Amazingly Vivid Dino Illustrations Reveal a Brutal Prehistoric World

Over its lifetime, Earth has hosted countless species. But some of those species, like the dinosaurs, have managed to claw their way into a special place in our imaginations. Now, a new book illustrates the dinosaurs — and many of the beasts of millennia ago — in beautiful, spectacular and vicious style. In one illustration, […]

Over its lifetime, Earth has hosted countless species. But some of those species, like the dinosaurs, have managed to claw their way into a special place in our imaginations. Now, a new book illustrates the dinosaurs -- and many of the beasts of millennia ago -- in beautiful, spectacular and vicious style.

In one illustration, tiny Utahraptors tear at the flesh of a much larger creature. Another shows a rather unlikely but fanciful encounter between giant megalodon and funny-looking platybelodon. A more serene image depicts a well-camouflaged little dinosaur sleeping beneath a tree in a lush, green forest.

Julius Csotonyi

The Paleoart of Julius Csotonyi, available on May 20, is a collection of artwork by Julius Csotonyi, an award-winning illustrator whose work lives in museums and in science papers. Csotonyi, who holds a PhD in microbiology, works frequently with paleontologists who need help bringing their fossil finds to life. Sometimes, though, he draws whatever comes to mind. According to Csotonyi's parents, his first illustration, at age 3, was of a dinosaur. "It appears to have been intended to be a rooster," Csotonyi says in the book.

Here are 10 of our favorite scenes from The Paleoart of Julius Csotonyi, each accompanied by a caption written for WIRED by the author.