Dataset 3D model related to the publication:Interacting with the inaccessible: utilization of multimedia-based visual contents of Japan’s National Monument, the Taniwhasaurus mikasaensis (Mosasauridae) holotype for educational workshops at Mikasa City Museum. Kumiko Matsui 1 *, Tomoki Karasawa 2 1 The Kyushu University Museum, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, 812-8581 2 The Mikasa City Museum, Mikasa, Hokkaido, Japan, 068-2111 *Corresponding author: kumiko matsui@me.com Abstract The present 3D Dataset contains the 3D model used in in the following publication: Interacting with the inaccessible: utilization of multimedia-based visual contents of Japan’s National Monument, the Taniwhasaurus mikasaensis (Mosasauridae) holotype for educational workshops at Mikasa City Museum. Keywords: Mosasauridae, Photogrammetry-based 3D data, surface scanner, Taniwhasaurus, Tylosaurinae Submitted:2019-11-26, published online:2020-10-18. https://doi.org/10.18563/journal.m3.106 INTRODUCTION The specimen of the holotype Taniwhasaurus mikasaensis MCM.M0009 was described by Caldwell et al. (2008). In June 1976, MCM.M0009 was recovered from a bank of the Ikushum- betsu River in Hokkaido, Japan (Muramoto, 1977). This speci- men was discovered in a floating concretion, but its occurrence formation was identified to Kashima Formation because the locality was the exposed area of Kashima Formation. Many macro-invertebrate fossils were discovered from Kashima For- mation and the age was identified to the Santonian-Campanian boundary (Muramoto, 1977b; Toshimitsu et al., 1995; Taka- hashima et al., 2004). This specimen was informally named “Yezosaurus mikasaen- sis”. The Paleobiology Database identifies Muramoto (1977b), published in December 1977, as the original description of “Y. mikasaensis”; however, Muramoto (1977a) used this name for the first time during a press release, in collaboration with Dr. Ikuwo Obata, at the National Museum of Nature and Science (Tokyo), on November 30, 1976. While both of these citations cannot be considered valid on the basis of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), Obata and Muramoto were effectively perceived to be authors of the original description of “Y. mikasaensis.” These researchers identified this specimen as a tyrannosauroid specimen (Muramoto, 1977a, 1977b). Following this discovery, the Japanese Ministry of Education designated the specimen as a Japanese National Monument in July 1977 (National Printing Bureau, 1977). Thirty years after, Caldwell et al. (2008) reassigned this specimen to a new species of Ty- losaurinae: Taniwhasaurus mikasaensis. The distribution area of Taniwhasaurus seems restricted to the Pacific and their first remains were found in the South Pacific. This specimen further Inv. nr Taxon Description MCM.M0009 Taniwhasaurus mikasaensis Partial skull Table 1. Related specimen. Collection: the Mikasa City Museum (MCM), Japan. indicated that T. mikasaensis was not restricted to the Antarc- tic and had a very large distribution area. In addition to that, T. mikasaensis was the first Tylosaurinae in their evolutional history, so the existence of this specimen was very important for the study of mosasaurid evolution (Caldwell et al., 2008). In 2019, Jim´ enez-Huidobro and Caldwell (2019) summarized that MCM.M0009 does not have sufficient diagnostic characters to be recognized as a distinct species. Therefore, they identi- fied this specimen to Taniwhasaurus species. For this reason, specimen MCM.M0009 is not currently assigned to a particular species. Although the identification of the specimen has changed significantly from the time of discovery, but the specimen is still a Japanese National Monument. The skull on which the model is difficult to move from the museum exhibition hall because such operations would require the permission of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Only two replicas of the specimen were made, therefore op- portunities are very restricted to use this specimen for social education despite being a Japanese National Monument. To change this situation, we made 3D models of this unattachable specimen (see Fig. ?? and table ??). We used it in AR Web application and verified its educational effect. METHODS We made 3D data by using two types of methods, the photogram- metry method and the 3D scanner. The photogrammetry-based