Some paint added

[Kane]

Love it! Well done. The little spots are a neat touch. Of course, we can't be sure about most trilobites' colouration, so it is entirely open to some artistic license. Again, fine work. 

[Mahnmut]

Thanks you! I am glad you like it.

When you say most trilobites coloration, are there any with colour preservation?

A thing I noticed on the recent Calappa granulata: most bumps on the surface are red, but there are also bumps that are bright like the rest of the shell.

maybe thats because it is somewhat weathered, but I dont think so. So there is no clear correspondence between colour and texture.

Best regards,

J

 

[Kane]

In most cases, the available mineral during preservation accounts for the colour we see. Chromatophore patterns, however, can remain intact! There are a number of research papers on trilobite shell patterning. Just two for quick reference:

 

For Paleozoic marine inverts overall:

Kobluk, D.R. and Mapes, R.H. (1989) "The Fossil Record, Function, and Possible Origins of Shell Color Patterns in Paleozoic Marine Invertebrates." Palaois 4.3:63-85

 

And one specifically on trilobites closer to my neck of the woods: 

Babcock, L.E. (1982) "Original and Diagenetic Color Patterns in Two Phacopid Trilobites from the Devonian of New York." Proceedings of the Third North American Paleontological Convention 1:17-22

[Mahnmut]

Thanks Kane for the Information!

Itś always fascinating to catch a new glimpse from the deep past.

 

Here I am a lot closer to the present again:

Miocene of the great basin of north America,

Ceratogaulus. Digitally modeled after a beaver skull and molerat postcranial. Scale is about 1/3 and I am really happy how well it printed after the printing service told me to print it n my own risk because of the intricate structure.

paint is burnt umber acryllic diluted in much water, really brings it to life

Cheers

J

[Mahnmut]

As the main step now was the painting, I put it here.

The chevrons are paper, more wire would have added to much weight.

The hands need some attention and there are no gastralia for now, but otherwise I declare it finished.

Aloha!

J

[Mahnmut]

No color yet, just digital shape.

There are a lot of mammals I still want to model, although time and room are limiting factors. So I decided to make some interesting skulls in scale to my whales.

Many scanned crania are available online, mandibles are much rarer for some reason.

So I modeled some.

Archaeotherium cranium  UW6856 via sketchfab, mandible selfmade

Toxodon and Zygomaturus crania phenome 10k, mandibles selfmade

-Deinotherium skull found from EDDylab via sketchfab 2 weeks after I modeled one (nearly as good) myself.

 

Threw in some smaller skulls to fill the spaces because that does not change the price for printing much and makes it look like a mass mortality find.

Looking forward to the prints.

Aloha,

J

 

[Mahnmut]

Aloha,

I just painted some Skulls I had 3dprinted, thus closing some gaps in my collection of the animal kingdom. Most of these have spectacular skulls on relatively "normal" body plans, so for the moment Chalicotherium is the only one I plan to build/print a postcranial skeleton of.

From left to right:

-Chalicotherium: morphed from a horseskull by diego Garcia (Sketchfab) (Perissodactyla, Laurasiatheria, pliocene Eurasia)

-Zygomaturus: Cranium from Phenome10k, mandible selfmade based on my thylacosmilus mandible (Diprotodontidae, Marsupilia, pleistocene Australia)

-Archaeotherium: Cranium UW6856 via sketchfab, mandible selfmade based on selfscanned dog mandible (Entelodontidae, Laurasiatheria, eocene north America)

-Panochthus: (small in the foreground ) EDDyLab via sketchfab (Cingulata, Xenarthra, pleistocene south America)

-Toxodon: Cranium from Phenome10k, mandible selfmade (Notoungulata, pliocene south America)

-Deinotherium: EDDyLab via sketchfab (Proboscidea, Afrotheria, pliocene Eurasia/Afrika)

 

What do you think, who is missing?

Cheers,

J

[Kane]

Very cool! Perhaps a Megacerops/Brontotherium in the mix at some point? 

[Mahnmut]

Thanks Kane,

Yes, these are definitly worthy.

I also need some Dinocerata.  And, opening up the timeframe, a dinocephalian.

Aloha,

J

[Mahnmut]

Good news, everybody!

I just received my first 3d-printer (anycubic Vyper) and had a try. The resolution is lower than with bought nylon prints, but it works fine for most of my needs.

Next project to be finished is Thylacosmilus, using again a Smilodon from Clementoni as a basis, as I did with my Thylacoleo.

The big jaw next to the Skull is Andrewsarchus, which I used as a first test-print.

I will have to print the Smiley-Skull again about 15% smaller in order to fit the model, lets see how the printer handles that.

Best Regards,

J

[Bobby Rico]

4 minutes ago, Mahnmut said:

first 3d-printer

That’s great looking forward to seeing what you make.  

[Mahnmut]

Some paint added.

The smaller version of the skull was printed without problem.

Except the feet that may need some detailwork and a second painting  I consider my Thylacosmilus complete.

Best Regards,

J

Edited August 27, 2021 by Mahnmut
additional info

[Mahnmut]

Two Metatherian carnivores.

 Diprotodont Thylacoleo of Australias Plio- to Pleistocene meeting Sparassodont Thylacosmilus of Argentinas Mio-Pliocene.

Both models are derived from the Clementoni Smilodon using 3dprinted skulls. Size is more or less to scale.

Best Regards,
J

Edited August 29, 2021 by Mahnmut
Additional info

[Mahnmut]

After repurposing Smilodon toys as Thylacoleo and Thylacosmilus, I realized I could not use it as a Smilodon while keeping to scale, at least not as a S. populator.

So I decided to search closer to home and build a Megantereon, Smilodons Eurasian ancestor. While the differences (especially comparing to S. gracilis) are minor at my level of detail (especially comparing to S. gracilis), I gave him a more pronounced chin and lightly smaller canines. Looking at the sources I found, Megantereon also had a more rectangular scapula than Smilodon. The drawing it is arranged on for the pic is Smilodon  by Scott Hartmann which I took as a reference for the striding pose, while the bone shapes are taken from other sources. What do you think so far?

Aloha.

J

[Mahnmut]

Megantereon

Edited September 6, 2021 by Mahnmut
Spelling

[Mahnmut]

Aloha.

My intention was to differentiate between fossil and reconstructed parts of my Kolponomos Skull

(http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/101681-kolponomos-postcranial/&tab=comments#comment-1129571)

 

It looks like some B-Movie Cavemans totem now, but I like it.

 

[Mahnmut]

On 8/22/2021 at 3:02 PM, Bobby Rico said:

That’s great looking forward to seeing what you make.  

 

OK, here is the result of 2 month with my own 3d printer. Encircled in green are the printed parts.

I think the printer was a good investment (although shelf space will be rare)

Aloha,

J

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Awesome work, Jan! I can see you've really let yourself go with your new toy! Looking very good

[Mahnmut]

Thanks!

yes, being able to print the bigger models motivated me to complete some models that had been on ice for some time.

I like to come back to the marine reptiles, though those may be to filigree for my printer. (I could of course just make them bigger ^^)

Aloha,

J

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

10 minutes ago, Mahnmut said:

I like to come back to the marine reptiles, though those may be to filigree for my printer. (I could of course just make them bigger ^^)

 

Bigger models is always better 

[Mahnmut]

Hi,

just another offspring of the infamous Smilodon by Clementoni, just like my Thylacoleo, Thylacosmilus and Megantereon.

This time I printed not only the skull, but also the pectoral girdle, pelvis and legs. Still, Clementoni saved me much fiddly work with ribs.

The Dimetrodon seems to be one of the smaller species, D.Grandis would be roughly the same size as Inostrancevia.

Best regards,

J

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Mahnmut
emphasis