Mymoorapelta and Fruitadens

(Illustration)
Chapter features: “In an Old Western” plans to be the third chapter of the book
Dinosaurs: A Natural History, it´s principal focus is one of the Jurassic period´s most famous
geologic record: the Morrison Formation, exploring its ecosystem and fauna.

Illustration features: The first illustration will feature the nodosaurid Mymoorapelta maysi,
the heterodontosaurid Fruitadens haagarorum. and the feet of Brachiosaurus altithorax, a
macronarian sauropod. While Brachiosaurus feeds on the high trees by the edge of a
forest, ornithischians like Fruitadens and Mymoorapelta take the chance to eat from the
leaves and branches that fall from the sauropods´ mouth. A small Fruitadens is shown
standing on Mymoorapelta´s back. The scene shows some leaves and branches falling. This
illustration will have distorted borders and measure 17x21 centimetres in horizontal
orientation.

Idea overview:

Fig. 1. A very rough sketch of the idea. The small heterodontosaurid Fruitadens has jumped onto
Mymoorapelta´s back, both are taking advantage of the plant material that the Brachiosaurus
lets fall; we just see the big limbs of the sauropod. Although not shown here, other Fruitadens
could also be around in the final image.
.
Visual references:

The dinosaurs are feeding by the edge of a forest. In the soil, small ferns have been
trampled by the titanic sauropods. Among the surrounding vegetation, we can also find
arborescent ferns. Little fern sprouts grown among the tramples soil.

Fig. 2. The idea of Fruitadens standing on the back of Mymoorapelta was inspired on birds and
rhinos. (Taken from https://www.restauraciondeecosistemas.com/el-picabueyes-piquirrojo-
como-detector-de-humanos-para-el-rinoceronte-negro/).

Fig. 3. A forest background with ferns, tree bases, and epiphytic plants for inspiration. The
ornithopods seem way smaller than the big sauropod, whose feet are the only thing seen. (Taken
from https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/emerald-
edge/).
 Fig. 4. A tall arborescent fern. (Taken from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyathea_glauca_02.JPG).

Fig. 5. Mymoorapelta maysi by Jack Wood. (Taken from https://a-

dinosaur-a-day.com/post/159868989365/mymoorapelta-maysi).
 Fig. 6. Fruitadens haagarorum by cisiopurple, for plumage
reference. (Taken from https://a-dinosaur-a-
day.com/post/159868989365/mymoorapelta-maysi).

Fig. 7. Mniotilta varia, the colour reference for Fruitadens. (Taken

from https://www.csusb.edu/biology/birds/view/221696).
Fig. 8. Anolis sagrei, the colour reference for Mymoorapelta, I was
thinking that we could play with some reddish tones in the head.
(Taken from
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/science/overseas-trade-
alters-a-lizards-stocks.html).

Fig. 9. The introductory illustration of the chapter by Julio Lacerda.

The colour of Brachiosaurus (front left) will be the one followed in
our Mymoorapelta and Fruitadens scene.
Anatomical references:
Mymoorapelta´s length has been calculated in 3 meters (Hunt & Scheetz, 1998), while the
small Fruitadens may not have lengthen more than 75 centimetres (Butler et al., 2010). Both
were dwarfed by Brachiosaurus, which has been long attributed as one of the tallest
dinosaurs to have lived. The feeding action of sauropods shape-shifted the Jurassic
landscape, and it´s easy to imagine the smaller herbivores taking advantage of their action
by eating the softened vegetation that fell from the top of the conifers.

Fig. 10. Mymoorapelta skeleton cast. The image was used for referencing the position of the animal in
my sketch. (Taken from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mymoorapelta_maysi.jpg).

Fig. 11. Mymoorapelta skeleton cast, different angle. (Taken from

https://twitter.com/skeletaldrawing/status/558657856069980161).
 Fig. 12. Fruitadens skeletal reconstruction by Butler et al., 2010. (Taken and edited
from
researchgate.net/publication/38027343_Lower_limits_of_ornithischian_body_size_inferred_fro
m_a_new_Upper_Jurassic_heterodontosaurid_from_North_America).

Reference notes:

Butler, R. J., Galton, P. M., Porro, L. B., Chiappe, L. M., Henderson, D. M., & Erickson, G. M.
(2010). Lower limits of ornithischian dinosaur body size inferred from a new Upper
Jurassic heterodontosaurid from North America. Proceedings of the Royal Society B:
Biological Sciences, 277(1680), 375-381.

Hunt, A. P., & Scheetz, R. D. (1998). Ankylosaur (Dinosauria) specimens. The Upper Jurassic
Morrison Formation: An Interdisciplinary Study: Denver Museum of Natural History,
Denver, USA: May 26-28, 1994, 22, 145-177.