the imaginary pterosaur

by helder da rocha

imaginosaurus.wordpress.com

the making of Tupuxuara leonardii

Helder da Rocha
Ar#st & Scien#st (theater, music, illustra3on, sculpture, computer science, electronics) Foam sculpture & paleoart since 04/2012 The Imaginary Pterosaur
Self-funded project: pterosaur reconstruc3ons 1 skeleton in April-May 2012 (Guidraco) 3 skulls in January-February 2013 (Anhanguera, Tupandactylus, Dsungaripterus) 1 skeleton in March-April 2013 (Tupuxuara)

Pterosaur reconstruc3ons
Sources used
Fossil photographs (one or more views) Drawings & diagrams Descrip#ons, publica3ons & other research

Goals
Accuracy & detail Lightness & resistance Flexibility to assemble in dierent posi3ons

Time to produce a model

Skulls: 3-7 days Full skeletons: 4-6 weeks

Pterosaurs created
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Guidraco venator (China), 04/2012 Anhanguera piscator (Brazil), 01/2013 Tupandactylus imperator (Brazil), 02/2013 Dsungaripterus weii (China), 02/2013 Tupuxuara leonardii (Brazil), 04/2013

Imaginary Pterosaur #1: Guidraco venator

Guidraco
Created April 25, 2012 (created in ~30 days) When I started making this model I knew prac3cally nothing about pterosaurs and foam modeling Its a frankenstein model. Guidraco skull (only one side view used as source) and skeleton from several dierent pterosaurs

Fonte: Xialin Wang et al./Naturwissenschaften/Springer

Guidraco source

Sketch-cut from XPS foam

Paste together

Mold and shape

Source photos

foam models

PVC teeth (from a plas3c hanger)

Parts invented using several pterosaurs as sources

Inven3ng a generic humerus

3D sketches (humerus)

Humerus: rst aeempt

Illustra3ng Guidraco @ Wikipedia

First experimental assembly

Theatre students from Escola Piollin (Joo Pessoa, PB)

Second experimental assembly

Actors from Centro Cultural Barco (So Paulo, SP)

Pterosaur superstar

Par3cipa3on in videoclip: Le Bateau by Mustache e os Apaches, and movie: Modo Ave by Beto Brant/Lu Brites (2013)

#2 Anhanguera piscator
(created in 5 days)

Improved technique & greater delity to sources

Source: Kellner & Tomida 2000

#3 Tupandactylus imperator
(5 days)

Recreated from holotype drawings

(invented inner skull details)

#4 Dsungaripterus weii
(3 days) (teeth s3ll missing)

(invented inner skull details)

#5 Tupuxuara leonardii

Extensive research: the most accurate model so far

the imaginary pterosaur

Making of Tupuxuara leonardii

imaginosaurus.wordpress.com

Main source: IMNH 1502 (Iwaki, JP)

Everything except pelvis, carpals, tarsals, ngers, toes, dorsal vertebrae, pre-pubis

Other sources: ar3cles and unpublished material

Skull
Sources: Mostly paratype IMNH 1502 (Iwaki Coal and Fossil Museum, Japan) & ar3cles on Tupuxuara

Source: IMNH 1502 (Iwaki, JP)

Material: 5mm XPS foam board

1.0 x 1.2 m

Transfer to foam board

Cut out

Mold and shape

Paste together & let dry

Palate
Sources: 1) IMNH 1502
2) Pinheiro & Schultz 2012

Sources

Transfer to foam board

Cut out

Fold, mold, aeach

Add detail

Skull details
Sources: IMNH 1502 and other Tupuxuara fossils

Finished skull
IMNH 1502

Palate

Pterosaur #5

Fixing the mandible

IMNH 1502 (I hadnt received the le with views of the mandible, so I made one using only the side view)

This mandible was wrong! (based only on side view) Plan for correct mandible

Adding foam on both sides

Coee

A new mandible

Tupuxuaras mandible

Material used
1. One 100 x 120 x 0.5 cm sheet of XPS foam board 2. Some pieces of 0.3 cm XPS foam board 3. Less than 100g of PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue 4. Less than 100 ml of modeling paste (acrylic resin) 5. Epoxi resin (very liele for reinforcing the beak 3p and jaw ar3cula3on) 6. Coee powder (for stains)

Height (without mandible): 34 cm Height (with mandible): 36 cm Width: 12.5 cm Length : 103 cm Weight: 250 g Time to produce: 5 days

Cervicals
IMNH 1502 (six views of each vertebra)

Sources

Cut out the parts

(sketch-cut)

Assemble

Compare

Atlas/axis & 5th cervical

Hollow cervicals

Tupuxuara with a neck

30 mm XPS foam blocks

Tes3ng connec3ons

Sternum
IMNH 1502 (two views)

Only two views as sources!

Transfer to foam board

Notarium (thoracic vertebrae)

IMNH 1502 (four views)

Notarium: fused thoracic vertebrae

Separated thoracic vertebrae

Add detail

Test connec3ons

Compare to source

Thoracic vertebrae

Notarium

Cervicals + notarium

Scapulocoracoid
IMNH 1502 (six views)

Copy from source & cut out

Research (distal view)

Complex bone ends

Finished foam work

Pectoral girdle

Wing phalanges
IMNH 1502 (four views)

Wing phalanx #1

Wing phalanges: bone ends

Wing metacarpal
IMNH 1502 (four views)

Cut roll carve burn

Wing metacarpal

Arms (humerus, ulna/radius)

IMNH 1502 (four views each)

Humerus

Ulna: cut out

Ulna: roll

Rolled ulna & humerus

Bone ends

Radius

Finished humeri

Finished radii & ulnae

Legs: femur, 3bia/bula

IMNH 1502 (four views)

Cut & roll

Carve, shape

Tibia/bula (3biotarsus)

Femora & 3biotarsi

Pelvis / sacrum
Unpublished source (Thalassodromid, possible Tupuxuara)

Sketch on foam board

Cut out

Sacrum

Free dorsal & sacral vertebrae

Comparing with source

Aeaching pelvis

Making three dorsal vertebrae

Shaping pubis & ischium

The wrist (carpals & pteroid)

Source: Kellner & Tomida 2000 (Anhanguera piscator)

The goal

Studying the sources

Four distal carpals (two pairs)

Distal & proximal syncarpals

Making a pteroid bone

Nine wrist bones

Tail
Source: Kellner & Tomida 2000 (Anhanguera piscator)

A plas3c axis

11 caudal vertebrae

Fingers
Sources: 1) Unpublished (Thalassodromid) 2) Wellnhofer 1978 (Pteranodon) 3) Eck et all 2011 (Tapejara)

Fingers and metacarpals

Feet
Sources: 1) Unpublished (Thalassodromid) 2) Wellnhofer 1978 (Pteranodon) 3) Eck et all 2011 (Tapejara) 4) Kellner 2004 (Tapejara ankles)

Distal tarsals (from Tapejara: Kellner 2004)

Posterior view

Proximal view

Metatarsi

Right foot

The Imaginary Pterosaur #5

Tupuxuara leonardii

Tupuxuara leonardii
140 individual parts Length from beak to toe: 195 cm Wingspan: 450 cm Skull: length: 103 cm, weight: 250 g Total weight of the model: 0.97 kg Time to produce: 33 days

Acknowledgements
This was a self-funded project*. I made it and paid for it. But it wouldnt be possible without the help of several other people who also contributed with it. Special thanks to
Hebert Bruno Campos, for access to the Iwaki sources and paleontological assistance Mark Wi`on, Felipe Pinheiro, and the Wikipaleo group for help with the missing parts and access to publica3ons
* If you wish to contribute to future projects, contact me. You can contribute nancially by ordering a model, buying scale sculptures or prints, or dona3ng via PayPal (all these op3ons will be available soon)

www.imaginosaurus.wordpress.com helder.darocha@gmail.com +55 11 9 9291 0567