Kosmoceras

This is a model of Laggania cambria, a smaller contemporary (but still quite big: 60 cm) of the more famous Anomalocaris. Genus Laggania was formerly assigned to the fragmented body of Anomalocaris, and was thought as a sponge instead. The same happens to the mouthpart, which was given name Peytoia and was thought to be a jellyfish. The puzzle continued for a while until a complete fossil of Anomalocaris was found.

Note: a recent change in the Wikipedia article says that the name for this is now Peytoia nathorsti, due to the oldest name taking the priority. This kind of debate is frequent in biology, and I am unsure whether to use this recent update or not, so I’m using the popular consensus instead.

Cryolophosaurus ellioti by Alain Beneteau

Favorite Cryolophosaurus reconstruction EVER.

museumofnaturalhistory:

Crinoid Meadow (by Koston Photography)

(via scientificillustration)

fuckyeahdinoart:

Il Re - Cast by ~Kronosaurus82

THIS STUFF IS MADE OF HEAVENS

Materpiscis, the first to show vertebrate viviparity. Late Devonian.

Art by dustdevil

A particularly epic reconstruction of Tusoteuthis (with a possibly mosasaur attacker)

ETA: it was made by 10TONS, a group of Denmark-based museum sculptors, which was founded by Esben Horn.

Another Charlie McGrady piece, this time a belemnite.

The patterned lateral fins are lovely, but how I wish those were translucent instead of opaque.

Note: not a squid, although closely related.

A model of an extinct rhenanid placoderm, Gemuendina stuertzi.

Check out those rad stripes!

by Charlie McGrady.

Note: It’s not a ray. The Placodermi includes the famous Dunkleosteus, that gigantic armor-plated predator from Devonian seas.