Crato Reconstruction (IMAGE)

University of Manchester

Crato Reconstruction

Caption

The environmental setting is semi-arid at the shores of a lagoon. A mayfly (Coxoplectoptera) rests on a shoot of a flowering plant. One of the flowers is being pollinated by a wasp Cretosphex parvus (hymenoptera: Sphecidae). The reconstruction of this plant is based on a fossil of an unidentified angiosperm, possibly related to magnolia. At bottom left is an arachnid, camel spider (solifugae) about to eat a cricket which was itself in the middle of eating a plant (a Crato monocotyledon plant Kitzschophyllites flabellate. These plants branched into threes (trifurcated) and had single leaves on each branch with serrated margins).

At lower right are two antlions (Baisopardus cryptohymen) showing distinctive wing margins. I have painted one with wings 'open' and the other 'closed' showing how the wing patterns differ when they overlap in 'closed' position. You can just make out two water-striders on the water.

Behind, a small raptor (Santanaraptor) looks out across the lagoon while two pterosaurs (Lacusovagus magnifens) wheel overhead. The reed like plants are quillworts (Isoetes). Ferns are Ruffordia. There are also some water lilies near the santaraptor, they are too far away for any anatomical details.

While doing this painting I learned how many beautifully preserved fossils there are from Crato, Brazil. Plants complete with roots, intricately preserved insects complete with wing venation and markings and so on. I have been told that there are not many artistic reconstruction of the Crato formation, which is very surprising considering the wealth of available fossils. That said, it is hard researching on the environmental settings. In spite of the wealth of fossils, I limited the amount of flora and fauna, otherwise it would get too crowded and more difficult to see. I hope I achieved a correct balance.

Credit

Richard Bizley <a href="http://www.bizleyart.com" target="_blank">www.bizleyart.com</a>

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Please credit: Richard Bizley <a href="http://www.bizleyart.com" target="_blank">www.bizleyart.com</a>

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