Skip to main content

Artsy Kraken

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


Image of the Week #14, October 24, 2011:

From:Science Art Scumble #26 by Glendon Mellow at Symbiartic.

Original source:Nobu Tamura


On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.


After the “Artsy-Kraken” story hit the news the past couple of weeks, scientific illustrator and paleoartist Nobu Tamura sat down and drew this rendition of the ancient cephalopod tagging the ocean midden like a prehistoric Banksy-wannabe. In brief, the explanation by Mark McMenamin, as ably-explained by Sid Perkins of Nature, suggests that a pile of icthyosaur bones represent artfully laid bones and a “signature” perhaps from an enormous cephalopod, despite no modern cephalopods engaging in this behaviour. The image graced Symbiartic this week on Science Art Scumble #26 round-up of links along with two of Tamura’s more typical and less speculative scientific illustrations. Nobu Tamura’s illustrations can be seen on his blog, Paleoexhibit, and he can be found on Twitter @paleofan.