07/07/2026
How do you reconstruct a dinosaur when only a handful of bones have been found?
You start with what you know.
Only a limited number of original Wiehenvenator fossils have ever been discovered. Every preserved bone became an piece of the puzzle.
The most important clues came from the skull parts.
Piece by piece, we reconstructed the skull from the preserved fragments using 3D prints. We spent countless hours studying every ridge, every opening and every curve, comparing them with closely related megalosaurids. Reconstructing a dinosaur is, of course, far more complex than simply scaling up or down another species, but these comparisons provided a scientifically grounded starting point.
The same principle guided the rest of the skeleton.
Using the known length of the fibula and comparing the proportions of other theropods of similar size, we gradually estimated the dimensions of the missing bones. Every measurement was questioned, compared and refined until the anatomy made sense.
But reconstruction is never done alone.
Throughout the project, we worked closely with the palaeontologists involved, discussing and challenging our interpretation. Their critical feedback helped us refine the reconstruction and ensured that every decision was supported by the best available evidence.
Every reconstruction is an interpretation based on the evidence available at that moment. Science is always evolving. Every new fossil has the potential to change our understanding.
Until then, our responsibility is simple: respect the evidence.
