Mark Witton
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markwitton.bsky.social
Mark Witton
@markwitton.bsky.social
13K followers 390 following 810 posts
Palaeoartist, palaeontologist, author, documentary consultant and creature designer. Affiliated with the University of Portsmouth, UK; views and opinions are my own.

More about me at markwitton.co.uk.
Support my work at www.patreon.com/markwitton
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markwitton.bsky.social
Just took delivery of a signed Peter Scott snow geese print from 1939. It joins van Grouw and Conway to make our hallway a small natural history art gallery. Starting to wish we had more walls. With @gizz47.bsky.social.
Framed print of Peter Scott's painting of snow geese in California: a flock of geese landing next to a lake in front of happy, puffy clouds. Peter Scott's pencil signature on the print. Real Peter Scott!!!! The entrance to Chez Witton-Maclean, where framed prints of John Conway's titanosaurs (left), Katrina van Grouw's great hornbill (right) and Peter Scott's snow geese welcome you to our home. Ammonites and bird models sit atop the shoe tidy. Shoes sit within the tidy, ironically in haphazard fashion.
January 16, 2026 at 4:06 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
SPPOOOSSSHHH... PHHHFFFFFFF... SSSSSSHHHHHHHH...

To paraphrase Bob Ross, you have to make the noises when looking at #paleoart, otherwise it doesn't work.

2018 illustration of giant Triassic ichthyosaurs Shonisaurus, surfacing in waters that once covered Nevada. #art #fossil #paleontology #sciart
Three giant ichthyosaurs emerge from the water in front of a hazy, cloudy sky. The left animal has the arms of a large squid emerging from its mouth, and the right has surfaced far enough to show its front left flopper. The central animal looms above us, eclipsing the sun with its enormous snout. Two pterosaurs fly past the closest specimen, dwarfed by the emergent swimmer like pigeons circling a cathedral spire.
January 16, 2026 at 1:25 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Spending the week on commissions for museums and realised that - now we're in 2026 - I've been creating #paleoart for other scientists and researchers for 20 years (actual anniversary is July). Here's my first "professional" gig: thalassodromid ontogeny for Dave Martill and @tetzoo.bsky.social.
An image created back in the mists of time, when the Earth was new... 2006. It shows what was once thought to be a growth series of the crested Cretaceous pterosaur Tupuxuara (all animals shown to scale, with hatchling at the bottom, juvenile on the right, subadult at top, and old adult in the centre). Later work showed this growth series to be incorrect, with the "old adult" pertaining - as was originally suspected - to a different genus (Thalassodromeus). This was not my first digital painting, but it was the first painting I did for a client, and the one that first put my art and name in the press.
January 14, 2026 at 9:37 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Realised that I should have included this mural of Pliosaurus kevani for @dorsetmuseum.bsky.social, a species that Richard worked on and would talk about for hours given half a chance. He was so familiar with the specimen that he would, without hesitation, climb on its plinth at the museum!
Pliosaurus kevani pursuing a group of the small-flippered ichthyosaurs Nannopterygius. The composition is a little unusual to create space for text, as is sometimes required in museum art pieces.
January 9, 2026 at 3:33 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
All plesiosaurs today for #FossilFriday, in tribute to our departed friend Richard Forrest.
Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus scavenges a dead pterosaur A gloomy image of the elasmosaur Albertonectes foraging in the deep sea. "Plesiosaurus" macrocephalus, a species known only from a famous but poorly studied juvenile specimen, and its possible parent: a mature rhomaelosaurid. Elasmosaurid Thalassomedon surfaces to take a breath. This image shows what you may have actually seen from a boat while marine reptile watching, once we consider the physics of how plesiosaurs moved and floated.
January 9, 2026 at 11:32 AM
markwitton.bsky.social
Book authors get their own breed of spam email. But some spammers are more competent than others.
January 6, 2026 at 3:07 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
First new #paleoart piece finished for 2026: a super modern, 100% accurate take on Mosasaurus and a plesiosaur.

In unrelated news, I had the spirit of the early 19th-century palaeoartist John Martin exorcised from my house over the weekend.

#paleontology #fossil #sciart #retropaleoart #art
A night scene of warring marine reptiles inspired by the palaeoart of the 19th-century painter John Martin. A full moon peers through a bank of cloud to illuminate two figures rising from a turbulent sea: a long-necked plesiosaur and the spiralling tail and body of a mosasaur (fun historofact: fossils of mosasaurs were among the first Mesozoic reptiles to be put on record, but they weren't restored in palaeoart until the 1850s, decades after other marine reptiles). They threaten and bellow at each other with whipping tongues and clawed flippers because John Martin. A rocky arch can be seen on the right, and a third reptile, its identity uncertain, arches from the water on the left. Go draw some Martineseque Mesozoic animals, folks, it's hellafun.
January 6, 2026 at 9:48 AM
markwitton.bsky.social
Current Caudipteryx #paleoart WIP, coinciding with how everyone in Britain felt when they left the house this morning.

#sciart #fossil #art #paleontology #ohmygodthere'saninchofsnowwe'reallgoingtodie
Screengrab of a Photoshop work window with a half-finished painting of the oviraptorosaur Caudipteryx, a bird-like dinosaur, going splay-legged on an icy lake.
January 5, 2026 at 6:03 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
For a moment, a plane flying past the full moon on a clear night became a still from a sci-fi movie only I was watching.
Either a plane flying past the full moon on a clear night, or an interstellar transport in the cold depths of space, passing a sun-lit nebula on a supply run to the off-world colonies.
January 4, 2026 at 12:09 AM
markwitton.bsky.social
First #FossilFriday of 2026: here's #paleoart of Dromaeosaurus atop a half-eaten juvenile Chasmosaurus. Dromaeosaurus was no Velociraptor clone, but a relatively robust and probably hard-biting raptorial dinosaur. Painted... two years ago now, I guess, in 2024. #fossil #paleontology #dinosaur
A striped brown and white bird-like predatory dinosaur perched on top of a juvenile, small-horned and short-frilled horned dinosaur. Behind are skeletonised winter trees and conifers seen through fog.
January 2, 2026 at 3:43 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Getting up to tend to our chickens revealed that 2026 started in quiet but spectacular fashion.
The first sunrise of 2026 occurs over silhouettes of trees.
January 1, 2026 at 8:12 AM
markwitton.bsky.social
Some new #paleoart to see out 2025: a Hybodus shark attacks a squadron of belemnites (Passaloteuthis), which respond by deploying ink decoys of themselves and jetting to safety. Cephalopod ink use is amazingly sophisticated; it's not just a smokescreen! #HappyNewYear, everybody! #sciart #fossil
A brownish Hydobus shark careers into a group of brightly-coloured belemnites, squid-like cephalopods equipped with fins, 10 arms and (in some individuals) enormous hooks. The belemnites have ejected vast quantities of ink around the shark to confuse its attack, mixing mucus with their propelled pigments to make replicas of themselves. Whether they're engaging in radio chatter like old-timey fighter pilots evading the path of a large bomber while flying through chaff is not clear.
December 31, 2025 at 12:05 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
It's #ChristmasEve, so I depicted Parasaurolophus under UV light, lit up like a Christmas tree - you can check out the rationale of this #paleoart on my #Patreon if you're already bored of holiday TV. Oh, and Happy Christmas to those who celebrate! #sciart #fossils

www.patreon.com/posts/146578...
The crested dinosaur Parasaurolophus, as it may have appeared when hit with UV light. The fluorescent body parts indicate areas of thickened keratin, which is especially reflective of UV light, even in species that cannot see UV wavelengths. The fluorescent fungi are just fluorescent fungi.
December 24, 2025 at 6:48 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Brundle's Christmas present came early. With @gizz47.bsky.social.
Brundle the bearded dragon wears a harness so he can get some enrichment and exercise walking around our Christmas tree.
December 24, 2025 at 2:28 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Spent #FossilFriday tweaking my Anchiornis colour reconstruction. The black+white+red intepretation does entirely match the melanosome data recorded for this species, as there's evidence of phaeomelanin (= rufous hues) on the arm, and lots of grey across the body. #paleoart #sciart #paleontology
Anchiornis, a small blackish, greyish and brownish-red bird-like dinosaur, perches on a twig singing a happy tune. But not a Christmas tune, because the holidays don't start until next week.
December 19, 2025 at 4:25 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Fresh off the digital canvas, my take on the Carboniferous verte... arthro... mollu... er... bilaterally symmetrical animal Tullimonstrum gregarium. Tully monsters are true palaeontological enigmas: 70 years after they were named, we still don't know what they are. #paleoart #sciart #fossil
Vignette of a Tully monster, a strange swimming animal from the Carboniferous. They say working on it makes you mad, but I've been painting this all afternoon and I'm... fine. Just fine. That said, I have been working hard alongside my janitorial duties at this hotel. And thinking about this little beast a lot. I... I see it when I close my eyes. I see ITS eyes when I close my eyes. But I'm just working too hard. Just take a break! You know what they say: all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes
December 12, 2025 at 6:29 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
New #paleoart on #FossilFriday: #Tiktaalik sees the world. Discussions of early #tetrapods often focus on limbs and lungs, but major changes also took place in their eyes. Seeing further and clearer than any animal before, they were the first to clearly see sunsets, stars, and the moon. #sciart
Tiktaalik slugs its way over a muddy bank in a flooded Devonian landscape while the sun sets over the horizon. Banks of pink and purple clouds loom in front of distant streaks of orange as clear turquoise sky peeks through cloudless regions. Various trees and shrubs stand tall above purple water glistening with gold wavelets. With vision that could probably see in the UV spectrum and eyes beginning to adapt for the infinite visual range provided in aerial habitats, Titaalik pauses to take this all in, being among the first animals that can see the natural world in such detail. All which is to say - the next time you admire sunsets or the night sky, consider what this owes to events of 375 million years ago. When the first vertebrates struggled out of the water they rapidly developed eyes that were much sharper and clearer than those of their fishy ancestors, vision being of variable utility in most freshwater habitats. Millions of years on, what probably started as a means to navigate and find prey allows us to observe and enjoy the natural world with a sense of awe and wonder.
December 12, 2025 at 2:32 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Tetrapoda*: how it started vs. how it's going.

*OK, OK: stem-Tetrapoda. But it's not as snappy.
Kolby the greyhound snoozes next to a 3D printed skull of the stem-tetrapod Tiktaalik. As a dog that avoids entering all water, even puddles, Kolby represents the final product of the water to land transition started by Tiktaalik et al. in the Devonian. Good job, Kolbs.
December 9, 2025 at 10:49 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
New #paleoart for #FossilFriday: the giant Meganeuropsis hawks Dunbaria in Early Permian Kansas, reaching to trap it with long, spiny legs. This image is set at the coast to reflect the marine occurrences of Meganeuropsis and Dunbaria fossils - not all Carbo-Permian insects lived in swamps! #sciart
A freakin' huge griffenfly with a c. 70 cm wingspan, Meganeuropsis, flies vertically in pursuit of the comparatively tiny palaeodictyopteran herbivore Dunbaria fasciipennis. The long, spined legs of Meganeuropsis are reaching forward to trap the smaller insect, while a large wave crashes over rocks behind them. The pattern on Dunbaria is known from fossils, although the colours are not. It's suspected that Meganeuropsis, like other Palaeozoic members of the dragon/damselfly lineage, sported clear wings.
December 5, 2025 at 3:40 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
New at #Patreon: an illustrated review of what we know, and some of what we don't, about the colours and patterns of ancient marine invertebrates (ft. trilobites, orthoceratoids, ammonites and Cambrian critters). Check it out at www.patreon.com/c/markwitton #paleoart #fossils #paleontology #sciart
The orthoceratoid Michelinoceras anguliferum, sporting a natty set of zigzags along its shelll, is probably better dressed than most of us today. Here, it's inflicting a fashion attack on a buried worm. Cambrian polychaete Canadia spinosa is shiny, thanks to structural colouration. A minor pile up between three migrating trilobites, Eldredgeops rana. The red dots on these animals are strange translucent lenses that might, it's speculated, be windows for pigmentation through their carapaces. Two Dieneroceras subquadratum conversing about life as drifters in Triassic plankton. The banding pattern on their shells is fossil accurate, although the exact colours are unknown.
December 1, 2025 at 12:06 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
I didn't have "Southern Rail openly adopts Skynet policies" on today's bingo card.
November 26, 2025 at 4:14 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Working on invertebrate #paleoart at the moment, knowing I'm probably making mistakes despite best efforts, consulting primary literature etc. Inverts are much like fossil plants: there are few accessible resources on their appearance so we must wing it, or go down deep rabbit holes to restore them.
Detail of a larger painting showing the trilobites Eldredgeops rana.
November 24, 2025 at 1:56 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Brain work bad thanks to some sort of flu, so you'll have to write your own amusing #FossilFriday post about this giant #azhdarchid #pterosaur #paleoart.
November 21, 2025 at 3:58 PM
markwitton.bsky.social
Starting the journey home from #2025SVP. I didn't leave the conference empty handed...
A plinth panel from SVP2025 atop a suitcase filled with animal skulls from my palaeoart workshop. The panel was gifted from the organisers because I designed this year's logo.
November 16, 2025 at 11:20 AM
markwitton.bsky.social
I'll be signing and sketching in copies of my (unintentionally orange) @princetonupress.bsky.social books this Friday, 11:00-12:00 at #2025SVP #SVP2025. #Pterosaurs and T. rex: what more could anyone want?

#paleontology #fossil #dinosaur
November 12, 2025 at 6:28 PM