3D Geometric Morphometrics

November 9th-13th, 2026

Registration

Contact

courses@transmittingscience.com

Gonzalez et al. 2016. American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Course Overview

This course provides a hands-on introduction to the basic workflow of geometric morphometrics, with a strong emphasis on the analysis of 3D data. Practical sessions will be primarily conducted using 3D Slicer and R, guiding participants through each stage of the process, from 3D image acquisition and processing to data collection, statistical analysis, and interpretation of results.

Through a combination of participatory lectures and practical exercises, participants will develop a conceptual and technical understanding of how biological shape can be quantified and analysed in a rigorous, reproducible framework. The course is designed for beginners, with a focus on building foundational skills that can be applied to a wide range of biological and morphological studies.

Places are limited to 20 participants.

Programme

3D image acquisition methods
Overview of common techniques for obtaining 3D data (e.g., CT scanning, surface scanning, photogrammetry). Discussion of devices and equipment, types of image data, and commonly used file formats. Introduction to key image properties such as resolution, voxel size, and contrast, and how these affect downstream analyses.
3D image processing
Fundamental steps in preparing 3D image datasets for morphometric analysis. Topics include downsampling strategies to optimise data size and performance, segmentation of structures or regions of interest, and cleaning procedures to remove noise and artifacts. Segmentation of internal structures (e.g., endocasts) will be demonstrated as a practical example.
Collecting morphometric data
Methods for capturing geometric information through coordinates. Digitisation of landmarks, semilandmarks (along curves and surfaces), and pseudolandmarks. Use of coordinate templates and comparison of manual versus automated digitisation approaches.
Deriving shape variables
Principles and application of Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA). Semilandmark sliding procedures.
Multivariate analysis of shape and size
Exploration of statistical methods commonly used in geometric morphometrics. Principal component analysis (PCA) and regression approaches. Emphasis on interpretation of results in a biological context.
3D visualisation of shape variation
Techniques for visualising morphological differences and patterns of variation. Generation and interpretation of morphings, deformation grids, and heatmaps to illustrate shape changes.

Assumed Background

Graduate or postgraduate degree in any Life Sciences discipline.

Familiarity with R and concepts of Geometric Morphometrics.

Software

All participants must have recent versions or R and RStudio and the software 3D Slicer installed on their computers.

Dates & Schedule

Online live sessions on November 9th-13th, 2026.

From 13:00 to 18:00 (Madrid time zone).

Total course hours: 30 (25 hours of online live lessons, plus 5 hours of participants working on their own).

This course is equivalent to 1 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). The recognition of ECTS by other institutions depends on each university or school.

Format

In the live sessions we will combine online lectures with hands-on computational exercises.

Live sessions will be recorded. However, attendance to the live sessions is required to obtain the course certificate.

This course will be delivered in English.

Instructors

Leandro_Aristide_instructor_for_Transmitting_Science

Dr. Leandro Aristide
El Cruce Hospital – Arturo Jauretche National University
Argentina

Jimena_Barbeito_instructor_for_Transmitting_Science

Dr. Jimena Barbeito Andrés
El Cruce Hospital – Arturo Jauretche National University
Argentina

Registration Fees

Course Fee
Early bird (until September 30th, 2026):
546 €
(436.80 € for Ambassador Institutions)
Regular (after September 30th, 2026):
610 €
(488 € for Ambassador Institutions)
Prices include VAT.
After registration you will receive confirmation of your acceptance on the course.
Payment is not required during registration. Check discounts here.
How do I get the Ambassador Institution discount?
Registration