TROY, N.Y. -- You could call it a "cat scan" for a "cat's tooth."
Researchers from RPI and the New York State Museum have joined forces on a new project, analyzing ancient saber tooth tiger teeth.
A specialized scan was done on the teeth of two young saber tooth tigers at RPI's Center for Biotechnology. Researchers want to learn how the teeth affect the tiger's diet and lifestyle.
Medical scanning technology isn't just for humans. Researchers at RPI used a CT scan to examine two teeth from saber tooth tigers who died tens of thousands of years ago.
It's not only great for science, but it also builds a relationship with the college and the New York State Museum.
RPI Center for Biotechnology Director Glenn M. Monastersky said, "This animal has been dead for 10,000 or 100,000 years, and we couldn't be more excited to use our technology to do something totally different, and it's a collaboration and we love to do that."
Officials from the New York State Museum had been searching for the right scanning equipment for two years until they realized it was right at the RPI campus. Similar projects are planned for the future.