They look like
Greek war helmets, but are much older than the ancient Greeks.
Older than the dinosaurs by millions of years.
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| Horseshoe crab study, watercolor and pen & ink by Patrick Gracewood ©2011 |
They are Horseshoe crabs,
Limulus polyphemus, and are considered a living fossil
. We were at Cape Cod last month and
took a trip to
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, where the crabs come to lay their eggs and molt their skins.
 |
| Horseshoe crab study, watercolor and pen & ink by Patrick Gracewood ©2011 |
I made these watercolors and ink studies because the shapes of the crabs are so beautiful. Sharp armor and beautiful smooth forms. The shed skins are translucent gold and very fragile. You can see one between my hands in the photo above.
Have you encountered any fossils, living or otherwise, this summer?
Have you encountered any fossils, living or otherwise, this summer?
2 comments:
beautiful !
Absolutely love the photo of you....very "Darwinian"
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