Mobaceras zambeziense
From Kammerer and Sidor, 2021.
This fossil remain from an ancient mammalian ancestor may be difficult to recognize as a skull. The job of the scientific illustrator is to help the reader to visualize skeletal structures as they existed millions of years ago in the living animal. Three dimensional structure is especially challenging because the fossil is filled with stone and is frequently compressed (partially crushed), further obscuring the relationships between the bones.
The fossilized skull of a Mobaceras zambeziense.
A dissecting microscope and and artistic skills convert a museum specimen into a set of scientific illustrations showing fine anatomic detail, including the placement of the skull sutures (growth plates). The drawings, below, facilitate seeing details that are otherwise invisible.
