#naturalscience

Hey y'all! I'm Jenn, an artist specializing in heartfelt natural science illustration. Hopped on here to see which social platform feels most like "home" these days (even though my real home is, like, deep in the woods away from screens).

This is Machimosaurus, an impressive crocdile-like Jurassic predator from our Evolution Gallery ! 

Machimosaurus is a crocodyliform of the Teleosaur family, which ruled the seas and oceans from the Upper Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous.

 Members of the Teleosaur family were initially more slender, with a much longer snout efficient at catching smaller preys such as fish. However, over time, Machimosaurus evolved to become particularly larger than its relatives, with a slightly shorter snout.  

Semi-aquatic, Machimosaurus was able to venture ashore to hunt. However, this exceptional swimmer was a master of deep-sea hunting. In the water, it used its short legs to steer and to keep balance, while its robust tail allowed Machimosaurus to propel itself. 

Other distinguishing features of this species were its massive skull and long snout. Using its conical, rounded teeth and an overpowering jaw force, Machimosaurus was able to target larger or shelled prey: fish, turtles and other marine reptiles, as well as some overly adventurous terrestrial species had to be especially cautious of this fierce predator. 

Fossils of this 100-million-year-old giant have been discovered in several countries across Europe and Africa. These findings have allowed palaeontologists to separate, to this date, the lineage of Machimosaurus into five probable species. 

One of these, the Machimosaurus rex recovered from a desert in Tunisia in 2016, could be the largest member of this lineage. According to various estimates, this animal could have grown up to more than 7 metres in length, for 3 tonnes: not the kind you'd want to meet in a face-off!

Final for my little Green Anole illustration. Dactyloidae is the family group more commonly known as Anoles, a group of lizards that range across much of south and central America, the Caribbean, and the southeastern United States. 

Anoles make up one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates with nearly 400 species known to science. While possess a wide range of color variations and adaptive traits that set each species apart from the others, most (not all) possess a rather noticeable feature known as a dewlap, a bit of erectile cartilage that is covered in skin, often flush with bright colorations and used to do everything from signal potential mates, threaten territorial rivals, and deter predators. 

Anoles mostly feed on small invertebrates, while others might feed on small mice or birds when the opportunity arises.

Fossil evidence of Anoles is rare, though several well preserved specimens have been found in Amber deposits dating back 15-20 million years, early phylogenetic and immunological studies have indicated that their origins could date back to between 44 and 66 million years ago.

31.08.2021

My penguin is still here trying to motivate me. 

Today I have studied almost the entire chapter of geomorphology on arid regions, that almost makes me a little bit anxious, finishing the chapter would have made me feel safer, but I must appreciate that I have studied what I set out to do today.