Tessera

Last but now least, GFS (don't mind the salamander)!

Scale chart depicting various animals from the Pliocene Gray Fossil Site of Tennesse, USA. The magenta scale bar represents 1 meter

Our #marchofthemammals2026 formation frenzy wrap up. As always, thanks to everyone who's stuck around for another March! #paleoart #sciart #fossilfriday

Scale chart depicting various animals from the Jurassic Tiaojishan formation of China. The magenta scale bar represents 10 centimeters

Scale chart depicting various animals from the Eocene Kuldana formation of south Asia. The magenta scale bar represents 1 meter

Scale chart depicting various animals from the Oligocene Jebel Qatrani formation of Egypt. The magenta scale bar represents 1 meter

Scale chart depicting various animals from the Miocene Cerro Azul formation of Argentina. The magenta scale bar represents 1 meter

#marchofthemammals Day 31: Wrap Up The mammals continue their endless march. Thank you to everyone who participated and enjoyed this art month! March of the mammals is a highlight of my year and I always love seeing other people enjoying it too. I'll announce giveaway winners soon!

A wide assemblage of mammals on a black and white background.

Last day of #marchofthemammals2026 is day 30: Pristinailurus bristoli. An prehistoric relative of Red Panda who was originated from Gray Fossil Site in Gray, Tennessee. #paleoart #sketchbook #sciart

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 31: Wrap Up/Dynamognathus robertsoni The large salamander Dynamognathus emerges from its burrow to finish the Gray Fossil Site! I'm really happy with how this autumnal scene turned out, especially since I grew up in a very similar environment. The final MOTM post is next!

A pink and brown salamander emerges from a small burrow surrounded by autumnal leaves.

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 30: Pristinailurus bristoli The ancient red panda Pristinailurus is baffled by the hinge mechanism of an early box turtle. Join us tomorrow for one more critter and the wrap-up!

A brown, white, and black red panda relative rests a paw on a box turtle shell.

#Marchofthemammals2026 day 26: Our final animal for this year, Pristinailurus bristoli, the mighty Tennessee panda As always, stay tuned for out wrap up later this week! #paleoart #sciart

Vector illustration of Pristinailurus bristoli, a close relative of the living red panda from early Pliocene Tennessee, climbing on a large tree branch looking at the viewer. This animal looks much like its living cousin, with a darker reddish coat and white stripes along its tail and white spots on its cheeks, ears and around its eyes

Day 29: Mylohyus elmorei An extinct genus of peccary found in North and Central America. It first evolved during the Late Miocene and became extinct at the end of Pleistocene, around 12,000 years ago. Commonly known as “Long-nosed Peccary.” #marchofthemammals2026 #paleoart #sketchbook

#Marchofthemammals2026 day 25: big pig Mylohyus elmorei

Vector illustration of Mylohyus elmorei, a large, long legged peccary. This animal has a very long snout and wide flanges on its cheeks. It is brown with dark socks and a dark stripe down its face and back, with white and gold on the tip of its snout and throat

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 29: Mylohyus elmorei A Mylohyus walks into a bar. The bartender asks "Why the long face?". Mylohyus proceeds to ransack the kitchen.

A tall peccary with a long face and pronounced flanges walks in the woods.

#Marchofthemammals2026 day 24: Arctomeles dimolodontus going for a morning jog #vectorart #paleoart #sciart

Vector illustration of Arctomeles dimolodontus, a relative of eurasian badgers, running adjacent to the viewer. It looks similar to a living badger with longer legs, more like a hog badger or honey badger. It is gray to brown on its top and black on its underside and face, with stark white markings on its face

Day 28: Arctomeles dimolodontus Although American badger is only species in America outside of both Eurasian and African continent, but back in Early Pliocene of Tennessee, around 4.9 to 4.5 million years ago, Arctomeles is the American version of Eurasian badger. #marchofthemammals2026 #paleoart

In sketch here, an paleo-Eurasian badger is scratching the tree for this behavior.

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 28: Arctomeles dimolodontus Arctomeles is badgered by the commotion back on the surface. Someone needs to tell those Eocoileus to knock it off!

A gray badger comes to the surface, disturbed by two rutting deer.

#marchofthemammals2026 day 23: Eocoileus gentryorum #sciart #paleoart

Vector illustration of Eocoileus gentryorum, a brocket sized relative of white tailed and mule deer. The deer is looking at the viewer with one foot raised. It is reddish brown in color with a lighter underside, dark socks, dark stripes on its forehead, and white spots on its legs and rump. Its antlers are relatively straight and simple, with only three tines

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 27: Eocoileus gentryorum Two Eocoileus bucks clash during the tail end of their rut. These tiny early deer were originally described in Florida, but recent reassessments of fossils at the GFS revealed that deer have had a hoof-hold in the Appalachians for a while.

Two small deer lock 3 pointed antlers. A large gray rhinoceros with red clay mud on it stands in the background.

#Marchofthemammals2026 day 22: Our first stop at the warm early Pliocene forests of Tennessee with Teleoceras aepysoma, one of North America’s last rhinos. Believe or not this is the "long legged" one #paleoart #scicomm

Vector illustration of Teleoceras aepysoma, a large hornless rhino from early Pliocene Tennessee. The rhino is stocky and round in shape, with furry tufts on its ears, a thick brow and two large tusks in its mouth. The animal is dark grey with reddish stuble on its back

Day 26: Teleoceras aepysoma A short-legged rhinoceros takes an swim in the prehistoric river of Gray Fossil Site during the Early Pliocene. #marchofthemammals2026 #paleoart #sketchbook #rhinoceros

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 26: Teleoceras aepysoma While still squat compared to other rhinos, Teleoceras aepysoma has some pretty long legs for its genus! Here, a lone male enjoys an unusually warm late fall day in the blue ridge mountains around the Gray Fossil Site.

A hornless rhinoceros with notable tusks is seen with red clay on his body, a remnant of a mud bath.

A further view, showing yellow and orange fall foliage and dry grass.

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 25: Rest Day/Argentavis magnificens The giant teratorn Argentavis descends to steal Macroeuphractus' kill. Thylacosmilus bides his time, hoping to claim the carcass in the chaos. Join us tomorrow as we head to Pliocene Appalachia to see what lives in the foothills.

A gigantic vulture-like bird screams and runs at a carcass, contested by a large armadillo.

A closer view of the bird, showing dark brown plumage and a lighter rump.

A further view, showing all of the March of the Mammals Cerro Azul prompts.

#Marchofthemammals2026 day 21: Rounding out our trip to the semiarid scrublands and dry forests of Late Miocene Argentina with a momma Thylacosmilus atrox and her joeys. Kits? Who knows...

Vector illustration of Thylacosmilus atrox, a sabertoothed sparassodont, carrying two babies on her back. It is low slung with sharp claws and a long skull with curved saber shaped canines. It is light brown with a darker back half and scattered white spots. The babies are darker in color to blend in with thier mother's back

Day 24: Thylacosmilus atrox An extinct genus of saber-toothed metatherian mammals that inhabited South America from Late Miocene to Pliocene epochs. #marchofthemammals2026 #paleoart #sketchbook

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 24: Thylacosmilus atrox The saber-toothed sparassodont Thylacosmilus dares challenge the flesh eating armadillo Macroeuphractus over the carcass of a very large rodent. Evolution really does some crazy things. Stay tuned for tomorrow, when we round out the Cerro Azul!

A tan/brown long bodied mammal with an extended chin and saber teeth following the chin approaches the carcass of a capybara. A large sharp toothed armadillo is screaming at it. A giant camel-like mammal keeps its distance in the background.

A closer view of Thylacosmilus, showing off a short horse-like mane and an odd face.

Day 23: Huayqueriana cristata And extinct genus of South American litoptern, related to Macrauchenia, and belonging to the same family, Macraucheniidae. #marchofthemammals2026 #paleoart #sketchbook

#marchofthemammals2026 day 20: A spooked Huayqueriana cristata #paleoart #sciart

Vector illustration of Huayqueriana cristata, an early relative of Macrauchenia, rearing up on its hind legs and bearing its sharp incisor teeth. This animal is proportioned somewhat like a lama or camel, with padded, three toed feet and a large moose-like nose. It is sandy greyish in color, with white and black patched on its rump, face and feet

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 23: Huayqueriana cristata The liptoptern Huayqueriana moves cautiously past Macroeuphractus. Related to the more famous weirdo Macraeuchenia, this fella would have likely had a funky nose as well.

A brown ungulate with a long neck and odd nose looks at an armadillo.

Day 22: Macroeuphractus moreni An extinct carnivorous armadillo (known as Euphractinae) has caught unfortunate Lagostomus sp. after emerging out from the burrow. #marchofthemammals2026 #paleoart #sketchbook

#Marchofthemammals2026 day 19: the fearsome Macroeuphractus moreni #paleoart #sciart #armadillo

Vector illustration of Macroeuphractus moreni, a large carnivorous armadillo, laying down and looking at the viewer. Its skin is dark brown with a rusty colored carapace and claws

#marchofthemammals2026 Day 22: Macroeuphractus moreni Macroeuphractus can't seem to buy the carcass of the capybara Cardiatherium fast enough. In the meantime, he needs to scream at his neighbors to keep any thieves far away.

An armadillo with a bloody mouth screams at an unseen enemy over the carcass of a capybara.

A further view, showing that the subject of the armadillo's ire is a ground bird chasing a hopping mammal.

#marchofthemammals2026 day 18: Lagostomus pretrichodactyla, an early relative of plains viscacha

Vector illustration of Lagostomus pretrichodactyla, an early species of plains viscacha, sitting on its hind feet sniffing as it looks upwards. The rodent looks similar to modern viscacha, with a lower, longer snout more similar to mountain viscacha. It is grey and rusty brown with white stripes on its heat and belly, and pink furless feet and ears.