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Description

Another unposted work. Megalosaurid Magnosaurus nethercombensis from the middle Jurassic of England demonstrating very rarely portrayed behavior.

Magnosaurus is one of the many dinosaur taxa that once belonged to the "wastebasket" genus Megalosaurus (there are now only one valid species, Megalosaurus bucklandii). In the genus Megalosaurus for some time were attributed all found theropods (among them, of course, the real megalosaurids), and sometimes even non-theropods, as happened with Plateosaurus. Magnosaurus was described by Friedrich von Huene on basis of partial skeleton. A german paleontologist named it Megalosaurus nethercombensis. Later, the species "M. lydekkeri" was described, which is now considered a synonym of the type one. And so, until 90's, Magnosaurus was considered just another species of Megalosaurus. Currently, it is usually separated in a separate genus, and pull together with the African Afrovenator abakensis.

Because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils, it is difficult to understand what Magnosaurus looked like. Apparently, it was a medium-sized predator. Mass estimates are different (about 175 kg by Paul and a half a tonne by Benson), but they all approximate. I have reconstructed Magnosaurus based on the better known and well-studied Afrovenator.

And now to the most interesting. Once I watched "Life with cold blood" series (with sir David Attenborough), and there was quite an interesting and amusing moment with anolis, demonstrating threat to own reflection in the mirror. And so, based on that episode, I decided to portray a dinosaur with similar behavior. This male Magnosaurus threatens its own reflection in the smooth surface of the water, uttering a low roar and taking the appropriate body posture. It should be noted that this work is not the first with such behavior, because there are this painting by Emily Willoughby with dromaeosaurid Zhenyuanlong: www.deviantart.com/ewilloughby…

EDIT: improved shadows, now it more corresponds to the angle of light.

HB and 2B technical pencils, 2019.

Description

Another unposted work. Megalosaurid Magnosaurus nethercombensis from the middle Jurassic of England demonstrating very rarely portrayed behavior.

Magnosaurus is one of the many dinosaur taxa that once belonged to the "wastebasket" genus Megalosaurus (there are now only one valid species, Megalosaurus bucklandii). In the genus Megalosaurus for some time were attributed all found theropods (among them, of course, the real megalosaurids), and sometimes even non-theropods, as happened with Plateosaurus. Magnosaurus was described by Friedrich von Huene on basis of partial skeleton. A german paleontologist named it Megalosaurus nethercombensis. Later, the species "M. lydekkeri" was described, which is now considered a synonym of the type one. And so, until 90's, Magnosaurus was considered just another species of Megalosaurus. Currently, it is usually separated in a separate genus, and pull together with the African Afrovenator abakensis.

Because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils, it is difficult to understand what Magnosaurus looked like. Apparently, it was a medium-sized predator. Mass estimates are different (about 175 kg by Paul and a half a tonne by Benson), but they all approximate. I have reconstructed Magnosaurus based on the better known and well-studied Afrovenator.

And now to the most interesting. Once I watched "Life with cold blood" series (with sir David Attenborough), and there was quite an interesting and amusing moment with anolis, demonstrating threat to own reflection in the mirror. And so, based on that episode, I decided to portray a dinosaur with similar behavior. This male Magnosaurus threatens its own reflection in the smooth surface of the water, uttering a low roar and taking the appropriate body posture. It should be noted that this work is not the first with such behavior, because there are this painting by Emily Willoughby with dromaeosaurid Zhenyuanlong: www.deviantart.com/ewilloughby…

EDIT: improved shadows, now it more corresponds to the angle of light.

HB and 2B technical pencils, 2019.