Comments on: Stories from the Snyder Quarry 5 http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2007/09/27/stories-from-the-snyder-quarry-5/ The institutionalized doodles and discoveries of a dead-animal designer. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:49:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Permanent Ink « microecos http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2007/09/27/stories-from-the-snyder-quarry-5/comment-page-1/#comment-11809 Permanent Ink « microecos Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:44:57 +0000 http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2007/09/27/stories-from-the-snyder-quarry-5/#comment-11809 [...]  And as long as we’re talking autochthonous/authigenic art, I have to mention Matt Celeskey’s work with 200+ million year old Triassic charcoal.  Matt, in turn, turned me on to Alexis Rockman whose “field drawings” use [...] [...]  And as long as we’re talking autochthonous/authigenic art, I have to mention Matt Celeskey’s work with 200+ million year old Triassic charcoal.  Matt, in turn, turned me on to Alexis Rockman whose “field drawings” use [...]

]]> By: neil http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2007/09/27/stories-from-the-snyder-quarry-5/comment-page-1/#comment-10951 neil Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:54:03 +0000 http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2007/09/27/stories-from-the-snyder-quarry-5/#comment-10951 Awesome! And how have I never heard of Alexis Rockman? Awesome! And how have I never heard of Alexis Rockman?

]]> By: Matt Celeskey http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2007/09/27/stories-from-the-snyder-quarry-5/comment-page-1/#comment-10950 Matt Celeskey Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:55:24 +0000 http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2007/09/27/stories-from-the-snyder-quarry-5/#comment-10950 Phytosaurs are extremely crocodile-like overall, and many of the details in the skull and limbs that differentiate them are in many cases too subtle to have much bearing on a flesh restoration. Note also that these were sketches made around a campfire, without the benefit of bones or monographs to refer to, so memory probably filled in "crocodile" more than it would in a rigorous artistic study. Still, even the most rigorous studies leave you with an animal that looks very much like a crocodile. The easiest way to tell if an artist is drawing a phytosaur is by looking for the nostrils. Crocs have their nostrils at the tip of their snouts, while even the most primitive-known phytosaurs have nostrils far back on the snout, closer to their eyes. Another feature that should show up in most drawings (but that I didn't include very well in these) is their dentition--several genera of phytosaurs have differently-sized and shaped teeth in different parts of their mouths: large, conical teeth for grasping at the front of their mouths, smaller conical teeth along the sides (sometimes with a second set of larger teeth near the middle of the snout), and flattened, triangle-shaped teeth toward the back of their mouths for slicing up flesh. Phytosaurs are extremely crocodile-like overall, and many of the details in the skull and limbs that differentiate them are in many cases too subtle to have much bearing on a flesh restoration. Note also that these were sketches made around a campfire, without the benefit of bones or monographs to refer to, so memory probably filled in “crocodile” more than it would in a rigorous artistic study. Still, even the most rigorous studies leave you with an animal that looks very much like a crocodile.

The easiest way to tell if an artist is drawing a phytosaur is by looking for the nostrils. Crocs have their nostrils at the tip of their snouts, while even the most primitive-known phytosaurs have nostrils far back on the snout, closer to their eyes.

Another feature that should show up in most drawings (but that I didn’t include very well in these) is their dentition–several genera of phytosaurs have differently-sized and shaped teeth in different parts of their mouths: large, conical teeth for grasping at the front of their mouths, smaller conical teeth along the sides (sometimes with a second set of larger teeth near the middle of the snout), and flattened, triangle-shaped teeth toward the back of their mouths for slicing up flesh.

]]> By: Vasha http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2007/09/27/stories-from-the-snyder-quarry-5/comment-page-1/#comment-10949 Vasha Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:53:38 +0000 http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2007/09/27/stories-from-the-snyder-quarry-5/#comment-10949 Looking at those phytosaurs makes me feel unobservant -- they look <i>exactly</i> like crocodiles to me. Could you point out some differences? Looking at those phytosaurs makes me feel unobservant — they look exactly like crocodiles to me. Could you point out some differences?

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