Digital illustration of a syncaridan, a strange crustacean with many appendages, swimming towards the viewer

Digital illustration of Phreatoicopsis raffae, an unusual isopod walking through wet moss

Digital illustration of two eusthenopteron fish swimming through algae

Diagram with graphite illustrations of a diprotodon vertebra compared to a koala and wombat

Happy #PortfolioDay!
I'm a palaeontology student and mostly draw various unusual animals (both extinct and extant), and like doing interesting vegetation and backgrounds! I also do some more technical scientific illustration.
Contact for commissions is gencoelacanth@gmail.com

Vintage illustration of numbered trilobites of various sizes, their fossils, and a short description on the bottom.

#Trilobites of the Pimenteira Formation, Devonian Brazil.
#paleoart #sciart

Greetings little one 🤓🥹

oh I forgot I made this too...Rare venture to invertebrates. but who doesnt like nice Trigonotarbid

Plesiosiro, an obscure arachnid from the carboniferous period. Designed by me in 2011. Structure based on a 48 by 48 unit grid. This little critter caught my attention because of the segments split in half.

Goniotarbus, an obscure arachnid from the carboniferous period. Designed by me in 2011. Structure based on a 48 by 48 unit grid. This model is no longer accurate, The interpretative reference image I had used to produce this model is now out of date.

Pleophrynus, a Trigonotarbid from the carboniferous period. Designed by me in 2020. The structure is based on a 64 by 64 unit diagonal grid. I've had a Trigonotarbid in my sights for a long time as a subject but I was eyeing Palaeocharinus originally. The complex segmentation of the abdomen was simultaneously what piqued my interest in the first place but a daunting task all the same, which hampered any progress. Many years have passed and that dream model has yet to materialize. Then one day a friend approached with an inquiry for a commission to recreate a different Trigonotarbid altogether and I jumped at the opportunity. This is the result. I'm still seeing opportunities for improvement but it really was the best I could do three years ago.

An origami model of a hooded tick spider. Designed by me in 2011, based on a 48 by 48 unit grid. These really are funky little oddballs. I still have the struggle it was to try and find usable reference images in vivid memory. Thankfully, if and when I deem this one is due for a redo, I'm going to have much better references to compare against. :)

More ancient chelicerates for #InverteFest!
These are:
Plesiosiro (Haptopoda), Goniotarbus (Phalangiotarbida), Pleophrynus (Trigonotarbida) and the still surviving hooded tick spider (Ricinulei), which were discovered in the fossil record first and only then also found in the wild.

The recently re-described Palaeocama anthrax is by far one of the weirdest lobopodians discovered yet! This Carboniferous worm was not only was it covered in hundreds of poisonous spines, but it's also the only freshwater non-Tardigrade lobopodian known!

#paleoart #art #sciart #blender

Results from the #paloestream from 26th July 2025.

Depicted are from top left to down right:
#Palaeocampa
#Nektognathus
#Wudingloong
#Mirasaura

Tags: #paleoart #prehistoric #prehistoriccreatures #paleozoic #prehistoricanimals #peternickolaus #paleopete #dinosaur

in a Carboniferous pond, a Palaeocampa is illuminated by an artificial light coming from the camera. the freshwater lobopodian hugs close to the scale tree twig its standing on and starts slowly thrashing around the upper half of its body to warn the camera that its spines deliver an aldehyde-based venom, the image is framed between the lobes of a Lonchopteris rugosa fern Palaeocampa is an aysheaiid lobopodian (invertebrates with multiple sets of soft legs, animals like velvetworms are lobopodians) known from brackish and freshwater deposits in the Carboniferous of the USA and France. it superficially resembles a hairy caterpillar due to the multiple bundles of spines set in neat rows above each pair of legs, however its anatomy clearly indicates its a lobopodian. this animal confirms the presence of lobopodians in freshwater environments which had not previously been confirmed until its redescription

a Nektognathus chases a small school of small Isoxys, it's caught one and swallowed it. the Nektognathus uses its lateral jaws and basal plate to crush the swallowed Isoxys. other crushed up Isoxys can be seen in its stomach through its semi-transparent body. Nektognathus is a very well preserved nectocaridid (group of extinct predators that swam simiarly to squid with long antennae and camera-type eyes that are related to arrow worms (Chaetognatha)). it was around 4mm long and preserves lightly sclerotized jaw elements (hardened bits used for chewing) that are only found in gnathiferans with its closest living relatives being arrow worms. Nectocaridids were once thought to be relatives of squid due to their similar appearences, but the presence of these jaw elements confirms their placement within Gnathifera Isoxys is an extinct bivalved arthropod (arthropod with two shells that surround its body) that had an elongate and thin body. its commonly found in stomach contents

a Wudingloong climbs up the top of a hill during the dead of night, a waning crescent moon is framed behind it, its neck curves completing the missing portion of the crescent. Wudingloong is an early jurassic sauropodomorph (dinosaurs that are part of the group which eventually became sauropods, many were bipedal but some were quadrupedal) found in Yunnan Province, China and is the first dinosaur described from its relatively recently found fossil formation, the Yubacun Formation. it would've looked like a medium-sized long-necked theropod with more columnar feet and bigger arms

a Mirasaura climbs on an upsidedown fern leaf with spori. two of its feather-like integumentary structures have been pulled out leaving a scar, most likely from an unsuccessful attack from a different predator, some of the other structures around them have been bent Mirasaura is a basal drepanosauromorph (a fully extinct group of reptiles that are typically known for their large hand claws, singular claw on their tail, and bird-like skulls, however Mirasaura lacks the large hand and tail claws) that has a crest of long overlapping integumentary structures (structures that grow out of the skin like hair, scales, feathers, etc.) that are feather-like but not feathers at all. Mirasaura was only around 10cm long and appeared like a small skink with a long (probably) prehensile tail, and bird-like skull with forward facing eyes that lacked teeth in the front portion of the mouth but had them in the back

here's this week's #Paleostream flocking drawings!!!

this week we drew Palaeocampa, Nektognathus, Wudingloong, and Mirasaura

#science #scicomm #sciart #paleoart #paleontology

Detailed illustration of a female Blue Crab.

One of the iconic keystone species of the U.S. Atlantic Coast, the Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus, female), or "beautiful, savory swimmer." For a new project.
🧪🌿🌎 #sciart #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #natureart #visualscicomm #sciviz #scicomm

Digital illustration of the early Cambrian sponge, Falospongia ramosa. Art by Domenic Pennetta.

Happy #fossilfriday! ❤️ Here's my reconstruction of the Cambrian #sponge, Falospongia ramosa. 🪸 This genus is known from the Burgess Shale—where they once used their 'radiating fronds' to capture food.

#digitalart #sciart #scientificillustration #paleoart #paleontology #invertebratebiology #invert

Digital illustration of the clearwing moth, Hemaris thysbe. Art by Domenic Pennetta.

Do you have a favorite #moth? 🦋 Mine is the hummingbird clearwing! These moths are active during the day and are excellent #pollinators of native plants like wild bergamot, buttonbush, milkweed, and thistle. 🌼

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#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #invert #bugsky

Pseudogygites latimarginata
#paleoart #art #sciart

Meet Palaeocampa anthrax, a newly discovered Carboniferous lobopodian, and 150 year old mystery fossil!

Palaeocampa is an exceptional lobopodian - it lived in rivers and lakes, bristled with thousands of poisonous spines, and more. 🧵

Open access: nature.com/articles/s42...

Acanthalomina minuta, a small but stunning trilobite found in Czech Republic from the Silurian period. #trilobite #fossil #paleontology #FossilFriday #eurypterid #silurian

The head and body of a eurypterid preserved on yellowish rock. The animal has a broad, disc-shaped body and a narrow postabdomen behind. The head is roughly triangular and preserves large paddles extending behind and short, robust legs with many large, thick spines at the front.

The eurypterid Carcinosoma newlini, from the cover of my recently published eurypterid book, for #FossilFriday. ⚒️🧪

The specimen is from Kokomo, Indiana, which I think preserves some of the most photogenic eurypterid fossils.

You can read the publication here: doi.org/10.1206/0003...

Dicranurus Convergence
1/2019 20 X 24 Inches [50.8 X 61 cm] Colored Pencil on Paper
#sciart #gawoski #trilobite #fossil

Winneshiekia youngae, an Ordovician dekatriatan chelicerate. It shares traits with e.g., xiphosurans (such as the eye ridge) and chasmataspidids (13-segmented opisthosoma).

#chelicerata #dekatriata #paleoart #paleontology #art #ordovician #arthropod #Winneshiekia #Winneshiek

Bohemiatupus elegans

Previously, the body of Innovatiocaris was assigned to this genus, however, that interpretation is inaccurate and was a chimera. A few fossils belonging to this genus show the region beyond its appendages, but they were not formally described or the main subject of any study.

Houcaris consimilis (=Ramskoeldia consimilis) is a Lower Cambrian predatory radiodont from the Chengjiang Biota.

#radiodonta #radiodont #Houcaris #Ramskoeldia #Amplectobelua #Amplectobeluidae #arthropod #arthropoda #lobopodia #paleoart #paleontology #cambrian #art

An image of a fossil horseshoe crab on a pale rock. The fossil is beige and shows the head, body and tail of the animal. The head is elongated and shovel-shaped, which is very unusual.

A very unusual ancient horseshoe crab for #FossilFriday. This creature is from the Ordovician (425 million years ago) of Michigan and looks like no other horseshoe crab that we know of. This specimen also has a secret which will be revealed when the description is published shortly! 🧪⚒️

Thanks, I understand

Is there any way to receive the info from such a presentation without participating in the meeting live?

I suppose there will be some mentions of the Acheronauta relative, hurdiid, marellomorphs, annelids, aplacophoran, odontogriphid, lobopodian, and more, am I right? BTB is my favorite lagerstatte, not only do the fossils look pleasing, but the preservation and biota is incredible too.

Digital illustration of two common pill bugs, Armadillidium vulgare. Art by Domenic Pennetta.

A digital illustration of an adult brickwork woodlouse, Porcellio spinicornis, by artist Domenic Pennetta.

Digital illustration of the skirted woodlouse, Oniscus asellus, traversing bark. Art by Domenic Pennetta.

Digital illustration of the ant woodlouse, Platyarthrus hoffmannseggi, created by Domenic Pennetta.

Would you flip a #pillbug isopod over if you found one stuck on its back? 💖 Check out these illustrations depicting four common isopod species of North America. Which one do you like the most?!

#sciart #scientificillustration #digitalillustration #wildlifeart #nature #bugsky #isopods #invertebrates

What would a paraphyletic arachnid tree look like?

Graphite illustration of a viperfish on tone paper. Art by Domenic Pennetta.

Happy #fishfriday, everyone! 🐟 Viperfishes are characterized by their long, needle-like teeth and hinged lower jaws. I had lots of fun drawing this fearsome fish!

#sciart #scientificillustration #wildlifeart #nature #marinebiology #deepsea #fish #drawing

I don't think that's a valid placement, morphology, evolutionary history, and everything else besides some genetic studies go against that. Xiphosurans are most likely more basal than arachnids, and maybe even eurypterids. That's just my opinion (that I share with some more people) and I stand by it

Keurbos susanae, a newly described giant arthropod from the Ordovician-age Soom Shale of South Africa.