Skye McDavid
@skyemcdavid.com
scientific illustrator dabbling in paleontological research: pterosaurs, dinosaurs, other fossil reptiles, phylogenetic systematics, zoological nomenclature. French New Yorker. she/her
https://www.skyemcdavid.com/links
https://www.skyemcdavid.com/links
Pinned
Skye McDavid
@skyemcdavid.com
· May 26
Say hello to Rexarthuria cliftii - a new name for an overlooked historical taxon that represents the oldest azhdarchoid material in Europe. @zhejiang0pterus.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Skye McDavid
As promised - the Infernodrakon holotype's official nickname is Joey! She's named after Joey Ramone: they're lanky, in life they were about the same height (6'6"), and azhdarchids are pretty rock n roll
August 27, 2026 at 9:35 PM
As promised - the Infernodrakon holotype's official nickname is Joey! She's named after Joey Ramone: they're lanky, in life they were about the same height (6'6"), and azhdarchids are pretty rock n roll
I got the scheduling info for my talk at #2026SVP! Quetzalcoatlus is not what you think it is. Come see my talk in 26 ABC at 3:30 PM on Friday, Nov 12. See you in Cleveland!
September 16, 2026 at 7:35 PM
I got the scheduling info for my talk at #2026SVP! Quetzalcoatlus is not what you think it is. Come see my talk in 26 ABC at 3:30 PM on Friday, Nov 12. See you in Cleveland!
Reposted by Skye McDavid
Quetzalcoatlus. That's it, that's the skeet.
February 25, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Quetzalcoatlus. That's it, that's the skeet.
Yep. When ChatGPT first came out, I tried to see if I could use it for phylogenetic matrix editing. And it was less than useless. I asked it to pre-populate an OTU with ? states and it returned a corrupted file. Then I asked it to generate a string of a certain number of question marks so
ChatGPT is unable to take my matrix and add in characters to that they are correctly formatted for upload into Morphobank. Which leads me to wonder (1) what is the actual point in AI if it can't do this and (2) if it can't do basic text editing, how is it going to take over the world?
September 16, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Yep. When ChatGPT first came out, I tried to see if I could use it for phylogenetic matrix editing. And it was less than useless. I asked it to pre-populate an OTU with ? states and it returned a corrupted file. Then I asked it to generate a string of a certain number of question marks so
Reposted by Skye McDavid
Reposted by Skye McDavid
#FossilFriday
Zavacephale rinpoche, holotype and reconstructed skeleton in Fukushima Museum.
Zavacephale rinpoche, holotype and reconstructed skeleton in Fukushima Museum.
September 11, 2026 at 1:59 PM
#FossilFriday
Zavacephale rinpoche, holotype and reconstructed skeleton in Fukushima Museum.
Zavacephale rinpoche, holotype and reconstructed skeleton in Fukushima Museum.
I love New York because where else does an abandoned Korean church get turned into a cannabis dispensary?
September 11, 2026 at 1:28 PM
I love New York because where else does an abandoned Korean church get turned into a cannabis dispensary?
Registered for SVP 2026! See you in Cleveland, Ohio!
September 9, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Registered for SVP 2026! See you in Cleveland, Ohio!
Reposted by Skye McDavid
Meet prehistoric high-flyer 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪!
This pterosaur was abundant in the islands that dotted an ancient tropical sea in what is now Central Europe. 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴' sharp teeth may have been used to catch fish along the islands it inhabited.
📍 Dinosaur Hall (Upper Floor), Level 1
This pterosaur was abundant in the islands that dotted an ancient tropical sea in what is now Central Europe. 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴' sharp teeth may have been used to catch fish along the islands it inhabited.
📍 Dinosaur Hall (Upper Floor), Level 1
September 6, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Meet prehistoric high-flyer 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪!
This pterosaur was abundant in the islands that dotted an ancient tropical sea in what is now Central Europe. 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴' sharp teeth may have been used to catch fish along the islands it inhabited.
📍 Dinosaur Hall (Upper Floor), Level 1
This pterosaur was abundant in the islands that dotted an ancient tropical sea in what is now Central Europe. 𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴' sharp teeth may have been used to catch fish along the islands it inhabited.
📍 Dinosaur Hall (Upper Floor), Level 1
Reposted by Skye McDavid
#SciArtSeptember 2: violet
A recently described specimen of Sinopterus dongi showed, for the first time, evidence of iridescent colour in pterosaurs. There were also traces of horizontal stripes on the soft tissue crest. The Mesozoic world is getting more and more colourful. #SciArt
A recently described specimen of Sinopterus dongi showed, for the first time, evidence of iridescent colour in pterosaurs. There were also traces of horizontal stripes on the soft tissue crest. The Mesozoic world is getting more and more colourful. #SciArt
September 6, 2026 at 8:35 AM
#SciArtSeptember 2: violet
A recently described specimen of Sinopterus dongi showed, for the first time, evidence of iridescent colour in pterosaurs. There were also traces of horizontal stripes on the soft tissue crest. The Mesozoic world is getting more and more colourful. #SciArt
A recently described specimen of Sinopterus dongi showed, for the first time, evidence of iridescent colour in pterosaurs. There were also traces of horizontal stripes on the soft tissue crest. The Mesozoic world is getting more and more colourful. #SciArt
Reposted by Skye McDavid
A new portrait of Istiodactylus, an Early Cretaceous pterosaur from the Isle of Wight. Previously thought of as a fish-eater, Isiodactylus was reinterpreted as a vulture-like scavenger in a 2012 study by Mark Witton.
Procreate and Photoshop. No AI.
Procreate and Photoshop. No AI.
September 5, 2026 at 7:15 PM
A new portrait of Istiodactylus, an Early Cretaceous pterosaur from the Isle of Wight. Previously thought of as a fish-eater, Isiodactylus was reinterpreted as a vulture-like scavenger in a 2012 study by Mark Witton.
Procreate and Photoshop. No AI.
Procreate and Photoshop. No AI.
Anthropic stole TEN books written by my late grandfather. My grandmother to this day receives the occasional royalties check from publishers. But Anthropic, a TRILLION-dollar company, just shrugs and steals to regrind it into slop.
Ah, an email with the subject 'Anthropic Copyright Settlement" just arrived. Almost afraid to log in & see what payment I'm supposed to get (or not), no thanks to Anthropic stealing my & others' written works to feed their plagiarism-slop machine. 📚✍️ #Booksky
September 4, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Anthropic stole TEN books written by my late grandfather. My grandmother to this day receives the occasional royalties check from publishers. But Anthropic, a TRILLION-dollar company, just shrugs and steals to regrind it into slop.
Reposted by Skye McDavid
Your pencil sees more than your eyes. The process of illustrating an animal is critical to understanding it.
Also, having done some simple illustrations and worked with illustrators myself, the *process* of illustrating new taxa often reveals important data for the underlying science, and helps clarify the writing process. What matters/what doesn't is an important decision in illustration.
September 3, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Your pencil sees more than your eyes. The process of illustrating an animal is critical to understanding it.
Reposted by Skye McDavid
Also, having done some simple illustrations and worked with illustrators myself, the *process* of illustrating new taxa often reveals important data for the underlying science, and helps clarify the writing process. What matters/what doesn't is an important decision in illustration.
September 3, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Also, having done some simple illustrations and worked with illustrators myself, the *process* of illustrating new taxa often reveals important data for the underlying science, and helps clarify the writing process. What matters/what doesn't is an important decision in illustration.
THIS! I often notice things I otherwise wouldn't have noticed while doing illustrations. It both requires and stimulates *thought*, something that genAI is inherently incapable of.
Also, having done some simple illustrations and worked with illustrators myself, the *process* of illustrating new taxa often reveals important data for the underlying science, and helps clarify the writing process. What matters/what doesn't is an important decision in illustration.
September 3, 2026 at 5:23 PM
THIS! I often notice things I otherwise wouldn't have noticed while doing illustrations. It both requires and stimulates *thought*, something that genAI is inherently incapable of.
Reposted by Skye McDavid
Confirmed for a talk this November. Quetzalcoatlus is not what you think it is.... See you in Cleveland, Ohio! @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social @zhejiang0pterus.bsky.social @rv-pegas.bsky.social
August 26, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Confirmed for a talk this November. Quetzalcoatlus is not what you think it is.... See you in Cleveland, Ohio! @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social @zhejiang0pterus.bsky.social @rv-pegas.bsky.social
SVP Sues the Trump Administration for Shrinking Bears Ears National Monument
Now THIS is what I want my membership dues going towards
@societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social
vertpaleo.org/svp-sues-the...
Now THIS is what I want my membership dues going towards
@societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social
vertpaleo.org/svp-sues-the...
SVP Sues the Trump Administration for Shrinking Bears Ears National Monument – Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
vertpaleo.org
September 3, 2026 at 3:09 PM
SVP Sues the Trump Administration for Shrinking Bears Ears National Monument
Now THIS is what I want my membership dues going towards
@societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social
vertpaleo.org/svp-sues-the...
Now THIS is what I want my membership dues going towards
@societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social
vertpaleo.org/svp-sues-the...
Hey... don't do this. This is a recipe for readers misinterpreting morphology based on your figures.
Get a human scientific illustrator. We know how to illustrate things in such a way that they won't be misinterpreted.
Get a human scientific illustrator. We know how to illustrate things in such a way that they won't be misinterpreted.
One of the many hats I wear is that of a taxonomist who understands the important of accurate representation of morphology and I cannot stress in strong enough terms how you should not do this.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Generative <fc>AI</fc> for Scientific Illustration in Insect Taxonomy: A Human‐Supervised High‐Efficiency Workflow
Morphological illustrations are crucial in research on insect taxonomy and phylogenetics. Although traditional manual drawing and digital tracing techniques have undergone continuous evolution, they ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
September 3, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Hey... don't do this. This is a recipe for readers misinterpreting morphology based on your figures.
Get a human scientific illustrator. We know how to illustrate things in such a way that they won't be misinterpreted.
Get a human scientific illustrator. We know how to illustrate things in such a way that they won't be misinterpreted.
It's PUMPKIN SPICE SEASON!
September 2, 2026 at 12:17 PM
It's PUMPKIN SPICE SEASON!
MANUSCRIPT SUBMITTED! I'm very excited about this one. Years of work. My first 'gen. et sp. nov' @zhejiang0pterus.bsky.social @brucelf.bsky.social @justinandell.bsky.social
August 30, 2026 at 10:27 PM
MANUSCRIPT SUBMITTED! I'm very excited about this one. Years of work. My first 'gen. et sp. nov' @zhejiang0pterus.bsky.social @brucelf.bsky.social @justinandell.bsky.social
Iced latte as a fashion accessory
August 30, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Iced latte as a fashion accessory
I now realize this is a dolphin but I thought it was an enantiornithine at first.... Do enantiornithines get angel wing from eating too much udon?
August 26, 2026 at 3:25 PM
I now realize this is a dolphin but I thought it was an enantiornithine at first.... Do enantiornithines get angel wing from eating too much udon?
Confirmed for a talk this November. Quetzalcoatlus is not what you think it is.... See you in Cleveland, Ohio! @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social @zhejiang0pterus.bsky.social @rv-pegas.bsky.social
August 26, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Confirmed for a talk this November. Quetzalcoatlus is not what you think it is.... See you in Cleveland, Ohio! @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social @zhejiang0pterus.bsky.social @rv-pegas.bsky.social
Reposted by Skye McDavid
“There was once a time and place that the reaper flew and walked on wings.”
#sauroarts #art #artwork #artistonbluesky #artph #illustration #fingerart #fingerartist #digitalart #digitalartist #paleoart #paleoartist #paleoillustration #pterosaur #pterosaurart #azhdarchid #hatzegopteryx
#sauroarts #art #artwork #artistonbluesky #artph #illustration #fingerart #fingerartist #digitalart #digitalartist #paleoart #paleoartist #paleoillustration #pterosaur #pterosaurart #azhdarchid #hatzegopteryx
August 25, 2026 at 5:15 PM
“There was once a time and place that the reaper flew and walked on wings.”
#sauroarts #art #artwork #artistonbluesky #artph #illustration #fingerart #fingerartist #digitalart #digitalartist #paleoart #paleoartist #paleoillustration #pterosaur #pterosaurart #azhdarchid #hatzegopteryx
#sauroarts #art #artwork #artistonbluesky #artph #illustration #fingerart #fingerartist #digitalart #digitalartist #paleoart #paleoartist #paleoillustration #pterosaur #pterosaurart #azhdarchid #hatzegopteryx