Morphometrian

Morphometrian is an interdisciplinary concept concerned with the quantitative study of shape and form in physical objects and living beings. Drawing on morphometrics and metrology, it seeks to measure, compare, and model geometric properties such as size, proportion, curvature, and topology. Practitioners aim for repeatable measurements and robust statistical interpretation of shape variation across samples and conditions.

Methods involve 3D imaging and digitization (scanning, CT, MRI), landmark-based and surface-based geometric morphometrics, curvature and surface descriptor analysis, and computational modeling. Data are aligned and scaled using Procrustes techniques, and analyzed with multivariate statistics, principal components, and shape regressions. Uncertainty quantification and calibration are emphasized to ensure measurement validity.

Applications span biology (anatomical and developmental studies), paleontology and anthropology, materials science, architecture, and product design, where form is linked to function, performance, or aesthetics. Because morphometrian is not yet an officially established discipline, it is typically pursued as part of related fields, requiring cross-disciplinary collaboration and attention to methodological standardization.

Etymology: morpho- from Greek for form, -metria from metron meaning measure; the suffix -ian denotes a field or practitioner. The term is used in some contemporary discussions as a bridge concept between morphometrics and metrology, but formal recognition and consensus on its scope remain limited.