Nathan E. Rogers

Spinophorosaurus Middle Jurassic, 167 Ma, Africa

The discovery and study of this sauropod illustrate the scientific process; this dinosaur was first thought to have spikes on its tail, and the low posture often seen in traditional depictions of sauropods. After innovative research in 2020 involving 3D models of the skeleton, the new Spinophorosaurus reconstruction may have implications for understanding the life posture of other dinosaurs as well.

Read the paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-63439-0.pdf

I made this using Blender, my own photos, and Photoshop digital painting. Not for use in AI training datasets. Thanks!

Serpentisuchops pfisterae

Late Cretaceous, North America

A new genus and species! I had the honor of illustrating this ancient marine reptile for the descriptive scientific paper "A long-snouted and long-necked polycotylid plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of North America" by Walter Scott Persons IV, Hallie P. Street, and Amanda Kelley, which is published in the journal iScience from Cell Press.

Read the paper at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105033

Rhamphorhynchus 01

Late Jurassic, Europe

A pair of Rhamphorhynchus pterosaurs in the first light of dawn.

Made in Blender.

Compsognathus longipes 01

Late Jurassic, Europe

A small theropod dinosaur, depicted here ascending a seaside rock in the early morning.

Made in Blender.

Solnhofen Sunrise 01

Late Jurassic, Europe

Compsognathus dinosaurs explore the early morning beach as Rhamphorhynchus pterosaurs fly by, perhaps returning from a night of fishing?

Made in Blender.

Oviraptorid Adult and Chicks

Late Cretaceous, Djadokhta Formation, Asia

An adult Oviraptorid leads three chicks through the desert sands. Based on skeletons of Citipati and the Zamyn Khondt specimen.

Digital painting with some photographic elements (my own photos), using Photoshop and a Wacom tablet.

Spinosaurus

Late Cretaceous, North Africa

An image inspired by the recent paper by Dr. David Hone and Dr. Thomas Holtz, Jr., "Evaluating the ecology of Spinosaurus: shoreline generalist or aquatic pursuit specialist?" published in Palaeontologia Electronica, January 2021: https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2021/3219-the-ecology-of-spinosaurus

I tried to depict the Spinosaurus here using its sail both for intraspecific display and to cast shadows on the water as some modern herons and egrets do in a behavior known as "canopy feeding". Above, a large azhdarchid and two ornithocheirid pterosaurs cruise by, and in the water a Neoceratodus lungfish is about to become the next meal for the Spinosaurus.

Dr. Hone has a great podcast, in which you can learn more about the history and current ideas about Spinosaurus: https://terriblelizards.libsyn.com/s03e01-spinosaurus-megasode

Digital painting done with Photoshop and a Wacom tablet, 2021.

Edmontosaurus

Late Cretaceous

I had the great opportunity to work on this image for the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston, SC, with guidance from paleontologist Dr. Scott Persons.

You can watch a virtual tour of the Museum's exhibits at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ9NcUeXAA&list=PL4-bAC0oaWu445vvKgvIqIxP8OCndikoV

The zebra stripe pattern was specifically requested, and I know a few other artists have made zebra striped Edmontosaurus images before so I tried to add some other colors and patterning to help make this one unique.

Paramylodon

Pliocene-Pleistocene Epochs, Cenozoic

I had the great opportunity to work on this image for the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston, SC, with guidance from paleontologist Dr. Scott Persons.

You can watch a virtual tour of the Museum's exhibits at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ9NcUeXAA&list=PL4-bAC0oaWu445vvKgvIqIxP8OCndikoV

Tylosaurus

Late Cretaceous

I had the great opportunity to work on this image for the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston, SC, with guidance from paleontologist Dr. Scott Persons.

You can watch a virtual tour of the Museum's exhibits at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ9NcUeXAA&list=PL4-bAC0oaWu445vvKgvIqIxP8OCndikoV

Mammites Ammonite

Late Cretaceous

I had the great opportunity to work on this image for the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston, SC, with guidance from paleontologist Dr. Scott Persons.

You can watch a virtual tour of the Museum's exhibits at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ9NcUeXAA&list=PL4-bAC0oaWu445vvKgvIqIxP8OCndikoV

Tyrannosaurus

Late Cretaceous, North America

I had the great opportunity to work on this image for the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston, SC, with guidance from paleontologist Dr. Scott Persons.

You can watch a virtual tour of the Museum's exhibits at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ9NcUeXAA&list=PL4-bAC0oaWu445vvKgvIqIxP8OCndikoV

Dunkleosteus

Late Devonian I had the great opportunity to work on this image for the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston, SC, with guidance from paleontologist Dr. Scott Persons. You can watch a virtual tour of the Museum's exhibits at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ9NcUeXAA&list=PL4-bAC0oaWu445vvKgvIqIxP8OCndikoV

Eobrontosaurus

Late Jurassic, North America

I had the great opportunity to work on this image for the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston, SC, with guidance from paleontologist Dr. Scott Persons.

You can watch a virtual tour of the Museum’s exhibits at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ9NcUeXAA&list=PL4-bAC0oaWu445vvKgvIqIxP8OCndikoV

Pteranodon

Late Cretaceous, North America

I had the great opportunity to work on this image for the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston, SC, with guidance from paleontologist Dr. Scott Persons.

You can watch a virtual tour of the Museum's exhibits at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ9NcUeXAA&list=PL4-bAC0oaWu445vvKgvIqIxP8OCndikoV

Triceratops

Late Cretaceous, North America

I had the great opportunity to work on this image for the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History at the College of Charleston, SC, with guidance from paleontologist Dr. Scott Persons.

You can watch a virtual tour of the Museum's exhibits at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ9NcUeXAA&list=PL4-bAC0oaWu445vvKgvIqIxP8OCndikoV

Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway

Around 90 mya, Cretaceous North America My home state of Minnesota was partially submerged during much of the Cretaceous, with the Eastern edge of the Western Interior Seaway running right through the state. Amazing to think that plesiosaurs, ammonites and exotic sharks may have been swimming right where I was sitting while I worked on these images!

Made for an exhibit at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm, and the Hill Annex Mine Paleontology Project.