims to launch the digital platform in the near future.
Gazi Mustafa Atak, a veterinary student and head of the Anatomy Museum Development Society, said the group’s work has given them an in-depth understanding of animal anatomy.
Their efforts have enhanced clinical skills and benefited all students at the faculty, he noted.
Another student, Özkan Can Mortepe, said the project has not only improved their technical skills but also allowed them to learn anatomy through direct, practical experience.
“We can study the relationships between skeletal structures and organs, and examine body systems firsthand,” Mortepe said. “We are learning many things through practice that we would not be able to grasp from textbooks alone.”