Couple of manips for Tooth and Claw

[ffutures]

Thought that these might amuse; the first is a dragon eye, with some accompanying information on how they work, the second is a dragon skeleton.



On this one Jo really wanted me to emphasise how strange dragons are, and the weirdness of their eyes. I think I've succeeded:

Sight

Dragons and their related species have eyes unlike any other vertebrate. Behind the lens is a complex array of crystalline rods (a), all capable of a degree of motion, connected to a bulbous mass of neural tissue (b) embedded in the muscles that move the rods (c). Nerves (d) lead to the brain. Each rod collects light from a narrow field of view; the eye focuses by aiming the rods at the point of focus and scanning across it, in a swirling circular movement. If upset or confused this movement is more agitated. The lens does not change shape or position.

Two other structures should be mentioned; a nictitating membrane (e) which snaps down from under the upper eyelid and blocks approximately 95% of ambient light, and the eyelids (f).

Dragons can see in near-total darkness, and it is believed that the bulbous neural structure somehow magnifies the effect of very small amounts of light. It’s notable that the nictitating membrane is used in all but the dimmest light, and that dragons seem to see at their best in very dim and very bright light.

One of the consequences of this unusual mechanism is that dragons are never short-sighted; their eyes easily adjust to focus at any distance. They have little need for telescopes, since they can narrow their focus to magnify distant objects. In any case they are unable to use many types of optical instruments (including normal Yarge telescopes and microscopes) because their eye structure is unsuited to focusing on the virtual images presented by their eyepieces

Dragons do not experience “persistence of vision,” and can distinguish a hundred or more pictures per second as separate images. By comparison Yarge perceive fifteen or more separate pictures per second as a moving image. This illusion is the basis for their recently-invented mutoscope, an entertainment device which presents a sequence of several hundred engraved prints in rapid succession, seen as a moving scene lasting about a minute.
This may explain why the swirling of dragon eyes has been known to have a hypnotic effect on lower animals, including some Yarge. Susceptibility to this effect seems to be random; all dragons are, of course, immune.

[source - mostly me, but suggested by a diagram of an eye I found at the Biodidac site]




I've re-done this two or three times now, trying to find the best place to put the shoulders for the wings, think this one works best, though maybe the orientation of the feet needs changing, and the neck could be a little longer.



Dragon’s skeleton sketched by the Yarge naturalist Lh’ook of Migantil, showing the anatomy of the upper and lower shoulders and wing.

[Source - Wikimedia for the main skeleton (a flying lizard], not quite sure where I found the wing, I'll have to check.]





Yet another go at the skeleton:



This has a longer neck, which I'm happy with, and different orientation to the rear feet, which I'm not sure has quite worked. Anyone got any thoughts?

Comments

[original-aj.livejournal.com]

If you're going for a snakelike body rather than a dinosaur I'd have thought there should be less of a pronounced taper at the shoulders and hips? Perhaps replacing the lizard body with a snake skeleton would work? They seem to have a lot more ribs which gradually widen then narrow again. Though I'm sure you're a lot more familiar with snakes than me! ;)

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I thought of it, but I can't find a decent diagram of a snake skeleton that works well. But I've lengthened the body and neck by about 50% and added numerous vertebrae and ribs in the final version, think it works reasonably well.

[original-aj.livejournal.com]

That sounds plausible, certainly. From what I'd seen from my brief researches the thing would be to avoid discontinuity at the shoulders & hips. Quite tricky to get right I'd have thought.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I may also reduce the size of the head relative to the body - it's a bit too big, considering how large a dragon is supposed to be, something about 2/3 the size or less would be more proportionate.