Rendered in gouache, this dark landscape
shows the reconstruction of a flying reptile
once believed to be an ancestor of modern
birds. Although the importance of this find
has been disputed- and the animal called
Protoavis is likely a composit of two
unrelated species- this area of fossil
study continues to offer the paleo-artist
interesting challenges. Protoavis was
partially based on the Archaeopteryx, with
the skull, limbs, and overall proportions
modified to incorporate the described
fossil material.
Illustration commissioned for The Audobon
Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Dinosaurs.
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