Hominid Fossils—An Interactive Atlas

The CD-based interactive atlas includes over 75 key fossils that are important for a clear understanding of human evolution. The QuickTime Virtual Reality (QTVR) "object" movie format for each fossil will enable students to have a near-authentic experience of working with these important finds, by allowing them to rotate the fossil 360 degrees. Unlike some VR media, QTVR objects are made using actual photographs of the real objects and thus better preserves details of color and texture. The fossils used are high-quality research casts and real fossils. The organization of the atlas is non-linear, with three levels and multiple paths, enabling students to start with a particular fossil and work their way 'up' to see how the fossil fits into the map of human evolution in terms of geography, time, and evolution. The CD-ROM offers students an inviting, authentic, learning environment, one that also contains a dynamic quizzing feature that will allow students to test their knowledge of fossil and species identification, as well as provide more detailed information about the fossil record.