Aquilops Revisited - Tiny Dragon in the Realm of Giants

In this video I present a new reconstruction of America's oldest known horned dinosaur, Aquilops americanus, based on a new idea for what might have been driving the early evolution of small-bodied horned dinosaurs horns, knobs, quills and frills.
My website: dontmesswithdin...
Support my art and help keep these videos coming: / historianhimself
Subscribe to the Alf Museum youtube page here for an extended talk I did on this illustration and more!
My Talk: • Prickles, Frills, Knob...
/ alfmuseumpaleo
CORRECTION: The image at 3:33 should be credited as:
Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. My apologies to the Sam Noble Museum and University of Oklahoma for this mix up.
You can also read an interview I did with crazy prehistoric fish Biologist Sarah Zoanne Gibson ( @GombessaGirl ) on the PLOS blog here: blogs.plos.org/...
Support the Utahraptor Project here:
utahraptors.uta...
My talk on my 2014 Aquilops reconstruction is here:
• My Nerd Nite (ADULT AU...
To see the pictures of the quilled Psittacosaurus taken by Dave Hone & to read his thoughts, go here:
archosaurmusin...
Want to learn more about that insanely well preserved quilled Psittacosaurus? Check out the paper on it's possible cammoflauge here: www.cell.com/cu...
Shoutout fellow paleoartist Zubin Erik Dutta for providing me with a photo of the Deinonychus skeleton at the Perot Museum in Dallas Texas. Check his art out here: amorousdino.dev...
/ zduttaart
And just in case you haven't gotten your bizarro-noggin fix, here's a video of two Cowfish fighting:
• Video

[@blackraptor311]

For those who are interested in seeing the actual fossil of the Aquilops head, it is on display at the Sam Noble Museum of Oklahoma Natural history in Norman, OK. I do volunteer work there in the vertebrate paelo lab there.

[@BrianEnghArt]

Pinning this to the top! BIG UPS SAM NOBLE MUSEUM! GYUH!!!

[@sabeda1647]

I'd kill to see a nature documentary produced and narrated by you.

[@BrianEnghArt]

but... but that's what this is... though if you mean a full-length nature documentary with all wild animals instead of things at zoos then you don't even have to kill anyone, just support me on patreon and eventually i will be slogging through a swamp in the Philipines (or whatever/wherever). www.patreon.com/historianhimself

[@SaurianGame]

Getting a Tom Hardy vibe out of Historian here...good stuff

[@masterchiefbot]

I also find it sick that people want them as pets and yes I do agree that creating/cloning dinosaurs shouldn't be done but I honestly would like to see how accurate we were about how some of them behaved

[@devinmyers1551]

I'm starting to think dromaeosaurs using their sickle-claw to impale small prey is an area of artwork that has been seriously neglected. John McLoughlin's Archosauria features a suspiciously scaly Deinonychus impaling some small ornithopod. The whole image is pretty weird looking but at least it isn't an unreasonable idea. You wouldn't happen to have a larger version of your skewered Aquilops image available somewhere, would you?

[@glasslaughter824]

awsome. i love the music in the background, it sets the mood. Like we're learning from an old witch doctor of the past.

[@HistorianHimself]

YOU ARE.

[@glasslaughter824]

HistorianHimself nobody. just a passer by.

[@BrianEnghArt]

heheh, nono, "YOU ARE learning from an old witch doctor of the past."

[@omnesilere]

its too loud though. probably mixed and played back on tiny speakers. with a decent system its just not balanced though.

[@jzjzjzj]

@@omnesilere does anybody know the song?

[@liamhajek1770]

Hi Brian! I really enjoyed this video :) I just wanted to say how glad i am that you brought up the consumerist thought process of "i want to own [x animal] because it looks cute/cool". Its really important that people dont think this way and understand the damage it can do, and get educated about it and the alternatives (and least harmful) ways they can go about owning and caring for certain exotic animals.

[@blondbraid7986]

If they just want it because it's cute, they should get a plushie instead.

[@thedubstepaddict3675]

this is beautiful.

[@GreebleClown]

This reminds me of when Avatar came out and people were lamenting that they couldn’t go to a place as wondrous as Pandora. I kept telling them that Earth and it’s creatures and environments can be just as amazing and strange as any alien planet. Your artwork brings back that feeling of wonder at our world when I hike or go exploring and find that small lucky moment of discovery when everything aligns just right to make a small pocket of magic. :)

[@babehunter1324]

Amazing video. I remember a few months back Darren Naish proposed the possibility that the large and complex nasal openings of Ceratopsids may have been used to amplify the noises and calls they made. It would have a lot of sense that such an emphasis on vocal communication might be derived from small cryptic ancesters which would need to use sound to communicate with one another (and probably also had good sense of hearing).

[@BrianEnghArt]

Yep. Did you notice i put a saggy nostril bag on my new Aquilops in reference to those ideas?

[@JB-dm5cp]

Dinosaurs. Birds. Reptiles. All so beautiful.

[@Francois2144]

I like the more brown earthy colouration that resembles those of many lizards like the horned lizards and bearded dragons. The artwork of Aquilops is fantastic and it's a cute species.

[@iris-katyayani0816]

Can you release that size graph of the Cloverly Formation? The designs are amazing and the shear scale of everything in the environment is mind blowing. Amazing video as always!

[@Janetchen1304]

Aquilops is actually my favourite dinosaur :)

[@leocarioshiny]

Excellent video. I'm inspired by your artistic and biological thinking tremendous, and respect your passion for all life on earth- especially the unfortunate examples caught in the pet trade. As a fledgling paleoartist, I am definitely going to be keeping an eye on your work from now on

[@diloraptor3191]

Your videos never fail to amaze me!

[@ajfitch16]

My favorite video of yours yet. Keep up the great work, and thanks for making these videos describing your process!

[@BrianEnghArt]

i will do my best as i can afford to, but i need more patreon support. www.patreon.com/historianhimself

[@xscignorethestuffinquotes7487]

Wow! I really love the revised version! Keep up the great work you awesome paleoartist!

[@mbrumder]

Wow, such wonderful work, Brian! It is so awesome to see you grow to be a powerhouse of knowledge and talent. :)

[@guillaumebabey4484]

An excellent video ! I was familiar with your involvement with the Aquilops original description so I was surprised by your new version and the direction the video took on camouflage and outline breaking skin structures. Very informative and a great food for thought ! Excellent work on all parts ! Also, I am sadly relatively poor so I can't financially support the Utahraptor project but I contributed by making art and telling as many people as possible about it.

[@mokshaw]

this is where you been great work!!

[@austinhinton3944]

It’s not just small reptiles and amphibians that are often taken is as “pets”, many mammals that are NOT meant for households are taken as well. Like raccoons, foxes, small monkeys and lorises. Allot of these animals are wanted for their “cuteness” and the people that buy them don’t take into account that these are living, breathing things, not a little doll you and pull out to impress your friends. And that’s not even getting into the idea of “throwaway pets” like turtles and fish that parents will give their kids to teach them ‘responsibility’.

[@chattychatotchannel]

Birds have trouble with this as well especially with parrot gifs being popular. Young parrots are super cuddly and act completely differently to when they grow up and are often dumped and passed from home to home. They are incredibly smart and emotional creatures which depending on the species can live decades 😔

[@austinhinton3944]

@@chattychatotchannel Oh yeah, parrots and alligators are bought when they are small, but they don’t stay small forever.

[@robinliesens7983]

Yet again a nice one! The way you narrate your vids in combination with the footage used is something you just don't come across much. Looking forward to the next one! Also, awesome reconstructions. That size chart was quite mind blowing.

[@GiocoWolf]

your work never ceases to amaze me both artwork and videos, very educational and your voice is very suiting to listen to please keep up the great work!

[@Savage209er]

I used to catch Horned Lizards when I was a little boy in Southern California. We called them Horny Toads. Lol

[@tlqy]

Your voice aswell as the choice of music are impeccable! Thanks for providing such informative content!

[@chattychatotchannel]

Wow I’d not thought of spines as a form of camouflage that’s so interesting!

[@jaisanatanrashtra7035]

9:37 what sauropods fed on those trees 😨

[@coleomo]

This video helped me understand small ceratopsians success with such a weird evolution. Never understood how or why a body plan like that would work but this makes alot more sense.

[@curtisthornsberry4236]

I recently moved to Arizona, I cant help but notice the many lizards that scuttle around the rocks. These guys move so fast I can't even catch good pictures of them.

[@shanemcdaniel1509]

The narration of this documentary is superb 👏

[@Thulgore]

A tiger surrounded by concrete is blatantly obvious. To prey items with certain color visuals in nature, it is almost invisible.

[@jaisanatanrashtra7035]

9:20 what a depiction 👍 where I can get full and HD image..?

[@BrianEnghArt]

You can find this piece and most of my art on my website: dontmesswithdinosaurs.com

[@camerondillon8096]

What music is used for this video. Awesome analysis and theories about the science and coloration of these awesome animals

[@jaisanatanrashtra7035]

9:35 the real question is what kind of Monster fed on those trees 🙄 just look at the size even the Sauroposiedon looks like a fox 😂

[@morkusmorkus6040]

Maybe nothing? Perhaps the trees were winning the race, so to speak.

[@Ujjwalkumar-je3me]

Maybe aboreal creatures Dinosaur or bird equivalent of Gorillas or panda or something like that

[@SolarpunkEnjoyer]

9:19 - 9:38 Where is this image available?

[@whatabouttheearth]

"Music by 'The Historian Himself' " ... I was just gonna ask but then I saw it. Fits really well in a surprising way

[@EDGEscience]

What kind of recording device did you use?

[@BrianEnghArt]

I record on an AKG perception 220 large diaphragm condenser mic, routed through an M-audio audiobuddy input. For more behind the scenes & how-to on my creative process consider supporting my work on www.patreon.com/historianhimself

[@gideon9096]

You here!? Amazing :D

[@jorgerangel2390]

More people needs to see this

[@allthelittleworms]

The animals of the Sonoran desert are especially sneaky.

[@chiefsilverstacker1176]

I find it interesting how there is never Dino’s or animals that we find that are intermediate species to the next, always just something that is completely different, no suddle changes

[@davidanderson252]

Wow dude. This guy is an amazing paleoartist. Best channel I have found in a long time.

[@Sarcypoo]

I love your videos. Thank you for what you do. You're very talented at your craft, keep bringing these creatures back to life for us.

[@Chareidos]

Now I wish to see a documentary, which portraits the time of ceratopsian evolving from Aquilops to the last remnant before the extinction event, and showing the contemporary species coinhabiting with them, as they evolve or get replaced.

[@dynamosaurusimperious6341]

Sure is a pretty sick looking dinosaur.

[@lachlanmacarthur8992]

I don't think the People that said they want one really literally would clone them just to keep as pets. Or at least I hope not. Anyway fantastic video.

[@BrianEnghArt]

While my science outreach work has taught me that many people think there's a chance we might actually clone really long dead things like Aquilops (which we wont, ever) what I'm responding to here is people's unfortunate impulse to want to posess small animals they see on the web. People often overlook the important facts and realities because they have a childish "gimmie gimmie" response that they've never learned to recognize and put in check. There are a many of cases of huge spikes in collection of wild animals due to cute animal viral videos. www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/17/slow-loris-videos_n_7606524.html

[@devinmyers1551]

I have a feeling that even if most of these "I NEED IT" people realized how destructive the pet trade can be they wouldn't care. After all, these are often the sort of people that kill little arthropods because "you're supposed to" and think predators are scary and need to be eliminated or put in zoos.

[@lachlanmacarthur8992]

BRIAN ENGH PALEOART. Oh my goodness. Human greed is discussing.

[@BrianEnghArt]

I think most people are basically kind and don't want to cause suffering if they know they can avoid it while still living a comfortable life. I think the important thing is to offer healthy alternatives (like adopting animals, or photographing them instead of shooting them) to satisfy our primal hunter-gatherer & pastoral instincts.

[@mohammedhassanakbari6722]

1:20 Dinosaur Era Beringia.

[@vassa1972]

awesome

[@naturegirl92584]

This was a great video, but I couldn't finish it....because you played the same damn song for 15 minutes!

[@BrianEnghArt]

for your listening pleasure: soundcloud.com/historian-himself/cryptic-dragon

[@BrianEnghArt]

note to self: compose multiple songs for each video (& release them 3-6 months apart instead of 1-2.) People demand better free content.

[@johnnyli4702]

what music did you use? I really like it?

[@triangularlizard]

BRIAN ENGH PALEOART sorry but it's no longer available for some reason and i really really REALLY wanna play this on loop while i draw, so could you pls link to it again? :3

[@Kevin-hx2ky]

There's a problem with this: some prints are more expensive than lots of pet-store sold lizards.

[@BrianEnghArt]

Fair point! Fwiw I don't exploit people from impoverished rural communities (who are the ones often collecting small animals for the pet trade) in the production of my art prints...

[@17amreyes]

I love this Video. The lizards in my yard do the same push ups and i never know it was for the lady's.

[@toPuPplS]

Is that carnivorous rodent a marsupial or a monotreme?

[@Roedygr]

I think you mean intraspecies combat, not interspecies combat.

[@toPuPplS]

Archaeoceratops = Jurassic Kakapo.

[@biancasuiugan9866]

I love the information and effort you put in your videos, but I can't watch them anymore because the background music really creeps me out. I mostly watch this at night and it gives me nightamres and paranoia. Love your videos and information you share though!

[@victorcelmare]

how come i never seen your channel

[@SadSpectacle1]

If you want to possess exotic animals I recommend pokemon instead of harming real endangered animals.

[@kaktussurvival6782]

Wait, five?! I see 3 of young and one Big so its 4, where is the fifth

[@gijsbertuslaurensvandevooren]

Don't forget people who like them on a plate

[@jameslouie2020]

He is wrong about the chameleon changing color based on the background.

[@trevorevans4000]

Hey mate, just found your channel and I've been a long time paleontology hobbyist who has been considered a career in either paleontology or paleo art. Do you have and recommendations or insight for someone looking to do so? Also love your insight into making pets out of "exotic" animals that in the words of John Hammond, "require our absence to survive, not our help." especially coming from the veterinary field.

[@davidquintana8395]

humans are a savage lot..

[@alexandermercado2697]

Bearded dragons have Quils

[@scp-mxiiianomalousdromeus1117]

8:45 1 adult 4 juveniles

[@hellman239]

Anyone know where the music is from?

[@rubenjames7345]

What the heck is going on with the weitd soundtrack?

[@nehankenulafernando2461]

I can see 5

[@bluntp.n.i.c7701]

Please tell me the name of this instrumental

[@asomesuase4479]

Okay but like what if we cloned them to create little micro worlds for them (or more recently extinct animals that could still survive easily in our modern era with out causing major change) to boost our now dwindling ecological diversity?

[@starkicker5623]

ADOPT DONT SHOP...dogs and cats are killed everyday because people need a lab or doodle or kitten...the fear that grown animals feel in a cage is set free by adoption and they usually end up being the sweetest, most loyal companions. a lot of kittens or bred dogs end up being annoying or careless and bratty

[@joshuagonzalez4183]

Yup, same here

[@thedj15]

11:00 and that's why breeders are a thing

[@bobiisrae9057]

2020 ??

[@MarkMadeThat]

Music too loud

[@donnaparks1919]

Cats and dogs easier to take care of

[@alexandermercado2697]

Its a bearded Dragon

[@excalibur1812]

I like the video, but I could deal without that annoying soundtrack with the whistling.

[@dputnam419]

Music and whistling is too loud. Way distracting.

[@parvicursorremotus9689]

:3

[@chkmtn]

Please delete the "music" that is overpowering the narrative!

[@yuibot5998]

Dinosaurs: Lived for millions of years throughout massive climate fluctuation Humans: OMG it got a tad warmer, WE ARE ALL GONNA DIEEEEEEEEEEE AND WE ARE SOLELY TO BLAME!

[@toPuPplS]

If rodents ate proto-ceratopsians, I'd like to see the mega hyper carnivorous mammal that preys on giant ceratops.. Aquilops > Triceratops, Gobiconodon > ?

[@slappy8941]

Dear God man, lose the music.

[@MrUsoutlaw]

totally not a fan of that whistling music. its so distracting

[@jeronimomod156]

🤔 you're overdoing it a bit on trying to make your voice sound more manly🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️ just talk normal bro you're making it weird