from a former coastline

Some assorted paleocritters:

Portrait of meridiungulate Pyrotherium romeroi from the Oligocene of Argentina. It is described by paleontologist F. Ameghino in 1888 based on teeth. The remains came from volcanic ash deposits (hence the name, meaning "fiery beast"). An incomplete skull was later found. Vertebrae and partial pelvic and shoulder girdles with limbs are also known. The skull is quite massive, about 72 cm long, with an elongated and narrow muzzle. The elongated nasal opening suggests the presence of a small trunk, and the pointed incisors are tilted forward. Because of this, Pyrotherium was previously considered a relative of proboscideans. Cheek teeth with thick enamel and transverse ridges indicate a diet of soft vegetation. The limb bones are similar to those of elephants and rhinoceroses, but their medullary region is very compact and resembles semi-aquatic animals. This indicates the slowness of Pyrotherium. P. romeroi is one of two species of the genus, the second, P. mcfaddeni, was described in 2004 from the Oligocene of Bolivia.

jolly little lad

results of this week's #Paleostream flocking!

this week we sketched Tapejara, Ajkaceratops, Hoplitomeryx, and Protoceratops (i procrasinated on posting whoops)

A charging Tarbosaurus bataar. I created this piece as an exercise in fullbody black and white art without lines. As usual, I used various brushes. I also practiced painting the ground kicked up by the animal's feet.

Antediluvian Ark_Gorgosaurus. Digital, 2025.

Inspired by Joel Sartore's Photo Ark project and specimen present at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

References Brown, C., Currie, P., & Therrien, F. (2022). Intraspecific facial bite marks in tyrannosaurids provide insight into sexual maturity and evolution of bird-like intersexual display. Paleobiology, 48(1), 12-43. doi:10.1017/pab.2021.29

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Drawing of the front half of Giganotosaurus carolinii, a large carcharodontosaurid from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina. Its 70%-preserved skeleton was discovered by Ruben Carolini in Patagonia in 1993. Giganotosaurus quickly became known as a theropod larger than Tyrannosaurus rex. A description published in 1995 estimated the animal's length at 12.5 meters. In 1998, a partial dentary was found, 8% larger than that of the holotype. Estimates of Giganotosaurus's length and mass have varied among authors. In 2023, D. Henderson proposed an estimate identical to the 1995 holotype length estimate. The skull, over 1.5 meters long, is decorated with preorbital ridges and nasal bones with deep wrinkles, consistent with a highly keratinized integument. The lower jaw has a chin-like protrusion. The head was supported by an extremely strong neck. The forelimbs, judging by related species, were rather small. Giganotosaurus preyed on young titanosaurs and other large dinosaurs.

A portrait sketch of Cryolophosaurus elliotti, a remarkable theropod from the Early Jurassic of Antarctica. Its remains were first discovered in the early 1990s in the Transantarctic Mountains. The holotype consists of the rear half of the skull and a partial skeleton. New material was discovered later. Cryolophosaurus is known for its tuft-shaped crest, positioned above the eyes perpendicular to the skull (rather than along it, as in other theropods with crests). This earned the animal the unofficial name "Elvisaurus" in honor of Elvis Presley, who sported a similar hairstyle. Cryolophosaurus was one of the largest theropods of its time, reaching a length of approximately 7 meters (23 ft) and weighing, by one estimate, 770 kg. Its femur has primitive features, but its skull shares similarities with tetanurans, leading to frequent changes in the dinosaur's classification. It is now considered a basal neotheropod, more advanced than coelophysoids.