This page is mainly for reviewing the accuracy of non-dinosaur paleoart (usually by the artists themselves, but anyone who wants an image scrutinized is welcome to post them for review). Any other image, such as size comparisons or photos of skeletal mounts, can also be posted here to review their accuracy.
If you want to submit paleoart images for accuracy review, place them here as well as links to what you used as references. If you want to participate as reviewer, you can put the page on your watchlist. New images of any type can also be requested by including "Request:" in the section title, and if submitted, such an image will thereafter be reviewed. Sections are archived automatically after some time when a discussion stalls, to encourage speedy responses from both artists and reviewers. It is allowed to revive sections if they have been archived before being resolved, unlike regular talk page archives.
Modifications of previously uploaded amateur restorations to correct anatomical inaccuracies is encouraged (including by others than the original artists), but modifications of historical restorations are discouraged, as these should be used to show historical ideas. Drastic modifications to restorations published in peer-reviewed journals should be uploaded as separate files, so that both versions are available.
Images that have been deemed inaccurate should be tagged with the Wikimedia Commons template "Inaccurate paleoart"[5] (which automatically adds the "Inaccurate paleoart" category[6]), so they can be prevented from being used and easily located for correction. User created images are not considered original research, per WP:OI and WP:PERTINENCE[a], but it is appreciated if sources used are listed in file descriptions (this is often requested during WP:Featured Article reviews).
If image is included for historical value. In these cases the image caption should explain that it is an outdated reconstruction. Historical interest images should not be used in the taxobox, but preferably in a section of the text discussing the history of a taxon.
Criteria sufficient to remove an image:
Images should not speculate unnecessarily beyond what has been indicated by reliable sources. Therefore, depicting overly speculative physical features, behaviors, and pathologies should be avoided, to prevent WP:OR issues. Restorations that show serious pathologies known from fossil evidence are welcome, but should not be used as the main representation of a given taxon. These should instead show healthy, typical individuals, and not focus on unknown areas of their anatomy. Since Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia rather than an art gallery, it is not the place for artistic experimentation, and we cannot include every piece of available artwork.
Image differs appreciably from known skeletal elements.
Example: If Lystrosaurus is reconstructed with four fingers.
Example: If an hesperornithid bird known only from postcranial elements is reconstructed without teeth, a feature made highly improbable by its phylogenetic position.
Image differs appreciably from known non-skeletal elements.
Example: If a restoration of Castorocauda lacks hair.
Image differs appreciably from implied non-skeletal elements.
Example: Scaphognathus should not be depicted without pycnofibres, since phylogenetic bracketing implies that it had them.
Image pose differs appreciably from known range of motion.
Example: Plesiosaurs reconstructed with overly flexible necks.
Exception: If the range of motion is debated in the scientific literature, as is the case with sauropod neck position.
Image depicts a scene which is anachronistic or contradicts known geographic range.
i could argue that, based on the trilophosaurus skeletal, the illustration you showed has actually kind of short arms, and that my depiction is within a natural range of motion for the creature, between the usually depicted limb that's far away back and the other far away forward [9]. So like a mid-step position LiterallyMiguel (talk) 03:17, 10 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Regardless, the point is to ignore Peters' work entirely (found on his blogs "Reptile Evolution" and "The Pterosaur Heresies") since he usually introduces many misinterpretations due to his unorthodox methods. -SlvrHwk (talk) 16:14, 10 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
i mean; ok, but that's not really the point, judging by other skeletals (like the one from its own paper) the arm lenght is fine in my opinion, and its in a natural middle-ground between the usually depicted far-away-back and far-away-forward foot pose, unless there's evidence of teraterpeton's legs being shorter which i haven't found yet LiterallyMiguel (talk) 21:13, 10 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Here are all of this user's uploads (including Teraterpeton, discussed above). I can't speak to the little anatomical details, but they seem quite good artistically. -SlvrHwk (talk) 16:14, 10 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
thanks!, i also wonder what other species could be in need of a good paleo-art, like i did with Puercosuchus, which even with how interesting it is, there's ZERO other drawings of it i the internet! LiterallyMiguel (talk) 21:14, 10 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Now new study[11] have shown complete remain of Ptychodus. Although paper is not freely licensed, supplementary information of the paper[12] is CC BY 4.0 which we can use some of fossil images. Either way, I think we probably need new Ptychodus reconstruction based on Mexican specimen. @Damouraptor: or @EvolutionIncarnate: would be interested in that? Supplementary material also includes size estimation of multiple specimens based on newly found specimen. I wonder if @PaleoNeolitic: would be good at making new size chart? Ta-tea-two-te-to (talk) 07:57, 24 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Size comparison done. I depicted four species of each tooth morphology following Vullo et al. 2024, as well as the new body shape indicated by the new fossils. PaleoNeolitic (talk) 02:33, 17 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
If you want it might also be a good idea to upload this picture as an SVG or put the Ptychodus silhouette on Phylopic. I don't think anyone has uploaded one for the new body shape yet and it would be useful to be able to reuse it as a reference.
For Makarkinia, as I see there are no morphological issue but any opinions? This blogpost estimated flying posture of Kalligrammatids[13] and shows some videos which shows slow-motion of flight of neuropterans, comparing that this would be fine. Ta-tea-two-te-to (talk) 15:03, 24 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Found two Paleozoic arts, Bothriolepis looks fine to me, especially since it is based on latest interpretation. While Pterygotus, is outdated. Ta-tea-two-te-to (talk) 12:19, 7 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hi! Wanted to put this Vasuki life reconstruction up for review... since it's only known from a few vertebrae I didn't have much to go off with, but I've tried to keep it in line with Madtsoiidae in general, taking inferences from Madtsoia and Gigantophis Ansh Saxena 7163 (talk) 18:01, 9 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Those weren't supposed to be scales, just a pattern, though I see now that they look more like scales... I'll make some changes to make it look more obvious Edit: I have made some changes to fix the issue, please check now Ansh Saxena 7163 (talk) 15:59, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
It is a size comparison, originally by Steveoc 86 and Oryctolagus XL reuploaded with the addition of Vasuki, I have used the mean of the lower and upper ranges provided in Datta & Bajpai 2024 (10.9-12.2 m has been averaged to 11.5 m and 14.5 to 15.2 m has been averaged to 14.8 m)
I have no idea about the others, I took the size comparison from the Titanoboa page so figured it might be right... If it is problematic though here's one specifically for Vasuki Vasuki indicus size comparisonAnsh Saxena 7163 (talk) 10:31, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I started an update to my version a while ago with the intention of adding Palaeophis but I don't know when I'll finish it. I should probably add Vasuki now. The current iteration can be seen here [15]. The extinct snake silhouettes in the diagram mainly use the size of known vertebrae to roughly estimate torso height, then draw the snake to the estimated length. Doing this resulted in my version of Palaeophis being slightly leaner but otherwise similar. I gave it a more rounded head shape, which some living sea snakes have, but I'm unaware of decent skull material for the group. The paddle is slight less prominent in my version as well. Steveoc 86 (talk) 22:26, 22 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
That sounds better, then I think it'll be best to wait for the updated version for a size comparison. Adding only the life restoration for now to the Vasuki page then. Ansh Saxena 7163 (talk) 14:56, 28 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Bright yellow isn't the best color for visibility, a more subdued shade would be ideal. Maybe Steveoc 86 can share his font and text size details so the labels for Vasuki can be standardized even further. But otherwise the diagram looks good! NGPezz (talk) 03:42, 20 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Here's a link to a potential update that adds Vasuki[16]. The skulls of both Vasuki and Giganotophis are inspired by a diagram of Wonambi by Scanlon & Lee (2000).
Re Palaeophis; There's Archaeophis that is well preserved and doesn't seem to show evidence of a paddle. It also seems that the lateral compression of the body varies within Palaeophis and P. colossaeus 'might' not be as compressed as other species. So, I dialled back the paddle somewhat, but still speculative.
Re the anaconda; Living snake sizes seem fairly contentious. 5.21 m is usually mentioned as reliable and is leaned towards in the wiki article but just recently one was found dead that is larger. There's video of it being measured by rope that estimated it at around 6.45 m. Reportedly, it was later measured properly by a biologist at 6.32 m. However, most the information comes from Instagram and YouTube videos. So it might not make sense to include it here unless we can find a better source? Steveoc 86 (talk) 23:21, 31 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I made basic improvements to an old Cryptovenator illustration, as I said before I'm rusty with synapsids. I added lips, put gingiva, gave more shadow to necessary areas, put a more natural and neutral color to certain areas and modified the neural spines. Any comment? Levi bernardo (talk) 09:15, 11 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I had originally drawn it somewhat similar to Sphenacodon and with certain similarities also to Ctenospondylus. In the redraw I did almost a decade ago I did that combination again. But I think it will be time to rethink it and perhaps be more attached to Sphenacodon, but I wouldn't like to completely abandon the high vertebrae either. One option would be to delete everything beyond the atlas, but aesthetically I like seeing the neck in this one. Now, regarding the appearance of the vertebrae, I think that the most convenient thing would be to blur the area where they emerge to give a more natural transition and with more tissue, but as for the tips, it is a good question to know if they will really have been similar to what is known about Dimetrodon Levi bernardo (talk) 00:15, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Overall looks ok for me as well, only the leg with following issues:
Absence of trochanter (a small, narrow, triangular segment located between coxa and femur, a general feature of insect legs). In the original decription the segment is even visible via the specimen photo, but ommited in the drawing for whatever reason.
Detail of tarsus. According to Li & Huang 2022 Manipulatoridae should have 5 tarsomeres instead of 4 unless it was regenerated (see fig. 8B, although it's a different genus but still from the same family). Also an arolium (median sucking pad) is evident between the tarsal claw as well (see fig. 5C).
As far as I can tell, Clark (2013) is the most recent publication to have described T. etheridgii so the comments I'm about to make are based on that:
By my count, this drawing shows 8 spines on the lateral margin of the carapace, whereas the study states there should be at least 10 (see figures 14 and 17a).
The antennal scale seems to have too many spines, which are also too small (see figure 16b).
Well a spatulated premax is present in paratypothorax, just not to the extent I've shown here. I'll update it. thnx for the critique! DNB XD (talk) 14:58, 22 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The skeletal is not a rigorous reconstruction of Venkatasuchus. It is almost certainly copied from this reconstruction of Typothorax: [20] And I will note the following passage from the paper I linked: "The tip itself appears to have been unexpanded as in Aetosaurus and Stenomyti, and is rather different from the shovel shaped premaxilla in most other aetosaurs." Lythronaxargestes (talk | contribs) 16:20, 22 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Hello. It's been a while, but can I ask for review for my reconstruction again? This time I tried to reconstruct Koleken mostly based on the skeletal reconstruction from the official paper (?) in this page... https://novataxa.blogspot.com/2024/05/koleken.html For the scale with human, I am basing it on the femur length that is described from the paper which is 50 or so cm if I remember correctly? So that is for the reference. Is my reconstruction good enough to be put in the Koleken page? If the human scale is jarring or say "unartistic" and inaccurate, I can just omit it from the image... Thank you very much as always and sorry for my bad english!
The foot claws look overly curved, and like they're reaching below the line of the feet themselves, which would be impossible. Dinosaur palaeoart should be posted to WP:Dinoart, by the way. FunkMonk (talk) 18:59, 26 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Ah I guess you are right. I just realized it is too curvy..
Oh I didn't aware that there is a page dedicated to dinosaur paleoart review.. Thank you for both of you guys input! I will not upload it then if there are some major issues.. DD (talk) 01:55, 27 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Aw how could I forget about that paper.. For the right foot, yes I made it to looks like its just about to lift from the ground DD (talk) 01:52, 27 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Given that the "official" skeletal diagram was for whatever reason not created with a scale bar(‽) (and wasn't actually published in the paper) and no size estimate seems to be given in the paper, the human scale seems to fall under original research. -SlvrHwk (talk) 17:27, 30 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Just quick illustrations of the type specimens, not much that I expect to be controversial but putting up for review in case anyone has comments. Skye McDavid (talk) 22:10, 30 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The first Macrauchenia image is difficult to judge proportions due to the angle, but it looks fine to me. Xenorhinotherium also looks fine. Hemiauchenia (talk) 20:36, 24 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I could only comment on arthropods, the Opabinia looks good, while the first 3 leg pairs of Burgessia could be a little bit longer, representing the specialized exopods (see 1).
The body segments of Opabinia are not arthrodized or sclerotized, what you see in the fossils are raised ridges of the soft cuticle. They make a gentle slope back into the next segment, with zero overlap. These ridges also increase in height and definition towards the middle posterior, starting very faint behind the head. It is important that they are not depicted as sclerotized, arthropod-like segments, and they should fade into smooth cuticle before they reach the flaps.
In terms of proportions, I really liked your previous verion - Opabinia is very tall for a lobopodian. Lastly, Opabinia had a long-ish distinct neck region (see Budd and Daley [2012] figs 3a, 3e, and 8a). The head should be faintly annulated, continuing from the proboscis, with the annulations fading away around the neck region. There is probably no external 'segmentation' between the head and neck. I won't make any suggestions regarding legs, as although I believe they had them, this is still not agreed upon. Also, given that this is an ecological reconstruction before anything, I won't complain if you choose to keep it as is. As always it is a very nice drawing. PaleoEquii (talk) 08:05, 4 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Several skeletal reconstructions and diagrams done of Ornithoprion based on the figures provided in Zangerl's 1966 description. I've talked about this over in the Discord and these should be distinct enough to be Creative Commons, but let me know if they need to be differentiated further (and of course if there are any anatomical issues). No photos of the fossils are available on commons (Or anywhere but the description, for that matter) and even then they are quite severely crushed, so I'm not sure what can be done besides closely copying the figures in the paper to accurately represent them. I'm working on finishing up an extensive rewrite of the currently very barebones page for this guy, so I thought it could use some images besides the frankly horribly inaccurate life restoration I did a couple of years ago. Gasmasque (talk) 05:25, 8 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Will correct, good catch! The paper is from before the name change, so it must have just slipped my mind to adjust that while doing this. Gasmasque (talk) 06:54, 15 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Zangerl's original figures show the two with a gap between them, and it is suggested that the rostrum was articulated and flexible and not fused to the Meckel's. If this illustration seems implausibly exaggerated or confusing then it can be changed, but I do want to emphasize that this was an apparently flexible structure. Gasmasque (talk) 22:12, 23 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Skull anatomy and osteoderms look OK for Turfanosuchus, but I'm wondering about the limb proportions and stance. Based on the known limb proportions [21] and other gracilisuchids [22], the forelimbs should be much shorter than the hindlimbs. Lythronaxargestes (talk | contribs) 18:12, 23 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry for taking so long to reply, I can definitely see that and certain things were corrected later on including removing osteoderms on the tail and removing claws on the outer two digits on the front limbs. I should be able to fix this later today along with the proportions on the other Asian taxa in the family that I’ve yet to upload to wikimedia. SeismicShrimp (talk) 14:56, 6 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This may be a matter of perspective, but the eyes seem too laterally directed considering the dorsal position of the orbits (cf. the lateral reconstruction in Fig. 2). Lythronaxargestes (talk | contribs) 17:42, 23 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I made a model of Entothyreos synnaustrus, a new collinsovermid from the Burgess Shale. Of course, there is no Entothyreos page for it to accompany yet, but its here when such a page exists. PaleoEquii (talk) 06:40, 17 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This is my attempt at creating an illustration of Kermitops. The body is based on that of a salamander, while the eye is based on the eye of Hyalinobatrachium dianae (chosen because it resembles the eye of Kermit the frog). Does the illustration seems suitable to use? If there are any glaring issues, let me know. Di (they-them) (talk) 02:29, 20 July 2024 (UTC)'[reply]
Seeing as I have updated the proportions and have not received any other comments, I will assume that the image is good to go. If not, let me know. Di (they-them) (talk) 20:33, 20 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Here's a life restoration of the Canadian Triassic ichthyosaur Callawayia, which, up until now, had no images on Commons at all. I've detailed my process and rationale for reconstructing it the way I have in the file description. How does it look? --Slate Weasel [Talk - Contribs] 16:13, 21 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I just followed what Nicholls & Manabe (2001) said about this, namely: "A 25 cm gap is present in the middle of the tail, following vertebra 93, suggesting that approximately 15 vertebrae are missing." --Slate Weasel [Talk - Contribs] 22:16, 24 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The only thing I'm not sure is the inward curving of endite 6-13 (AFAIK there's only lateral view for these endites, which can't tell if it was curved inward), but that's not a major concern IMO. Junnn11 (talk) 08:30, 23 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The difference between the mandrill and the Geikia is that the former is still recognisably blue-on-red... the latter is just straight-up violet. I'm OK with a less vibrant purple. Lythronaxargestes (talk | contribs) 14:20, 31 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Don't have any comment on these but looking at Commons you don't seem to have got around to uploading the Youngina drawing we were discussing on Discord a few months back. Hemiauchenia (talk) 03:47, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Got a bit busy with stuff so I never finished it but all it needs are osteoderms so maybe like 10-20 minutes of work. I can get Youngina and both of the Temnospondyls I have on commons done later today. SeismicShrimp (talk) 12:03, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Unclear what is claw and what is soft tissue in the forelimbs of Yonghesuchus, not even clear if the forelimbs have claws at all. Separating them with linework (as in the hindlimbs) or different colors would be a simple fix. Skye McDavid (talk) 15:00, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
My traditional pen + pencil reconstruction of Amananulam sanogoi, largely based on modern sea snakes and alethinophidians such as boas. No species within this family have genus/species pages with artwork, to my knowledge, and only one has a created page. This is my first time ever using wikipedia to submit my own artwork, and while I may fear some aspects of this reconstruction are too speculative, I may be able to make minor edits per your suggestions. While I plan to color this, I'm uploading the uncolored version first as it may be easier on the eyes and more anatomically digestible.
Edit: this specific individual is a female, hence the lack of spurs. Lythronax246 (talk) 21:04, 7 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I think all of these look good. I can't recall ungual counts off the top of my head for non-archosaurian archosauromorphs, but thats a minor and fixable detail if incorrect. IJReid{{T - C - D - R}}17:31, 12 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Very few waves in a tsunami crest, which does make it a bit less visually dramatic. Whether that is an issue with this piece that makes it need revisions or not, I cannot say, but it is something others should keep in mind when reviewing this piece. IJReid{{T - C - D - R}}17:30, 12 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
While this restoration isn't used in the Megatherium article proper, it is widely used elsewhere, including at the collage in the infobox of Xenarthra. Looking at the head, there are a number of issues. 1. While this was a popular historical paleoart meme, Megatherium almost certainly didn't have a protrusible tongue based on a 2010 study of its hyoid bones [26]. 2. Megatherium probably had a prehensile upper lip similar to that of a black rhinoceros, see this 2006 paper which has a good restoration [27], which isn't shown in this image. The first issue and probably the second issue are fixable with editing. Hemiauchenia (talk) 07:38, 12 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Not the easiest angle to show this snout morphology from, but I've updated the image to show something like in that paper, what do you think, Hemiauchenia? If that's fine, I'll fix the landscape image too. FunkMonk (talk) 22:48, 13 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Looks fantastic. In addition to the landscape the Xenarthra collage will also need fixing [29] (which just a simple job of replacing the original with your fixed version) Hemiauchenia (talk) 04:07, 14 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I found exactly same skeletal reconstruction in DeviantArt.[30] Is image uploader same as original author? Also found some description of article of Vishnuictis which is citation needed, is somewhat similar to description in this deviant. (difference is upper length being 3.4 m instead of 2.4 m) Ta-tea-two-te-to (talk) 15:10, 17 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]