Re: W. D. Matthew's _Dinosaurs_

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Danvarner@aol.com writes: 

> Matthew's seminal popular  dinosaur publication is now available complete 
> with original illustrations at  the url below. 
>
> http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19302/19302-h/19302-h.htm 

The Triceratops and Stegosaurus representations in Figure 6 don't look too 
much different to modern reconstructions (the stegosaur's tail was even 
elevated). It seems they got the diplodocid neck postures 'right' as well 
(so we've recently come full circle!). 

It's interesting that although most pictures of bipeds tended to show them 
in kangaroo-like or even human-like postures, some of the old skeletal 
mounts (Allosaurus in Fig.11, for instance) were fairly close to the mark. 
It seems that a lot of artists either didn't look closely at the bones, or 
didn't bother to talk to those who had. Or they simply copied earlier works 
without question. 

Knight's Ornitholetes painting (capturing what appears to be an 
Archaeopteryx) was also impressively dynamic. You can definitely see 
Osborn's influence there. 

___________________________________________________________________ 

Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              geo cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             heretichides.soffiles.com
___________________________________________________________________