This paper reviews the application of medical imaging and associated computer graphics techniques to the
study of human evolutionary history, with an emphasis on basic concepts and on the advantages and
limitations of each method. Following a short discussion of plain film radiography and pluridirectional
tomography, the principles of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and their
role in the investigation of extant and fossil morphology are considered in more detail. The second half of
the paper deals with techniques of 3-dimensional visualisation based on CT and MRI and with quantitative
analysis of digital images.