Tropeognathus mesembrinus by jconway

*nemo-ramjet commented that a lot of my pterosaur pictures look like those classic paintings of WW2 fighters. So I decided to go the whole hog!

Anyway, the pterosaur is Tropeognathus mesembrinus, with the body modeled on Anhanguera. I've gone with my more customary "Cunningham" membrane configuration, which looks pretty sweet on these guys.

Covelloraptor Featured By Owner Mar 4, 2017

I remember the first time i saw this painting in 'DINOSAUR ART the worlds greatest paleoart' and I was showing all my friends... I was 12 at the time and I still love this painting

paleosir Featured By Owner Jul 19, 2016 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

I agree with PCA, this is majestic and awesome.

PCAwesomeness Featured By Owner Apr 9, 2016

Majestic!

Louisetheanimator Featured By Owner Feb 4, 2016 Student Filmographer

Good work on this flying reptile. ^^

liliensternus Featured By Owner Feb 8, 2010

nice pose

Michelle56 Featured By Owner Jun 30, 2008 Hobbyist Digital Artist

Pretty colours!

Dinosaur-Ryuzako Featured By Owner Apr 23, 2008

I love the angle, and the colors are beautiful. Lovely work

dunwich7 Featured By Owner Feb 13, 2008 Digital Artist

Very dramatic and inspiring image, I love it

The nuances of the discussions about the how and why of wings, membranes, skin... fascinating. But way over my head, so I just enjoy your paintings as what I perceive them to be: Glimpses in a possible past.

TehFuzzyDuck Featured By Owner Feb 11, 2008

Amazing

I'd love to see your version of the newly discovered pterosaur someday:

[link]

jconway Featured By Owner Feb 12, 2008

It's on it's way!

Sphenacodon Featured By Owner Feb 11, 2008

Heh, the foreshortening, colors and details are great. There should have been 2 pterosaurs in a dogfight for the total WWII feel...

Did this get reclassified to Ornithocheirus?

jconway Featured By Owner Feb 11, 2008

Genus level taxonomy is stamp-collecting. And while I ain't got nothing against philately, it's not something I take seriously.

Sphenacodon Featured By Owner Feb 12, 2008

Oh, okay.

Ashere Featured By Owner Feb 10, 2008 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

Love it. Truly beautiful.

Archosaurian Featured By Owner Feb 10, 2008

You do mean Ornithocheirus mesembrinus, no?

Nomenclatural pedantics aside, this is completely awesome. I like the minute details in the wing structure that can be seen. I really need to gain a better foothold on the newly-published nuances of pterosaur musculature and wing anatomy before I can hold my head up among the other pterosaur people out there.

jconway Featured By Owner Feb 10, 2008

Well if it's not the type species (and hell, even if it is), it's all hand-waving. Tropeognathus is a cool name.

You know I think Chris Bennett and I are the only ones working of pterosaur musculature in and systematic way. His forthcoming paper should be pretty much the entire state of the art.

Archosaurian Featured By Owner Feb 10, 2008

Well, I'll probably be seeing Bennett at Paleofest next month, so I might get a better idea of matters then. Unfortunately, I have long suspected he trashes my correspondence along with that of Dave Peters, so I don't know how he would take my curiosity in pterosaur musculature in life.

jconway Featured By Owner Feb 11, 2008

Heh, well he's sometimes not so forthcoming in real life... so I wouldn't get your hopes up.

nemo-ramjet Featured By Owner Feb 10, 2008

This is amazing! I can never understand how you can pull off these wonderfully foreshortened poses.

By "going the whole hog, do you mean you are going to do pictures on ALL PTEROSAURS?!?!?