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EWilloughby — Saurornitholestes

Published: 2011-07-15 02:25:03 +0000 UTC; Views: 10078; Favourites: 323; Downloads: 242
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Description Around a year ago there was a new discovery involving fossilized scratch marks, presumably from the foot claws of a maniraptoran, at the entrance to an ancient primitive mammal burrow. I illustrated it at the time and some of you may remember it. However more recently a museum representative from Denver contacted me wanting a larger resolution version of the piece, so I updated it accordingly and added some additional details for accuracy and interesting-ness, including the trio of Pteranodon longiceps from a recent submission. (This is not the highest resolution, obviously, but I think the improvement in detail is noticeable.)

To reiterate the study:

The scratched-out burrows provide a unique insight into both the behavior and diet of these dinosaurs, which must have occasionally dug out the burrows of their prey, like many modern predators do. This trace fossil was found in Utah and is dated at around 80 million years old, which means the claw marks could belong to several different small dromaeosaurs or troodonts. I've illustrated the dromaeosaur Saurornitholestes here, which was similar in size and anatomy to Velociraptor. The findings were published in the journal Geology.
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Comments: 37

ab1000434 [2015-12-16 20:14:59 +0000 UTC]

lol, this image was in my biology book of last year

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IHCFanfic [2011-11-01 05:28:43 +0000 UTC]

Just a heads up: yesterday (October 30th) I visited the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and in particular this exhibit. [link]

There was an information sign on Saurnitholestes which featured an edited version of this picture, but did not appear to credit you in any way. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the sign, as cameras were allowed in the exhibit, but I'm positive that it was this drawing.

Sorry to bother you if the curators got permission or you're otherwise okay with this, I just thought it would be best to inform artists of potential theft of their work.

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EWilloughby In reply to IHCFanfic [2011-11-01 09:59:51 +0000 UTC]

Hi there. I appreciate your concern a lot - thank you for alerting me to this issue. However, rest assured that the museum did commission me for the piece, and I was paid handsomely for it. I am disappointed that they didn't credit me on the image itself, but they are not displaying the piece for free or without my permission so I guess it's not a big deal.

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WendyLynn [2011-10-15 23:57:08 +0000 UTC]

Oh no Mr. rattie!

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hydrotamer123 [2011-08-06 12:09:13 +0000 UTC]

brilliant, I wish I could draw like this.
Keep up the good work!

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EWilloughby In reply to hydrotamer123 [2011-08-06 19:07:14 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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Zerictardusted [2011-08-01 12:10:45 +0000 UTC]

That's incredible detail. You are able to so expertly give us an illustrated insight into the lives of these animals.

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EWilloughby In reply to Zerictardusted [2011-08-02 17:39:34 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!

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Kangaroodle [2011-07-28 08:14:44 +0000 UTC]

It's so realistic... I don't know whether to be entranced or scared senseless. I'll go for both.

Everything in this picture is so... there! And so correct! (except maybe the leaves at the bottom kind of look artificial; nature isn't so uniform) but other than that IT'S SO REALISTIC. I am disappointed that real life doesn't look as vivid as this.

Y U NO B LIEK THIS PICTURE, REAL LIFE?

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Sketchy-raptor [2011-07-25 09:04:15 +0000 UTC]

As usual, it's awesome to see more properly done Dromaeosaurs, and I am really fond of this action shot. How much material from Saurornitholestes is actually known?

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EWilloughby In reply to Sketchy-raptor [2011-07-25 17:39:06 +0000 UTC]

Thanks. As for what material is known, there are several different specimens floating around with different combinations of fragmentary material - this section of the Wikipedia article on the animal goes into detail about the material. [link]

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indigomagpie [2011-07-20 15:20:47 +0000 UTC]

Does the mammal have a sprawling posture, or it that just the way it's waving its limbs around?

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EWilloughby In reply to indigomagpie [2011-07-20 16:49:55 +0000 UTC]

Just the way it's waving its limbs around. It would have a normal mammal posture on the ground.

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pilsator [2011-07-19 18:57:53 +0000 UTC]

Awesome! So it's finished now?

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EWilloughby In reply to pilsator [2011-07-19 19:04:06 +0000 UTC]

It is indeed! And thanks for the fave.

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Nupho [2011-07-15 11:42:36 +0000 UTC]

What an awesome work

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WildRunningWolf [2011-07-15 09:55:21 +0000 UTC]

Your paleo art is so amazing... Really good job, as always!
By the way, is this artwork going to be published somewhere? It would be interesting to see it!

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Allantsuki [2011-07-15 08:54:14 +0000 UTC]

YES DIE RAT. wat.

Amazing art as always
I didn't knew you worked for museums... AWESOME.

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Tarturus [2011-07-15 05:23:18 +0000 UTC]

Excellent job with this pic.

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AlexRaccoonGlider [2011-07-15 02:41:31 +0000 UTC]

Your paleo art is top notch! Its like i took a trip back in time! =3

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EWilloughby In reply to AlexRaccoonGlider [2011-07-15 04:17:56 +0000 UTC]

Thanks Drew!

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CyRaptor [2011-07-15 02:41:02 +0000 UTC]

Amazing texture detail all around; the feathers, fur, foliage, clouds are all beautifully rendered. My only criticism is that the ferns in the foreground seem a bit too unnatural and uniform, since you seem to be going for a realistic landscape otherwise - but maybe it's a stylistic choice.

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EWilloughby In reply to CyRaptor [2011-07-15 04:17:32 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! And yeah I see what you mean on the ferns. They look a little better at full resolution because you can see all the little fronds, but eh.

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CyRaptor In reply to EWilloughby [2011-07-15 04:25:24 +0000 UTC]

Oh, don't get me wrong - they look fantastic, it's just that they're sort of similarly sized and evenly spaced along the bottom. I'm probably just being nitpicky though, it doesn't take away from the illustration and all and clearly isn't meant to be the focus anyway.

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EWilloughby In reply to CyRaptor [2011-07-17 19:08:33 +0000 UTC]

I don't mind nitpicky, nitpicky helps me improve. Pick all the nits you want and I'll keep your critiques in mind for the future.

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camiloandres [2011-07-15 02:36:53 +0000 UTC]

What a great piece!!! Awesome work, keep it up

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EWilloughby In reply to camiloandres [2011-07-15 04:17:42 +0000 UTC]

Thanks.

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TrevelyanL85A2 [2011-07-15 02:35:34 +0000 UTC]

This is an excellent work. I love the added detail to it. AWESOMESAUCE

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KennethFairclough [2011-07-15 02:31:19 +0000 UTC]

looks great!

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EWilloughby In reply to KennethFairclough [2011-07-15 04:17:37 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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JosephIrizarry [2011-07-15 02:26:33 +0000 UTC]

and then comes the spino-motherfucking-saurus and devastates anything and everything

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EWilloughby In reply to JosephIrizarry [2011-07-15 02:38:48 +0000 UTC]

Wrong time period and wrong location, fortunately for the Saurornitholestes. It would have had to contend with various and sundry tyrannosaurids, though, like Gorgosaurus, Daspletosaurus, and Aublysodon.

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JosephIrizarry In reply to EWilloughby [2011-07-15 02:44:09 +0000 UTC]

your missing the whole thing, it's his current reputation combined with a hyped up attitude which while probaly not as intense as we hype it up to be is still present in him which makes him appropriate for any time peroid as well as location

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CyRaptor In reply to JosephIrizarry [2011-07-15 02:47:15 +0000 UTC]

I can't tell if this guy is serious or not

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JosephIrizarry In reply to CyRaptor [2011-07-15 02:50:16 +0000 UTC]

serious about a dinosaur having a current day reputation as a badass? its not like im imolying anything factual stuff in the creatures actual domain lol

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CyRaptor In reply to JosephIrizarry [2011-07-15 02:59:25 +0000 UTC]

what the fuck

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EWilloughby In reply to CyRaptor [2011-07-15 04:17:02 +0000 UTC]

Haha. Wow.

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