Recreating an Age of Reptiles

The 'Age of Reptiles', formally known as the Mesozoic Era, gave rise to some of the most spectacular animals in Earth's history: dinosaurs, flying pterosaurs and marine reptiles, as well as many spectacular but less familiar species, such as the crane-necked Tanystropheus, hindlimb-glider Sharovipteryx, and our own diverse mammalian ancestors. Recreating an Age of Reptiles explores the Mesozoic Era through paintings of familiar extinct species as well as lesser seen subjects: burrowing dinosaurs, giant vampire squids and enormous, predatory flying reptiles. Details of the artistic process, scientific grounding and collaborations between researchers explain how each image was created, and discussions of the methods and goals of 'palaeoartistry' - the recreation of extinct animals and landscapes in art - explores the flexible boundaries between science and art when restoring ancient worlds.