#whalewednesday Endocranial anatomy of the OG protocetid whale, Protocetus atavus - protocetids had surprisingly large brains, indicating brain expansion occurred early in cetacean evolution; also retained well-developed olfactory bulbs (and smell). 🐬🧪🦖Read here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
July 2, 2025 at 5:37 PM
#whalewednesday Endocranial anatomy of the OG protocetid whale, Protocetus atavus - protocetids had surprisingly large brains, indicating brain expansion occurred early in cetacean evolution; also retained well-developed olfactory bulbs (and smell). 🐬🧪🦖Read here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
#FossilFriday 4 years after doing the rough sketch for it, I finally finished my illustration of Protocetus. My reconstruction looks very different from most, and the reason is simple: almost every illustration of this animal is wrong. #paleoart #paleontology #whale
🧵(1)
🧵(1)
December 27, 2024 at 5:22 PM
#FossilFriday 4 years after doing the rough sketch for it, I finally finished my illustration of Protocetus. My reconstruction looks very different from most, and the reason is simple: almost every illustration of this animal is wrong. #paleoart #paleontology #whale
🧵(1)
🧵(1)
Transition from protocetine protocetids to giorgecetines (Pappocetus) to early basilosaurids (Platyosphys/Pachycetus).
I have slots for this type of commissions too.
#sciart #paleoart #evolution #whaleevolution #protocetus #pappocetua #basilosauridae
I have slots for this type of commissions too.
#sciart #paleoart #evolution #whaleevolution #protocetus #pappocetua #basilosauridae
September 1, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Transition from protocetine protocetids to giorgecetines (Pappocetus) to early basilosaurids (Platyosphys/Pachycetus).
I have slots for this type of commissions too.
#sciart #paleoart #evolution #whaleevolution #protocetus #pappocetua #basilosauridae
I have slots for this type of commissions too.
#sciart #paleoart #evolution #whaleevolution #protocetus #pappocetua #basilosauridae
#WIP I did the rough sketch of this Protocetus illustration while recovering from surgery… almost 4 years ago. Figured it was high time I get back to it. Stay tuned. #WhaleWednesday #paleoart #sciart #prehistoric #cetacean #whale #ArchaeocetesAreAwesome
December 18, 2024 at 6:06 PM
#WIP I did the rough sketch of this Protocetus illustration while recovering from surgery… almost 4 years ago. Figured it was high time I get back to it. Stay tuned. #WhaleWednesday #paleoart #sciart #prehistoric #cetacean #whale #ArchaeocetesAreAwesome
We need to stop calling things "crocodile-like" and start calling them "phytosaur-like" since they came along first
Look at this phytosaur-ass protocetus
Look at this phytosaur-ass protocetus
December 16, 2025 at 1:13 PM
We need to stop calling things "crocodile-like" and start calling them "phytosaur-like" since they came along first
Look at this phytosaur-ass protocetus
Look at this phytosaur-ass protocetus
#WIP Almost done with Protocetus. I don’t see a lot of archaeocete artwork give them patterns like modern cetaceans, which is a shame, because they’re surprisingly colorful animals. #paleoart #sciart #whale #ArchaeocetesAreAwesome
December 20, 2024 at 4:06 AM
#WIP Almost done with Protocetus. I don’t see a lot of archaeocete artwork give them patterns like modern cetaceans, which is a shame, because they’re surprisingly colorful animals. #paleoart #sciart #whale #ArchaeocetesAreAwesome
Epochtober Day 6: Eocene (Protocetus) 🐋 #digitalart #digitalpainting #procreate #paleoart #paleontology #protocetus #whale #evolution #eocene
October 7, 2024 at 1:43 AM
Epochtober Day 6: Eocene (Protocetus) 🐋 #digitalart #digitalpainting #procreate #paleoart #paleontology #protocetus #whale #evolution #eocene
(2) Described in 1904 from a skull, vertebrae, and rib fragments, Protocetus was the earliest-known whale for decades. Artists frequently depicted it with a tail fluke and vestigial hind limbs, which were often said to be a known fact in popular books despite not being preserved.
December 27, 2024 at 5:22 PM
(2) Described in 1904 from a skull, vertebrae, and rib fragments, Protocetus was the earliest-known whale for decades. Artists frequently depicted it with a tail fluke and vestigial hind limbs, which were often said to be a known fact in popular books despite not being preserved.
Protocetus is definitely a paleoart meme since the original bad reconstructions just keep being copied. Nice work!
December 27, 2024 at 5:24 PM
Protocetus is definitely a paleoart meme since the original bad reconstructions just keep being copied. Nice work!
(End) The moral of the story? As paleoartists, we always need to do our research and consult the technical literature. Popular books can be helpful, but they do not always get things right, and sometimes perpetuate outdated information.
December 27, 2024 at 5:22 PM
(End) The moral of the story? As paleoartists, we always need to do our research and consult the technical literature. Popular books can be helpful, but they do not always get things right, and sometimes perpetuate outdated information.
(5) Therefore, Protocetus should be depicted with fully-formed hind limbs and, at most, a laterally-flattened tail like a beaver, which is what I’ve done here. I also gave it whiskers and fur, since a recent study shows whales and hippies evolved hairless skin independently.
December 27, 2024 at 5:22 PM
(5) Therefore, Protocetus should be depicted with fully-formed hind limbs and, at most, a laterally-flattened tail like a beaver, which is what I’ve done here. I also gave it whiskers and fur, since a recent study shows whales and hippies evolved hairless skin independently.
#PortfolioDay I’m Tyler Stone, a photojournalist, freelance artist, and science communicator. I specialize in paleoart and creature design, make educational videos, and dabble in 2D animation.
Contact: tylerstoneart@gmail.com
Portfolio: tylerstoneart.com
My socials: linktr.ee/tylerstoneart
Contact: tylerstoneart@gmail.com
Portfolio: tylerstoneart.com
My socials: linktr.ee/tylerstoneart
January 14, 2025 at 7:49 PM
#PortfolioDay I’m Tyler Stone, a photojournalist, freelance artist, and science communicator. I specialize in paleoart and creature design, make educational videos, and dabble in 2D animation.
Contact: tylerstoneart@gmail.com
Portfolio: tylerstoneart.com
My socials: linktr.ee/tylerstoneart
Contact: tylerstoneart@gmail.com
Portfolio: tylerstoneart.com
My socials: linktr.ee/tylerstoneart
We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity.
July 2, 2025 at 2:12 PM
We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity.
(1/2) I’m a paleoartist, doing work for private clients and publication. My work has appeared on the cover of JVP. I also do animation work for Nature’s Compendium on YouTube. I’ve drawn all kinds of animals, but whales are my favorite, and my dream would be to help announce a new archaeocete.
February 2, 2025 at 10:47 PM
(1/2) I’m a paleoartist, doing work for private clients and publication. My work has appeared on the cover of JVP. I also do animation work for Nature’s Compendium on YouTube. I’ve drawn all kinds of animals, but whales are my favorite, and my dream would be to help announce a new archaeocete.
We also had a nice moment talking with a local woman fishing off the pier (the small fry was too small to keep, so it was released back into the ocean after this).
#art #comic #TaxRaptor
#art #comic #TaxRaptor
June 14, 2025 at 12:32 AM
We also had a nice moment talking with a local woman fishing off the pier (the small fry was too small to keep, so it was released back into the ocean after this).
#art #comic #TaxRaptor
#art #comic #TaxRaptor
did a protocetus write this
July 19, 2024 at 4:56 AM
did a protocetus write this
I really just wish it hadn’t said Protocetus had a fluke and vestigial limbs, because I think that’s done a lot to perpetuate the outdated look. That said, I know quite in few archaeocetes were lumped into Protocetus at one point or another, so maybe that’s where it came from, at least in part.
December 27, 2024 at 6:08 PM
I really just wish it hadn’t said Protocetus had a fluke and vestigial limbs, because I think that’s done a lot to perpetuate the outdated look. That said, I know quite in few archaeocetes were lumped into Protocetus at one point or another, so maybe that’s where it came from, at least in part.
We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity
July 7, 2025 at 7:20 AM
We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity
Those patterns looks really cool indeed 👍. I guess these are not too common in paleoart because the earliest ancestors of cetaceans were probably covered with fur and it is less likely that fur present patterns like these? But not sure which is the current convention for Protocetus
December 20, 2024 at 8:27 AM
Those patterns looks really cool indeed 👍. I guess these are not too common in paleoart because the earliest ancestors of cetaceans were probably covered with fur and it is less likely that fur present patterns like these? But not sure which is the current convention for Protocetus
There isn’t one AFAIK. I think some of that coloration in modern whales is related to social signaling, but we don’t known how social archaeocetes were. Figure it’s at least worth exploring.
I’m mostly just trying to kill the outdated “archaeocete mermaid” reconstruction that refuses to die.
I’m mostly just trying to kill the outdated “archaeocete mermaid” reconstruction that refuses to die.
December 20, 2024 at 4:00 PM
There isn’t one AFAIK. I think some of that coloration in modern whales is related to social signaling, but we don’t known how social archaeocetes were. Figure it’s at least worth exploring.
I’m mostly just trying to kill the outdated “archaeocete mermaid” reconstruction that refuses to die.
I’m mostly just trying to kill the outdated “archaeocete mermaid” reconstruction that refuses to die.