Reconstructing
Nowenia wyomingense
YEAR
2024
CLIENT
Media
Pen & Ink
DESCRIPTION
This pen & ink illustration features the first visual representation of Nowenia wyomingense, a newly discovered zosterophyll from the Early Devonian Beartooth Butte Formation in Wyoming. My work involved reconstructing this primitive plant based on extensive morphometric studies and over 600 fossil fragments. By analyzing features such as axis thickness, branching patterns, and sporangial orientation, I developed a detailed, accurate illustration of Nowenia. This reconstruction fills a significant gap in our understanding of Devonian flora and contributes to ongoing research in early vascular plant evolution.
Fossil Analysis and Reconstruction
The illustration was informed by extensive morphometric research and the examination of over 600 fossil fragments. By analyzing features such as axis thickness, branching patterns, and the orientation of sporangia, I created a reconstruction of this early vascular plant.
Aproximating Color with Extant Lineages
Since coloration is not preserved in the fossil record, I referenced modern relatives of zosterophylls, such as lycophytes and other early-diverging vascular plants, to approximate realistic tones and textures.
