Spherically parameterized progressive meshes

We aim to render detailed 3D models (e.g., scan reconstructions) in a web browser from compact files.
The approach is to minimize mesh complexity by transferring normals and color attributes to textures,
and to use a spherical parameterization for improved continuity, level-of-detail, and compression.
The collection of 3D models below is created using:

Min-cycle topology simplification to pinch handles and tunnels [Unpublished 2014]
Spherical parameterization to remap onto a flat octahedron [Praun and Hoppe 2003]
Stretch minimization to prevent undersampling at extremities [Sander et al 2001]
Appearance-preserving simplification to minimize visual errors [Cohen et al 1998]
Progressive meshes to create smooth level-of-detail geomorphs [Hoppe 1996]
glTF compression (with Draco and AVIF) for a highly compact format [Rossignac 2002]