The science and art of paleontology
A blog on dinosaur anatomy and reconstructing the appearance of prehistoric animals.
I realize that talking about Tyrannosaurus rex needs no further justification for most people (and what the heck is wrong with the rest of you, anyways?), but I just so happen to have such justification…
Read MoreAs some of you know, since summer of 2012 I have been sitting on an updated Utahraptor skeletal reconstruction I couldn't share. Since then the question I have probably been asked more than any other was "when I would be able to share the new Utahraptor skeletal?" Well, today is that day...
Read MoreFor paleoartists (and the scientists who work with them), properly restoring the skeleton is merely the beginning of the process, since the various muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues can make the final shape of an animal quite different than the skeleton alone. Most of the time this requires an extensive knowledge of comparative anatomy from living organisms, which we can occasionally test against occasional "mummy" dinosaur specimens with extensive soft-tissue preservation. With bird-like dinosaurs we have often been treated to preservation of their feathers and fluff, but not their skin or muscles...until today. Join me below the fold for a look at a truly amazing bit of soft-tissue preservation in Anchiornis.
Read MoreToday I have something I’m excited to share with you: my skeletal reconstruction of Dimetrodon grandis. It looks quite a bit different from existing skeletal reconstructions, so I’m also going to take a more in-depth look at the underlying data. But first, let’s take a look...
Read MoreI wanted to make sure you are know about Dave Hone’s excellent new book, The Tyrannosaur Chronicles. I’d hoped to blog about it several weeks ago, but I had a slew of end-of-semester grading and sundry other deadlines. The upshot of that decision is I’ve now had a chance to read the entire book, and can say without hesitation that you are in for a treat...
Read MoreWhen the skull and body of Deinocheirus were revealed there was a lot of talk about how much it looked like a hadrosaur. I did not really agree with this analogy, as the upright posture and large, clawed hands seemed to indicate that it was an ornithomimid trying its best to be a therizinosaur rather than a hadrosaur. Now I'm not so sure...
Read MoreMosasaurs have become all the rage lately with the release (and immense popularity) of Jurassic World. Purely by coincidence I had a commission for a mosasaur, Tylosaurus pembinensis. I hadn't done a mosasaur before (or any lizards), but I'm reasonably familiar with squamate osteology so I figured it wouldn't be nearly as far "out there" as say doing a skeletal of an actinopterygian fish. But it turns out that when it comes to their tail fins, science is still in the middle of telling the mosasaurs' tale...
Read MorePaleontologist and paleoartist Scott Hartman provides a wealth of anatomical data and skeletal drawings of dinosaurs, and information on how prehistoric animals looked in life.
