#paleoliterature

[mineralsrocksandfossiltalks]

Sunday Scribbles: How to Draw a Coelophysis

I thought I would show you one way I draw dinosaurs. This character I am about to show you comes from a novel I am writing that takes place on an Earth-like planet where dinosaurs did not go extinct but evolved into an intelligent race called Avekians.

Niko is a Coelophysis, more commonly called a Ghost Ranch Tit by the locals (ignore the name on the page, I changed it when I realized it didn't fit the Avekian language anymore).

They hail from the Unkata Desert of Laranidia in the Kingdom of Kuloviu. Nico lives on a Krane ranch and belongs to the only human in the land, Dimitri.

Real Coelophysis lived during the Late Triassic Period around 210-201 million years ago in North America. They have been found in Arizona and New Mexico with possible remains found in Colorado.

Coelophysis was about 10 feet long and lived in seasonally wet forests alongside animals like Placerias, Smilosuchus, Desmatosuchus, Postosuchus, Shuvosaurus, and other dinosaurs including Chindesaurus, Camposaurus, Daemonosaurus, and Tawa.

An important think to note when drawing any kind of animal: muscle definition, meat! Fill in all the spaces! You should not be able to see the wholes in the skull or the shape of the hip bones. Remember, dinosaurs are not mammals and their legs should not look mammalian! Sometimes, I draw a basic skeleton outline first and fill in around. Perhaps I will show you that on a future Sunday.

The fun thing with most dinosaurs: you can make them any pattern and any color you want! We only know the color and pattern for a handful of exceptionally well preserved dinosaurs (Archaeopteryx, Microraptor, etc).

I based Nico's plumage off of two real life birds: Anna's Hummingbird and the Greater Roadrunner. Both found in dry, arid places in North America, one of the continents Laranidia is based off of.

Interested in Coelophysis? Well guess what? We might have found one out near our Evil Tree Bonebed site in our Triassic Chinle rocks. As part of our Field Paleontology Course, we teach students how to prospect. So if you want to come out this summer and help us find the rest of our potential Coelophysis, check out the link below. Hope to see you there!

[pink-dino]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMkfKgDHtOR/?igshid=1eqy4gei0do3h