The colour scheme and painting plan for the Everything Dinosaur Evolution T. rex figure is extremely sophisticated. In addition, the hand-picked team of artists assembled to paint our first dinosaur model had to deal with an extremely complicated painting process. Palaeo-reconstruction artist Bob Nicholls explains how our Tyrannosaurus rex got its colours. When it comes to T. rex painting, there probably has not been a more carefully thought-out colour scheme for the “king of the tyrant lizards”.
The Everything Dinosaur Evolution range of scientifically accurate prehistoric animal models unites palaeontology and palaeoart. Acclaimed palaeontologist Dr Dean Lomax and renowned palaeo-reconstruction artist Bob Nicholls are involved in this exciting project. In addition, the design team included award-winning digital sculptor Glen Southern. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A Guide to T. rex Painting (Bob Nicholls)
Tyrannosaurus rex, and all the other Hell Creek animals, would have experienced some seasonal extremes, from the long, hot days of the rainy season to the short, cool days of the dry season. To cope with the challenges of hunting in these two different environmental conditions, I have speculated that our Tyrannosaurus rex subtly and slowly changes its colour patterns throughout the year (as his skin naturally sheds).
Our Tyrannosaurus rex model is wearing his dry season garb, a combination of melanin tones (pheomelanin: blond, ginger, and dull reds). In addition, eumelanin: browns, greys, and black to help him stalk prey through the dry, brown prairies and open woodlands. This colour pattern strategy is called background matching (crypsis) and is common in extant large predators. For example, in African lions and grey wolves. In the wet season, I imagine these colours would also include a touch of subtle green (by combining the yellowest melanin tones with blue, created by light reflecting microstructures in scales and skin), which would help camouflage our theropod amongst the greener landscape.
Everything Dinosaur Evolution T. rex model on top of its beautiful box. The model has an extremely sophisticated and complicated colour scheme. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The Use of Countershading
Another colour pattern that is ubiquitous in the animal kingdom is countershading. This is when an animal has dark colours on it upper surfaces and light colour on its undersides. The purpose of this pattern is to counter the effects of sunlight and shadows cast on the body. Sunlight illuminates the upper surfaces, and the shadows darken the under surfaces, so a counter colouration that does the opposite flattens the animal’s form and makes it more difficult to see in its environment.
This kind of camouflage can be found on vertebrates and invertebrates, on land animals and in salt and freshwater environments, in the skies, and on our T. rex. Our Tyrannosaurus has a type of countershading best suited for an open environment, a landscape in which animals are subjected to direct sunlight that casts strong shadows. The best countershading for these conditions is to have a very dark upper surface and very light undersides, with a more abrupt transition between these extremes quite high on the animal’s sides.
A guide to the countershading on the Everything Dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
In the densely vegetated wet season, when the deciduous trees are full of leaves, I imagine the counter shading of our dinosaur would change to better suit a more closed environment. This would be less dark upper surfaces, less light undersides, and a more gradual transition between them lower on the animal’s sides.
To view the Everything Dinosaur Evolution range of models: Everything Dinosaur Evolution Model Range.
A Role in Thermoregulation
In addition to camouflage, countershading can also help with thermoregulation, protection from the elements, and wear and tear. The very dark dorsum of our tyrannosaur’s dry season countershading will absorb the heat of the sun on those cold mornings and protect our Tyrannosaurus rex from harmful ultraviolet light, during the time of year when there is less cloud cover and fewer leaves in the canopy to cast shadows. Melanin also strengthens keratinous structures, like scales and feathers (the wingtips of many birds are often black because they are strengthened with lots of melanin). The high levels of dark eumelanin in our dinosaur’s hair-like feathers would strengthen them and slow down degradation.
Disruptive Colouration
A third type of colour pattern present on our model is disruptive colouration. This is represented by the stripes under the neck and, most clearly, along the tail and thighs. This colour strategy disrupts an animal’s outline and obscures its shape amongst its surroundings – just what T. rex needs to sneak up on and ambush its prey. The spots on the chest would have a similar effect as well.
A guide to the disruptive colouration on the EDE001 T. rex model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
EDE001 T. rex Painting the Head
Finally, the head. Most of the head and jaws are highly melanised, to strengthen the keratinous tissues (skin, scales, the nasal rugosity, postorbital growths, and cornified sheaths) and limit the damage from headbutts and biting by rival tyrannosaurs. However, preceding a fight, most animals with formidable weapons perform some kind of display to show their rival how impressive they are. To enhance their dances and acts of strength, animals often possess colourful and/or highly contrasting colour patterns. Therefore, when viewed face-on, our rex has lighter brown patches below and behind the eyes to contrast with the dark grey snout.
Motion dazzle elements as part of the T. rex painting plan. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Also, to show his rival that he is in his prime, our bull Tyrannosaurus rex has a white stripe on either side of his snout, which will flash at his opponent when he shakes his head from side to side (a subtle form of motion dazzle colouration). I imagine this white snout-stripe feature would only appear in mature individuals, and it would be brighter and more contrasted during the breeding season, when males were fighting for territory and attempting to attract females.
So, to conclude, every millimetre of the colours on our Tyrannosaurus rex model have been thoroughly considered. Our colours are specific to the age, sex, and seasonal environment of Tyrannosaurus rex, and it works from whatever angle you choose to look at it.
Everything Dinosaur Comments About the T. rex Painting Plan
Mike from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“Our thanks to famous artist Bob Nicholls for his comprehensive comments on the T. rex painting plan. Furthermore, we appreciate the contributions of Dr Dean Lomax and Glen Southern. The T. rex painting plan notes demonstrate the huge amount of work that has gone into creating this dinosaur model. It is perhaps the most scientifically accurate Tyrannosaurus rex figure. We are following the science and the fossil evidence. Moreover, the colour scheme for this figure reflects the same principles.”
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