Ventral view of a diagram of the skeleton of Megalancosaurus preonensis from the shoulder to the hips, including unknown and possibly not-present abdominal ribs (gastralia). The limbs stick out and are seen in interior view, spread wide, as if they might be swimming appendages (they're not very good at this if so). The skeleton is projected over a drawing of the same animal in dorsal view, shown in red. One hand is splayed chameleon like, the other in normal lacertilian fashion.

#SCiArt #drepanosaurs

The pectoral and pelvic girdles of Megalancosaurus suggest aquatic behavior, in that they are similar to sauropterygians like elasmosaurs. The bodies are long and tubular, very wide -- possibly wider than shown. The tail, unseen, is flattened, but very stiff.

Third and most recent skeletal reconstruction, without scale or inset, of a reconstructed head after Mirasaura grauvogeli. Body is now longer and more drepanosaur-like.

Oh, but this wasn't enough.

A new paper by Spiekman et al. now propose Longisquama is a drepanosauromorph --or simiosaur, whatever -- and this comes it more peculiarites. It makes other things MAKE SENSE, too. Those RIBS.

#drepanosaurs #sciart #skeletal_reconstruction #longisquama #mirasaura

Same skeleton, better rendered, with smaller gray insert showing the shapes, but not the correct SIZE, of the midline dermal "appendages." It's also correctly sprawling.

The second came shortly after the publication of Buchwitz and Voigt in 2012 who described all the impressions of these peculiar midline dermal appendages.

This one's a lot better, and it fixes some issues with the first.

#drepanosaurs #sciart #skeletal_reconstruction #longisquama #mirasaura

Skeletal reconstruction of the small saurian Longisquama insignis, with a smaller version showing the size and extent of impressions of midline dermal "appendages," likened to "plumes."

It occurred to me to update my Longisquama skeletal reconstruction with recent findings of close relation to drepanosaurs.

The first one was dozens ans dozens of years ago, rendered from bad photographs. It's really bad.

#drepanosaurs #sciart #skeletal_reconstruction #longisquama #mirasaura

New art!
Mirasaura grauvogeli, the new Triassic Drepanosaur and close relative of Longisquama!
#paleoart #SciArt #art #reptiles #drepanosaurs

#Mirasaura and #Longisquama are #drepanosaurs. These tree-living specialists have bird-like skulls, prehensile tails, and grasping limbs. A typical Triassic weirdo, they perhaps vaguely resembled a pygmy anteater.

But it's fair to say, we just made drepanosaurs even weirder!