Fabrizio De Rossi
scientific reconstruction • 3D modeling • illustration
Mystacodon selenensis - baleen whale ancestor for PBS' Eons
A recent commission for the PBS show EONS, a SciComm show about all sorts of topics along Earth's history. This one depicting the basal baleen whale Mystacodon selenensis, once in a generalised image and once depicting the hypothetical bottom feeding/suction feeding behaviour that might have led to the baleen that is known from today's mysticeti.
Full episode can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITEMAKa4-lc
First image, general depiction of the animals just swimming along.
Second image, showing bottom feeding/filter feeding behaviour.
The Zbrush sculpt with simple polypaint applied.
Model retopologised in TopoGun 2.0 and rigged/posed/rendered in Blender.