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Description
A male Dilophosaurus wetherilli has caught a fresh kill of a juvenile Sarahsaurus aurifontanalis from the Kayenta Formation in what is now Arizona 188 million years ago.

My first attempt at professional pen art, I gotta say I am so proud of this piece! I also had done research into the environment, flora, and climate to ensure that this piece is up with the times of paleontology. The paleoartist, Brian Engh, was my inspiration for this piece. This little project really helped me get through troubling times right now, and gives me a sense of purpose that this is what I need to do!
Read the bottom text for the scientific information if you ever want to be informed.

SCIENCE BEHIND THE ART:

During this time in the Early Jurassic, dinosaurs began to diversify rapidly following the Triassic extinction that wiped out the Pseudosuchian reptiles that were dominant at that time. The dinosaurs in particular were the theropods, (beast foot) small, agile predators that had highly derived respiratory systems that allowed them to absorb more oxygen with every breath than a similar sized animal, thanks to their air sacs, a complex breathing method that would later become one of the driving forces for bird flight.
As theropods spread across the empty landscape, they started to grow larger and more adaptable. Among them, was Dilophosaurus, one of the first apex predatory dinosaurs in North America that in light of a new study in 2020 (Marsh & Rowe) completely revolutionized the image of this iconic animal, showing it as a fast, colorful, and terrifying predator that the only threat to it was another of its own species.
The two crests that adorned its head was likely much latger in life, with a fleshy comb-like appearance that may have helped the animal in either sexual display, thermoregulation, sound amplification, or water absorption. Just like in modern birds, it would have been brightly colored.

#dinosaur #dilophosaurus #paleoart #penart #ballpointpen #jurassic #kayenta #savage #nature #science

Description
A male Dilophosaurus wetherilli has caught a fresh kill of a juvenile Sarahsaurus aurifontanalis from the Kayenta Formation in what is now Arizona 188 million years ago.

My first attempt at professional pen art, I gotta say I am so proud of this piece! I also had done research into the environment, flora, and climate to ensure that this piece is up with the times of paleontology. The paleoartist, Brian Engh, was my inspiration for this piece. This little project really helped me get through troubling times right now, and gives me a sense of purpose that this is what I need to do!
Read the bottom text for the scientific information if you ever want to be informed.

SCIENCE BEHIND THE ART:

During this time in the Early Jurassic, dinosaurs began to diversify rapidly following the Triassic extinction that wiped out the Pseudosuchian reptiles that were dominant at that time. The dinosaurs in particular were the theropods, (beast foot) small, agile predators that had highly derived respiratory systems that allowed them to absorb more oxygen with every breath than a similar sized animal, thanks to their air sacs, a complex breathing method that would later become one of the driving forces for bird flight.
As theropods spread across the empty landscape, they started to grow larger and more adaptable. Among them, was Dilophosaurus, one of the first apex predatory dinosaurs in North America that in light of a new study in 2020 (Marsh & Rowe) completely revolutionized the image of this iconic animal, showing it as a fast, colorful, and terrifying predator that the only threat to it was another of its own species.
The two crests that adorned its head was likely much latger in life, with a fleshy comb-like appearance that may have helped the animal in either sexual display, thermoregulation, sound amplification, or water absorption. Just like in modern birds, it would have been brightly colored.

#dinosaur #dilophosaurus #paleoart #penart #ballpointpen #jurassic #kayenta #savage #nature #science