In my additional quest to keep away from the DK Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Life from 2001 (which I do now personal, a minimum of), right here’s one other ebook from round that point – Dinosaurs, revealed in 2002 by Fog Metropolis Press. It’s a somewhat generic affair all advised, however I’m positive there’s somebody on the market for whom this is a crucial childhood reminiscence. Apart from which, it options illustrations by Steve Kirk and Luis Rey (amongst others), to not point out an fascinating mixture of retro reconstructions that would have come straight from the early ’90s (and possibly did) alongside up-to-the-minute items that even, very often, function feathers. Gasp! In different phrases, it’s typical of the time, reflecting a gradual paradigm shift very like the transition from swampy tail-draggers to Bakkerian Renaissance-o-saurs that occurred a number of a long time prior.
Admittedly, the duvet doesn’t mirror this all that a lot – there isn’t something to mirror that we’re in a post-Sinosauropteryx world, particularly with that scaly dromaeosaur within the decrease left, which might have been at residence within the pages of Dinosaurs! journal. The Tyrannosaurus within the center (by Kirk) is clearly primarily based on the AMNH mount (and I’m fairly positive I’ve received that proper this time), therefore the marginally awkward look, though being a Steve Kirk piece it does nonetheless handle to look suitably muscular and hefty and sport some natty cat-like spots.
And talking of Steve Kirk dinosaurs with stunning patterns happening, take a look at this Eoraptor. It’s fairly spectacular, and other than the extremely engaging mixture of eyespots and banding on the pores and skin, I actually just like the glowing red-and-yellow eye, which appears to imbue the animal with a lot life and persona. Not unhealthy, on condition that it isn’t doing something extra dramatic than taking a step in a DK-like white void. Whereas the forelimb posture particularly wouldn’t cross muster as we speak, this piece has nonetheless aged very effectively and stays an exceptionally well-observed reconstruction of an animal {that a} lesser artist would have rendered as a bit of inexperienced pipsqueak.
Kirk additionally turns in a strikingly patterned Suchomimus, an animal that was nonetheless comparatively new to science on the time. It too could be very effectively noticed, from the form of its cranium and tall neural spines to the way in which it’s inserting one foot in entrance of the opposite because it walks in suitably theropodal trend. See, books from 2002 have higher spinosaurs than motion pictures which are being produced these days.
Whereas Steve Kirk’s illustrations listed below are very up-to-date for 2002, go away it to Luis Rey to introduce feathers. Admittedly, Mononykus was one of many only a few non-avian dinosaurs that gave the impression to be thought to be ‘acceptable’ to stay feathers on within the ’90s (together with Avimimus), however its fluffy look right here remains to be very hanging amongst a parade of scaly maniraptorans. You’ll be aware that the textual content remains to be very cautious about referring to feathers immediately, as an alternative mentioning “skinny fibers which will have been primitive feathers”. I don’t suppose Luis had any such doubts. I’m significantly keen on the black ruff, the hanging blue on the top, and startled, birdlike expression. It’s additionally commendable that we get an illustration of that weirdo forelimb alongside.
As an instance my level concerning the scaly dromaeosaurs, right here’s an, er, illustration of Deinonychus attacking Tenontosaurus by Cecilia Fitzsimmons through which the brown bastards appear like they’re straight out of the late ’80s. It may be straightforward to overlook that universally feathered dromaeosaurs are a latest phenomenon in popular culture; lengthy have been the tedious discussions on web boards within the late 2000s and early 2010s with the scaly-raptor bores who refused to just accept the proof staring them of their faces. However I digress. Maybe extra notable is that the above unfold is about Tenontosaurus and really options mentioned animal by itself, standing round, not doing a lot because the central illustration (a somewhat good one by Kirk). Hooray, progress! Besides it’s nonetheless described as “straightforward prey”. Oh expensive.
As a result of I now really feel unhealthy for mistreated ornithiscians, and barely responsible about all the time favouring theropods in my posts, right here’s Luis Rey’s tackle Saurolophus. Luis has all the time liked his uncommon views, and this is a superb front-on perspective of a hadrosaur, significantly for the time. You’ll be aware the engaging, but naturalistic stripy pores and skin, the uneven fringe of the keratinous beak, and fleshy pink nasal sacs which are a little bit of a Rey trope. And talking of which…
…Right here’s Muttaburrasaurus, an animal largely recognized for being from Australia and having an enormous nostril. It was additionally thought to be being a little bit of an ‘Australian Iguanodon‘ again within the day, though I perceive that its phylogenetic place has shifted a bit. Nonetheless, the large nostril, and consequent portrayal as having expansive nasal sacs with which to make an enormous previous fuss, have remained constant. This performs very effectively to Luis’ energy of giving animals very giant, fleshy, inflatable, pinkish noses. I like this illustration an terrible lot, and want that we may see a bit extra of this dinosaur in reconstructions these days, particularly in mannequin kind. My Invicta toy is feeling a bit lonely.
At the very least I’d heard of Muttaburrasaurus earlier than buying this ebook, not like Qantassaurus, which is unquestionably price together with due to its obscurity alone – and the truth that it will get a Luis Rey illustration, after all. As you may need guessed, it’s named after a sure Australian airline. Known as Qantas. It’s additionally solely recognized from jaw fragments, though that was sufficient to have it confidently positioned in Hypsolophodontidae again within the (hypsolophodontid-)day. As you may need guessed (once more), there’s been loads of taxonomic hoo-hah since then, however the animal was a minimum of a small ornithopod of some kind. Luis’ reconstruction follows in his custom of creating small ornithopods look oddly sinister; it’s their fault that that they had these eagle-like bony bars over their eyes, nevertheless it’s Luis’ fault for making the eyes purple and glowering. The stripes are good, however I’m particularly keen on the elongated spines (or filaments?) on the tail right here.
And at last…it’s Segnosaurus! A lot as in books from the early ’90s (just like the Lambert-authored Final Dinosaur E-book), there’s a lot confusion right here as to precisely what therizinosaurs have been, and so Segnosaurus (as illustrated by Mark Iley) finally ends up caught between the theropods and sauropodomorphs. This could be a final gasp for the Normanpedia-like fisher segnosaur, though you’ll be aware that this animal doesn’t have webbed toes, neither is it fishing. Nonetheless, its physique plan is in that vein. As an historic curiosity and contribution to the therizinosaur reconstruction canon, I definitely suppose it’s probably the most fascinating illustrations right here – moreso than all of the scaly dromaeosaurs.