INVERTEBRATES
Burgess Shale environment - Middle Cambrian. The large predator Anomalocaris looms in the background as Opabinia pulls Burgessochaeta from its burrow. Ammonite. This illustration was prepared for the British Columbia Paleontological Alliance. Ediacara / Burgess Shale - Pre to Middle Cambrian This illustration shows, on the left, the Ediacaran fauna, mostly sessile and filter feeding, contrasting with the explosion of Mid Cambrian Burgess Shale life forms on the right, like Anonmalocaris, Hallucigenia, and Pikaia, with their novel body plans, armor and anatomical inventions enabling predation. Eocene. The Eocene gastropods Melongea, Cassis, and Pterynotus shared the near shore habitat with sharks, dugongs and Squirrel Fish. Eocene - Nearshore Habitat Saltwater crocodiles and sand tiger sharks shared this environment with extinct gastropods like Gistoria.
FISHES
Hypsocormus - Middle to Late Jurassic. This fast swimming predator had features in common with both primitive teleosts and advanced neopterygians. Coccosteus and Pterichthyodes - Middle Devonian In a shallow lake Coccosteus pursues Pterichthyodes. Among the first fish with jaws, these placoderms featured heavily armored head and body shields. Dipterus and Climatius - Middle Devonian. The extinct lungfish Dipterus swims by two acanthodian Climatius. These early fish bristled with defensive spines. Porolepis and Pteraspis - Early Devonian Porolepis was one of the largest Early Devonian marine predators, reaching lengths of 1.5 m.
REPTILES / AMPHIBIANS / BIRDS
Deinosuchus - Cretaceous. This crocodylian reached lengths of 45 feet and may have preyed on young tyrannosaurids in its marshy habitat. Northwestern Crow. This is a carbon dust drawing made from a taxidermied mount. Quetzalcoatlus - Cretaceous. Perhaps the largest flying creature of all time, Quetzalcoatlus had a wing span of 11-12m. Gerrothorax - Late Triassic. Retaining feathery gills from its larval stage into adulthood, Gerrothorax may have lived as an ambush predator, resting on the stream or lake bed, and searching for prey with its upwardly-directed eyes. Eryops - Late Carboniferous to Early Permian. At 2 m long, this amphibious tetrapod was one of the top predators in its environment.
ABSTRACTIONS
All images copyright DW Miller and available for re-use with permission.

Miller studied at the Montserrat School of Visual Art and the Art Students League. Working on projects as small as the life cycle of the tick, to as large as a 100 ft. mural depicting rainforests, he strives to serve science and nature as our knowledge unfolds.

PLACODERM6@AOL.COM