研究生物系统演化既需要观察标本的外部形态，也需要观察内部形态。由于珍稀化石不允许对标本进行实体解剖，所以珍稀化石的传统形态学研究只能停留在标本的外表。CT技术及三维成像技术的发展已使人们能够将珍稀标本的形态学研究深入到标本内部。现以目前最早、最完整的化石大熊猫头骨为材料，结合现生大熊猫标本，使用CT扫描和三维成像技术获取了大熊猫化石头骨内部的三维影像，从而在无损标本的情况下虚拟提取解剖了头骨内部的副鼻窦，为大熊猫演化的研究提供了新的数据。

Phylogenetic study needs to learn both external and internal morphology of specimens which requires inevitable destructive dissection. The rare and important specimens nonetheless do not allow any destructive operation. The present work used CT and 3D visualizing technique to image a fossil giant panda skull, the earliest and the most complete one so far in the world, as well as an extant giant panda skull for comparison, segmented and reconstructed the 3D images and virtually dissected their paranasal sinuses for new anatomic data.