Eotyrannus lengi. Original artwork from Feathered Dinosaurs.

2006.
Watercolour and gouache on Arches paper 400 x 655 mm, unframed, signed and dated by artist.

The 'dawn tyrant' named in honour of Mr Gavin Leng.

The eroding white chalk cliffs on the southern beaches of the Isle of Wight, UK, have been a treasure-trove of dinosaur discoveries for over the past 150 years. Recent finds included the partial skeleton of a small tyrannosaur, Eotyrannus, which was about five metres in length and weighed up to 400 kilograms. Its skull had unfused bones indicative of a juvenile, so an adult animal would have been significantly larger, perhaps as big as eight metres. The specialised pelvic structure and features of its skull and teeth show that Eotyrannus was part of the tyrannosaurid group, although it still retained its elongated arms and long fingers, a feature lost in later larger tyrannosaurs. The slender hind limbs also give it a more sporty appearance compared to the larger tyrannosaurs. It undoubtedly used its long arms for grasping prey, such as the one-metre-long Hypsilophodon, whose bones have been found in abundance from the same formation.
Artist's note: The proportions of this animal show it to be a juvenile. The sparse feathered covering and dispersal of cryptic juvenile spotting are indicative of the transitional stage to adulthood. The testing of its mettle against the formidable Polacanthus also indicates the inexperience of this young predator.

Infraorder: Coelurosauria
Superfamily: Tyrannosauroidea
Family: Tyrannosauridae
Age: Early Cretaceous
Locality: Isle of Wight, England (Wessex Formation).