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Description
I colored my drawing of Cotylorhynchus to submit for Brian Engh's #TheSummonEngh2018 contest this month, showing some more aquatic tendencies for the usually land-bound creature. I hope that you enjoy it! And no, it is not a turtle, but a synapsid, a completely different clade.

Cotylorhynchus is one of those REALLY weird synapsids from the Permian... as in, can't-reach-the-ground-with-its-head weird. For a 3 metre long animal, its bones were also extremely lightly built and osteoporotic - the outer lamellar, cortical bone is almost frighteningly thin in all ages of specimens examined, and resemble elephant seals in the proportions of cortical to cancellous bone. With this information (and more that I fail to elucidate on here), and with its large, paddle-like front limbs and compressed limb and toe bones, this critter appears to have qualities of something at least semi aquatic.

As such, I recreated this animal diving for plant matter in the form of algal mats growing down on the bottom of freshwater ponds, though the depth of the water may be too great. Enjoy this bizarre creature from the ancient past!!

Reference: Lambertz, M., Shelton, C.D., Spindler, F. and Perry, S. F. "Chapter 6: Palaeobiology among basal synapsids: A caseian point for the Palaeozoic evolution of the diaphragm" hss.ulb.uni-bonn.de/2015/4054/…

Want to see behind the scenes? Come join the party at my Patreon! www.patreon.com/threetailart

I sell prints of some of my best work here at my Redbubble, not to mention cool laptop and phone cases, and travel mugs! Kit out your gear with awesome creatures! www.redbubble.com/people/three…

Graphite, digital. ~10 hours total.
Art © 2018 S. Dziezyk

Description
I colored my drawing of Cotylorhynchus to submit for Brian Engh's #TheSummonEngh2018 contest this month, showing some more aquatic tendencies for the usually land-bound creature. I hope that you enjoy it! And no, it is not a turtle, but a synapsid, a completely different clade.

Cotylorhynchus is one of those REALLY weird synapsids from the Permian... as in, can't-reach-the-ground-with-its-head weird. For a 3 metre long animal, its bones were also extremely lightly built and osteoporotic - the outer lamellar, cortical bone is almost frighteningly thin in all ages of specimens examined, and resemble elephant seals in the proportions of cortical to cancellous bone. With this information (and more that I fail to elucidate on here), and with its large, paddle-like front limbs and compressed limb and toe bones, this critter appears to have qualities of something at least semi aquatic.

As such, I recreated this animal diving for plant matter in the form of algal mats growing down on the bottom of freshwater ponds, though the depth of the water may be too great. Enjoy this bizarre creature from the ancient past!!

Reference: Lambertz, M., Shelton, C.D., Spindler, F. and Perry, S. F. "Chapter 6: Palaeobiology among basal synapsids: A caseian point for the Palaeozoic evolution of the diaphragm" hss.ulb.uni-bonn.de/2015/4054/…

Want to see behind the scenes? Come join the party at my Patreon! www.patreon.com/threetailart

I sell prints of some of my best work here at my Redbubble, not to mention cool laptop and phone cases, and travel mugs! Kit out your gear with awesome creatures! www.redbubble.com/people/three…

Graphite, digital. ~10 hours total.
Art © 2018 S. Dziezyk