Paleo reconstitution of functional morphology, paleoecology and life environment of Uberabasuchus terrificus Carvalho et al., 2004 for visual purposes

• Grant number: 07/00975-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2007
• End date: April 30, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Paleozoology
• Principal Investigator: Renato Pirani Ghilardi
• Grantee: Rodolfo Nogueira Soares Ribeiro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There are several ways to extract information from the fossil record, however it is not possible to observe the past world, except from the rebuilding through the art applied to the paleontology. Being like this, the paleontology art is a primordial facilitative one for learn and apprehension of planet evolution process. To reach its purpose – to reconstitute as better as possible the extinct past – successfully it must put the concepts, supports and techniques of art in balance with all information supplied by the past studies disciplines. Such agreement is not observed as efficient in Brazil, because of technique and/or methodological matters. The present work intends, therefore, to optimize the extinguished animal representation through the use of virtual modeling tools. It has been showing more and more expressive and offering quite satisfactory results when applied as tool to the paleontology. The project still intends to develop and to try a rebuilding methodology, for visual purposes, of the geological past through the digital sculpture of a single Uberabasuchus terrificus Carvalho, Ribeiro & Ávila, 2004, as well as the reconstruction of its surrounding. The project will be accomplished in four phases. Firstly necessary data will be picked up to the rebuilding, later the animal will be illustrated in scheme in several angles, following the digital sculpture of the animal and finally, the illustration of the environment with subsequent insert of the model. The project has a strongly interdisciplinary character in the areas of Paleontology, Evolution, Anatomy, Geology, Graphic Design and art.