Image: Rugops (cropped)
Description: Digital reconstruction of the basal abelisaurid, Rugops primus. Based on its unique cranial anatomy, this digital painting depicts the North African theropod with a keratinized brow crest, a speculative dewlap for display, and an overall spiny hide. The coloration follows a few basic guidelines: 1) animals living in open environments (Rugops, like many dinosaurs, is known from a floodplain habitat) often have sharp countershading (darker above than below) high on the body 2) banded tails are extremely widespread in reptilians, and commonly found in other animal groups and 3) the head seems to have been a point of emphasis for Rugops, and as such brighter, contrasting colors are used to draw attention to it and "show off".
Title: Rugops (cropped)
Credit: Own work
Author: Liam Elward
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Attribution Required?: Yes
Image usage
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