Welcome back to Paleoart of the Month! In this edition, you will find a pair of armoured dinosaurs, a more realistic take on one of Jurassic Park’s most memorable dinosaurs, and a pterosaur making its best impression of a very memorable bird, amongst many others.
Before we get into the artwork, I feel it is necessary to discuss the discourse currently around paleoart. In mid-February, AI technology encroached into the world of prehistory when an AI-generated video of Woolly Mammoths walking through a winter forest circulated online. As should be expected, the video made the rounds through Twitter and paleontological circles but was also featured in reputable news outlets (namely the CBC and New York Times) as part of their reporting on Sora, a new AI video software from OpenAI. I would prefer not to promote the video here, but a quick search of “AI mammoth video” should lead you to the right places.
The video may not seem egregious to the average person. That’s part of the problem. Because the AI generated videos convey a sense of realism, viewers think they must be accurate depictions. In reality, many AI-generated art is misinformed. In the Mammoth video, the titular animals seem to be elephants with hair sloppily added on (look no further than their feet). In 2022, an AI-generated photo of Ceratosaurus was a downright mockery of dinosaurs, highlighting the limitations of generative art. Using pre-existing artwork and media for generative purposes can, at best, produce pieces that are based on outdated depictions, and at worst, be interpreted as theft of artist’s work. These issues underlie some of the biggest problems with AI-generated paleoart: the absence of human emotion and scientific facts.
Paleoart is a field built on the passion of artists who hold tremendous love and respect for the subjects they portray. Every illustration – from a skeletal diagram of Apatosaurus to a scene of the Burgess Shale – presents its subjects in a way that blends the creative freedoms of the artist with the known scientific information available to them. In doing so, the sense of wonder that artists use to craft paleoart is communicated to the audience, producing a truly profound experience for creator and viewer alike.
It is here where Generative AI fails. Instead of being able to create a piece that conveys any sensible form of emotion or creativity, AI artwork feels corporate. It feels manufactured, not designed; produced, not crafted. There is no aura, no passion for its subjects – a soulless endeavour. If art exists to invoke an emotional response in the viewer, how can technology incapable of such feelings create anything more than a cheap imitation?
So, while AI-generated videos of Mammoths and Tyrannosaurs may continue to circulate, it is crucial to recall the importance of paleoart. If you have thoughts on AI art and how it pertains to the field, I strongly recommend you fill out the form below. Created by Hank Sharpe, this survey will ask for your take on AI-generated imagery. Whether you are an academic in the field or a casual lover of prehistory, your feelings about AI art would be more than appreciated.
Now, let’s get into the artwork!
A New Ankylosaur Enters the Fray
Subject: Datai yinliangis
Artist: Kaitlin T. Lindblad (@Crocodontist)
Meet Datai yinliangis, the newest genus of armoured dinosaur. Known from two specimens discovered in the Zhoutian Formation of China, Datai represents an early member of the clubbed Ankylosaurine family closely related to Pinacosaurus. Unlike many Ankylosaur depictions, Kaitlin Lindblad’s piece conveys a sense of calm as two Datai snooze beneath the green of a fern forest. A small detail I love is how the body osteoderms are proportionally small, reflecting the immaturity of the two known Datai specimens.
The Loss of Cover Provides an Awkward Moment
Subjects: Mammuthus primigenius (Woolly Mammoth); Panthera atrox (The American Lion); Corvus (Crows)
Artist: Dino Dan (@ddinodan)
Finally, a real example of Mammoth paleoart! In this piece, an American Lion’s attempt at sneaking up on a herd of Mammoths fails in the closing moments of a snowstorm. The hazy effect of the Pleistocene winter creates a brilliant atmosphere that is surprisingly hard to find in artwork of the Ice Ages. Shocking, I know! The presence of crows on the Mammoth’s back is another great detail, reflecting the relationship that some modern megafaunas have with birds.
200 Years of Buckland’s Lizard
Subject: Megalosaurus bucklandii
Artist: Pete Cantropo (@Licualopodo)
On February 20th, the first named dinosaur – Megalosaurus – celebrated its 200th birthday, a tremendous anniversary in paleontology. Pete Cantropo’s illustration, found below, does a fantastic job of celebrating the legacy of Megalosaurus. The aged paper design of the background and illustration of the original fossil material recalls the dinosaur’s history, and an up-to-date illustration of the Megalosaurus represents one of the most accurate depictions I have seen. What a perfect birthday present!
The Real Jurassic Park
Subject: Dilophosaurus wetherilli
Artist: Xuanming-L (@l_xuanming)
What is scarier than the venom-spitting version of Dilophosaurus featured in Jurassic Park? How about the real Dilophosaurus? In this piece, we see a terrified individual try to hide from the 7-meter-long killer. Though it’s not a classic example of paleoart, the beautiful and terrifying portrayal of Dilophosaurus is more than fitting for this list. The decision to frame this scene from the lens of a trail cam is a fantastic choice, transforming the piece into a borderline work of analogue horror.
The Pterosaur of Paradise…
Subject: Tupandactylus imperator
Artist: J. J. Aniorte (@jjaniorte)
While Pterosaurs filled many niches that modern birds do, we rarely see avian integuments and colours used to inspire paleoart of the extinct reptiles. The following illustration of the Brazilian Pterosaur Tupandactylus bucks this trend, with a pitch-black body and light blue eyes that likely drew inspiration from the Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise. The contrast between its melanistic body and bright red crest makes for a truly stunning visual.
“Ancient Amazonian Wrestler”
Subject: Smilodon populator
Artist: Massimo Molinero (@MolineroMassimo)
On the topic of melanistic animals, here we find a portrait of the South American species of sabertoothed cat, Smilodon populator. Those familiar with the artwork of Massimo Molinero will recognize that pieces like this are featured frequently, but that hardly takes away from their quality. The black fur interspersed with a rich shade of orange brings a brilliant vibrancy to the Smilodon, creating a photorealistic painting that I’m sure could fool many into being a real photo.
Paleo Portraits: The Unknown Ankylosaur
Subject: Tarchia teresae
Artist: Andrey Atuchin (@AndreyAtuchin)
In a field dominated by people who hate drawing Ankylosaurs, Andrey Atuchin is the rare individual who faces the challenge of drawing their many osteoderms head-on. Here, we see a portrait of the specimen PIN 3142/250, a Mongolian Ankylosaur with an odd taxonomic history. It was initially assigned to Tarchia gigantea, later reassigned to the genus Saichania, and is now back to a separate species of Tarchia, T. teresae. The amount of detail bestowed on each osteoderm and goat-like eyes of Tarchia blend to create a very spirited animal.
The Shadow of Haţeg Island
Subjects: Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus; Hatzegopteryx thambema
Artist: Caxela (@caxela1)
In this piece, the frightening shadow of Hatzegopteryx looms over a family of the dwarf hadrosaur Telmatosaurus. What’s terrific about this piece (beyond Caxela’s talented artistic capabilities) is how well it reflects the current state of Hatzegopteryx. We know the giant pterosaur was a formidable predator in the islands of Cretaceous Europe, but a lack of fossils has left plenty of questions about its anatomy and biology. Like a shadow, our understanding of Hatzegopteryx is a limited outline filled with many unknowns.
Thank you for reading this article! For last month’s issue, click on the following link. If there are any pieces you think I missed, let me know in the comments!
I do not take credit for any images found in this article. All come courtesy of the artists noted above.
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One reply on “Paleoart of the Month: February 2024”
Good Job!
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