Channels, Spring 2018

Channels • 2018 • Volume 2 • Number 2 Page 67 A Four-Legged Megalosaurus and Swimming Brontosaurs: A Brief History of Paradigm Shifts within Dinosaur Paleontology Jordan Oldham Science and Mathematics—Cedarville University Introduction ays of bright sunlight came gleaming through the windows of an artist’s studio. The room lay silent and void of all life. Dust particles were gently floating on the air currents in the room flying through the golden beams of light. Paintings hung on the walls while others, draped in white sheets, sat propped up against the wall. In one corner of the room, models of prehistoric beasts, exhibiting both grandeur and curiosity, sat watching, acting as the ever-watchful guardians and protectors of a hoard of treasures. Bottles and tubes of paint seemingly took up most of the space on any table or surface in the studio. In cups scattered about the room, paint brushes were neatly organized by size and shape. Laying on a table, a palette, stained with dried paint of past masterpieces, waited for the artist’s gentle hands. In the center of the room, an easel stood holding a blank canvas waiting to undergo a transformation. The creaking of an opening door and the heavy footsteps of an old man suddenly broke the silence. With every step, the boards of the wooden floor bent to the stress and creaked like the door. The studio then came to life with the melodious sounds of Louis Armstrong coming from a phonograph. Walking over to the table, the man picked up the palette and some tubes of paint. He began smearing the paint across the palette and took a brush from a nearby cup. Mixing the colors together, he was ready to put paint to canvas. Taking another brush, his careful brushstrokes elegantly began to make his imagination awaken on the blank canvas. Three days of painting and his masterpiece was finished. The final touch was signing his name to his work. Charles R. Knight took a step back and he admired what he had created. The mighty Brontosaurus was staring at him from the past and grinning as though it actually posed for the painting. It seemed to be swimming in the swamp without a care in the world, probably foraging for the lush vegetation underneath the water. Other brontosaurs were foraging for their next meal in the background, while a Diplodocus walked on the banks eating the prolific greens. Knight’s paintings sought to convey the prevailing intellect of dinosaurs. However, instead of portraying them as the often-pictured sluggish monsters, Knight gave his creations energetic poses. R