Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysis

<p dir="ltr">Understanding ancient organisms and their interactions with paleoenvironments through the study of body fossils is a central tenet of paleontology. Advances in digital image capture now allow for efficient and accurate documentation, curation, and interrogation of fossil...

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Main Author: Mohammed Yaqoob (344668) (author)
Other Authors: Mohammed Ishaq (22302736) (author), Mohammed Yusuf Ansari (16904523) (author), Yemna Qaiser (22302739) (author), Rehaan Hussain (22302742) (author), Harris Sajjad Rabbani (14489205) (author), Russell J. Garwood (8068184) (author), Thomas D. Seers (8759187) (author)
Published: 2025
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author Mohammed Yaqoob (344668)
author2 Mohammed Ishaq (22302736)
Mohammed Yusuf Ansari (16904523)
Yemna Qaiser (22302739)
Rehaan Hussain (22302742)
Harris Sajjad Rabbani (14489205)
Russell J. Garwood (8068184)
Thomas D. Seers (8759187)
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author_facet Mohammed Yaqoob (344668)
Mohammed Ishaq (22302736)
Mohammed Yusuf Ansari (16904523)
Yemna Qaiser (22302739)
Rehaan Hussain (22302742)
Harris Sajjad Rabbani (14489205)
Russell J. Garwood (8068184)
Thomas D. Seers (8759187)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Mohammed Yaqoob (344668)
Mohammed Ishaq (22302736)
Mohammed Yusuf Ansari (16904523)
Yemna Qaiser (22302739)
Rehaan Hussain (22302742)
Harris Sajjad Rabbani (14489205)
Russell J. Garwood (8068184)
Thomas D. Seers (8759187)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-01-06T03:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1007/s10462-024-11080-y
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Advancing_paleontology_a_survey_on_deep_learning_methodologies_in_fossil_image_analysis/30196999
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv History, heritage and archaeology
Archaeology
Information and computing sciences
Artificial intelligence
Machine learning
Fossil classification
Neural networks
Automated segmentation
Paleoimaging
Computational paleobiology
Virtual paleontology
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysis
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">Understanding ancient organisms and their interactions with paleoenvironments through the study of body fossils is a central tenet of paleontology. Advances in digital image capture now allow for efficient and accurate documentation, curation, and interrogation of fossil forms and structures in two and three dimensions, extending from microfossils to larger specimens. Despite these developments, key fossil image processing and analysis tasks, such as segmentation and classification, still require significant user intervention, which can be labor-intensive and subject to human bias. Recent advances in deep learning offer the potential to automate fossil image analysis, improving throughput and limiting operator bias. Despite the emergence of deep learning within paleontology in the last decade, challenges such as the scarcity of diverse, high quality image datasets and the complexity of fossil morphology necessitate further advancement which will be aided by the adoption of concepts from other scientific domains. Here, we comprehensively review state-of-the-art deep learning based methodologies applied to fossil analysis, grouping the studies based on the fossil type and nature of the task. Furthermore, we analyze existing literature to tabulate dataset information, neural network architecture type, and key results, and provide textual summaries. Finally, we discuss novel techniques for fossil data augmentation and fossil image enhancements, which can be combined with advanced neural network architectures, such as diffusion models, generative hybrid networks, transformers, and graph neural networks, to improve body fossil image analysis.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Artificial Intelligence Review<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10462-024-11080-y" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10462-024-11080-y</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_060a76f17ee4392594dc61b6a77ea7c9
identifier_str_mv 10.1007/s10462-024-11080-y
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/30196999
publishDate 2025
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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rights_invalid_str_mv CC BY 4.0
spelling Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysisMohammed Yaqoob (344668)Mohammed Ishaq (22302736)Mohammed Yusuf Ansari (16904523)Yemna Qaiser (22302739)Rehaan Hussain (22302742)Harris Sajjad Rabbani (14489205)Russell J. Garwood (8068184)Thomas D. Seers (8759187)History, heritage and archaeologyArchaeologyInformation and computing sciencesArtificial intelligenceMachine learningFossil classificationNeural networksAutomated segmentationPaleoimagingComputational paleobiologyVirtual paleontology<p dir="ltr">Understanding ancient organisms and their interactions with paleoenvironments through the study of body fossils is a central tenet of paleontology. Advances in digital image capture now allow for efficient and accurate documentation, curation, and interrogation of fossil forms and structures in two and three dimensions, extending from microfossils to larger specimens. Despite these developments, key fossil image processing and analysis tasks, such as segmentation and classification, still require significant user intervention, which can be labor-intensive and subject to human bias. Recent advances in deep learning offer the potential to automate fossil image analysis, improving throughput and limiting operator bias. Despite the emergence of deep learning within paleontology in the last decade, challenges such as the scarcity of diverse, high quality image datasets and the complexity of fossil morphology necessitate further advancement which will be aided by the adoption of concepts from other scientific domains. Here, we comprehensively review state-of-the-art deep learning based methodologies applied to fossil analysis, grouping the studies based on the fossil type and nature of the task. Furthermore, we analyze existing literature to tabulate dataset information, neural network architecture type, and key results, and provide textual summaries. Finally, we discuss novel techniques for fossil data augmentation and fossil image enhancements, which can be combined with advanced neural network architectures, such as diffusion models, generative hybrid networks, transformers, and graph neural networks, to improve body fossil image analysis.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Artificial Intelligence Review<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10462-024-11080-y" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10462-024-11080-y</a></p>2025-01-06T03:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1007/s10462-024-11080-yhttps://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Advancing_paleontology_a_survey_on_deep_learning_methodologies_in_fossil_image_analysis/30196999CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/301969992025-01-06T03:00:00Z
spellingShingle Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysis
Mohammed Yaqoob (344668)
History, heritage and archaeology
Archaeology
Information and computing sciences
Artificial intelligence
Machine learning
Fossil classification
Neural networks
Automated segmentation
Paleoimaging
Computational paleobiology
Virtual paleontology
status_str publishedVersion
title Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysis
title_full Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysis
title_fullStr Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysis
title_full_unstemmed Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysis
title_short Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysis
title_sort Advancing paleontology: a survey on deep learning methodologies in fossil image analysis
topic History, heritage and archaeology
Archaeology
Information and computing sciences
Artificial intelligence
Machine learning
Fossil classification
Neural networks
Automated segmentation
Paleoimaging
Computational paleobiology
Virtual paleontology