Exotic extinct animals from the early Pliocene and Ice Age era are being revived! Not in reality of course, but in the metaverse! A collaboration between researchers from La Brea Tar Pits, University of Southern California (USC) and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is taking place in order for these animals to exist in augmented reality!

Just imagine walking around in the metaverse then suddenly coming across a Woolly Mammoth right next to you! That’s quite insane, right?

Virtual models!

In Palaeontologia Electronica journal, 13 virtual, low poly models have already been published, created by the researchers and worked from Paleoart. This refers to sketches, paint or intermediary which works on portraying prehistoric life! Paleoart is, and we quote, “a complex art form that requires more than just creative imagination. It involves tons of scientific, archeological and paleontological and domain specific knowledge, research and yes data!”

The CTO at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies, William Swartout, talks about the project by saying, and we quote, ““Paleoart enables us to recreate scientifically accurate facsimiles of the past in the Metaverse, without going all aboard with the details.”