In LITC’s latest podcast release, Natee, Marc and Niels tackle one of the most often ridiculed works in palaeoart history: the famously idiosyncratic Archosauria by John McLoughlin. Of course, we need to talk about that Triceratops… but there is so much more to this book, some of it crazy, some of it beautiful, much of it downright visionary. Natee interviews palaeoartist Cameron Clow, and things quickly devolve into a horse girl geekout. In the news, there’s baby theropods nomming on a toe as well as elderly dinosaurs taking it easy. Shoutouts abound!
In the News
- Some material apparently belonging to abelisaurid theropods has shown up in Argentina. While this is hardly an upset, these fossils come from Jurassic rocks, suggesting the abelisaurids, known mostly from the Late Cretaceous, were widespread for many millions of years before taking up the mantle of the apex predators in the Southern hemisphere. Read the abstract here.
- Some chew marks on the toe of a hadrosaur from the Dinosaur Park formation suggests a small theropod was gnawing on the cadaver’s very bone. This is much rarer in dinosaurs than you would expect. The paper can be read in full at open access here.
- Another hadrosaur, this one from Mongolia, has been described as showing tell-tale signs of advanced age. Since the population of most dinosaurs seems to be made up of mostly younger individuals, finding one that lived to a ripe old age is quite exciting. Once again, the paper is open access and can be read here.
Vintage Dinosaur Art
In which we examine the rather infamous Archosauria: A New Look at the Old Dinosaur, by John McLoughlin. What is there to say about it, apart from McLoughlin’s highly unorthodox (and, let’s face it, ridiculous) hypothesis on ceratopsian necks? Turns out: rather a lot. A lot of McLoughlin’s artwork and writing have really stood the test of time, and the book was far ahead of its time. Should we re-evaluate McLoughlin as a true visionary?
- Here is the article on TetZoo we reference in the episode
- Marc’s original 2013 review of the book: Part one, part two and part three.
Triceratops
Chasmosaurus, Styracosaurus, Torosaurus
Ornitholestes
Ornitholestes, head
Coelophysis
Dromaeosaurus
Plateosaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Brachiosaurus
Hadrosaurs
Interview
Natee interviews esteemed artist, animator and noted horse enthousiast Cameron Clow on his past, present and future as an artist. He brings us up to speed on his old and new projects, working with Jack Horner, the highly anticipated home-made palaeodoc Forgotten Bloodlines and the emergence of a new generation of palaeomedia. Perhaps most tantalizing of all are some of the palaeomedia Cam isn’t yet allowed to talk about… Is the second Dinosaur Renaissance coming?
Triceratops. (c) Cameron Clow, Image used with permission.
Cuvieronius. (c) Cameron Clow, Image used with permission.
Parahippus. (c) Cameron Clow, Image used with permission.
Equus ferus. (c) Cameron Clow, Image used with permission.
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