About Modeling the Evolutionary Ancestors of Dogs and Horses
with Reid Psaltis, Illustrator, Sculptor and Natural History Enthusiast
When a paleontologist discovers a new prehistoric animal, they will measure it, describe it, name it and catalogue it, but it takes an artist to realize what it looked like when it was alive. This is the vocation of paleoart, and it is a key component in education about natural history. In this talk you’ll hear about that process from paleoartist Reid Psaltis as he discusses two projects where he sculpted anatomically accurate, life sized models of two ancient animals with ties to Oregon; Eohippus, the first horse, and Cynarctoides, a tiny cousin of today’s dogs.
In this talk, Reid will discuss the process of collaborating with a paleontologist to build models from fossils, he’ll describe the science behind the art, and cover the origins of these now-domesticated animals. You’ll learn about how horses, staring with Eohippus, evolved over 50 million years to keep up with the changing climate and landscape of western North America. You’ll also hear about the lost diversity of prehistoric dogs, who once ranged in size from as large as black bears, to the tiny, semi-arborial Cynarctoides. Both models will be on display during the talk for you to view, and in the case of one, touch.
Reid Psaltis studied scientific illustration at California State University Monterey Bay and went on to work in the exhibition department at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In addition to AMNH, his models have been featured in exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Center of Science and Industry, and the Virginia Aquarium. He is also the author of the graphic novel Kingdom/Order and The Order of Things: A Bestiary. He currently teaches illustration at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
