HOME | DD

Description
Dates: 4/17/23-4/22/23 (Took 5 days)

Artist's Notes: It's been a very long time since I just drew a dinosaur. In fact, I checked and the last dinosaur drawing I submitted was on the 31st of December. I felt I had to get back to my roots and change this, so here is Balaur bondoc. Balaur is an incredibly interesting creature that evolved in isolation on the prehistoric Hateg island. It's anatomy is so unique that scientists have difficulty classifying it, as it has some features that would suggest it is a bird and others that would place it as a dromaeosaur. The most famous of its adaptations is the double sickle claw. The dewclaw, which is normally reduced or backwards facing in dinosaurs and birds respectively, has evolved into a copy of its second, raptor-like toe. I haven't really seen much speculation on what it would have used this extra set of claws for, but if we assume that Balaur evolved from birds that adapted to become stockier, flightless, more dromaeosaur like hunters in the absence of other predators on the island, than it seems likely that the claws were used to restrain prey. I've always found creatures that evolved in isolation, whether it be in deep, dark caves or on distant islands, to be fascinating, so knowing about dinosaurs that evolved like this and that these conditions have had the same effects in prehistory as they do today is especially cool.

Description
Dates: 4/17/23-4/22/23 (Took 5 days)

Artist's Notes: It's been a very long time since I just drew a dinosaur. In fact, I checked and the last dinosaur drawing I submitted was on the 31st of December. I felt I had to get back to my roots and change this, so here is Balaur bondoc. Balaur is an incredibly interesting creature that evolved in isolation on the prehistoric Hateg island. It's anatomy is so unique that scientists have difficulty classifying it, as it has some features that would suggest it is a bird and others that would place it as a dromaeosaur. The most famous of its adaptations is the double sickle claw. The dewclaw, which is normally reduced or backwards facing in dinosaurs and birds respectively, has evolved into a copy of its second, raptor-like toe. I haven't really seen much speculation on what it would have used this extra set of claws for, but if we assume that Balaur evolved from birds that adapted to become stockier, flightless, more dromaeosaur like hunters in the absence of other predators on the island, than it seems likely that the claws were used to restrain prey. I've always found creatures that evolved in isolation, whether it be in deep, dark caves or on distant islands, to be fascinating, so knowing about dinosaurs that evolved like this and that these conditions have had the same effects in prehistory as they do today is especially cool.