Appalachian Today

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View larger image — A student compares a cast resin replica of an actual aetosaur skull with the work in progress. Photo by Travis Donovan

View larger image — Appalachian’s aetosaur “Archie” took form from line art and a simple wire frame. Photo by Travis Donovan

View larger image — Art students prepare the foam armature for the next step: application of the oil-based clay. Photo by Marie Freeman

View larger image — Appalachian students, from left, Rebecca Bremer ’18, Hunter Hill ’15 and McKenzy Culbertson ’16 mix the oil-based clay used to cover the aetosaur’s armature. Photo by Marie Freeman

View larger image — A rendering of a North Carolina landscape as imagined during the Triassic, in tropical Pangea. Internet photo

View larger image — Appalachian professors Andy Heckert, foreground, and Travis Donovan compare an illustration to the Gorgetosuchus sculpture in progress. Photo by Marie Freeman

View larger image — A screen shot of the digital 3-D model the students created from the illustrations of the aetosaur. Image provided by Travis Donovan

View larger image — Using the 3-D digital model, the students rendered a pattern for the foam sections of the aetosaur’s armature. Photo by Travis Donovan

View larger image — Appalachian students create a steel and foam armature based on a paleo-illustration of an aetosaur. The armature serves as a basic structure scaled to the general size of the imagined aetosaur. Photo Marie Freeman

View larger image — Matt LeBlanc ’16 refines shaping on the aetosaur’s hind leg. Photo by Marie Freeman

View larger image — Tiny etchings and intricate detail will enhance authenticity of the final casting. Photo by Travis Donovan

View larger image — Close to completion, this clay, foam and wire-framed aetosaur is almost ready for bronze casting. Refining the armored plating on the back – the most distinguishing characteristics of this species of aetosaur – was critical in order to create as accurate a visual as possible for the interlocking plates and spikes. Photo by Travis Donovan

View larger image — Members of a geology class study the specimens found in the Fred Webb Jr. Outdoor Geology Laboratory/Interactive Rock Garden.

View larger image — An aerial view of the Fred Webb Jr. Outdoor Geology Laboratory/Interactive Rock Garden, which runs along Rankin Science South.

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Photos of Triassic aetosaur sculpture

Posted March 10, 2017 at 12 p.m.

Appalachian State University art and geology students are collaborating on a sculpture of a Triassic aetosaur based on a handful of pre-historic bones unearthed in North Carolina. The finished piece is expected to be placed in the Fred Webb Jr. Outdoor Geology Laboratory/Interactive Rock Garden alongside Rankin Science South in fall 2018.

Art and geology students at Appalachian collaborate to sculpt Triassic aetosaur based on a handful of pre-historic bones unearthed in North Carolina

Art and geology students at Appalachian collaborate to sculpt Triassic aetosaur based on a handful of pre-historic bones unearthed in North Carolina

March 10, 2017

Imagine an aetosaur wandering outside Rankin Science Building. Art and geology students have. See what they’ve created.

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About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

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Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

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