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Description
Drawing that felt kinda fitting for Christmas I guess since it's polar Mesozoic life from around the north pole where Santa Claus lives, but since it's already late and I type long descriptions it'll probably be Boxing Day when I'm done typing and post this. Kinda wanted to draw this formation since Issi was described earlier this year.

The Fleming Fjord Formation of east Greenland dates to around 222 to 202 million years ago in the late Triassic period and is one of the northernmost locations on earth where remains of non-avian dinosaurs have been found (it is even further north than Alaska's Prince Creek Formation). As is the norm for Triassic ecosystems, dinosaurs only made up a small part of this area's wildlife and a wide variety of other creatures are present, and currently only one species of dinosaur from this area has been officially named. While Triassic global temperatures were higher than they are now, the arctic circle (which this part of Greenland was already within) could still drop barely below 0°C during winter so it would still be quite chilly in colder months, possibly even snowing slightly in some years. The drawing shows a scene during a Triassic winter in the Fleming Fjord Formation with some of its known fossil fauna and northern lights (Aurora borealis) overhead. Animals in the picture are:

Issi saaneq: the large, long-necked dinosaur standing on its hind legs on the far shore of the stream. This dinosaur was a plateosaurid, a basal type of sauropodomorph related to the ancestors of the massive, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs. The remains of this animal have been known since 1991 and were long thought to be fossils of the related Plateosaurus from Triassic Europe, but further analysis have found it to belong in a seperate genus and species so a month ago in early November 2021 the dinosaur was given a new species name, Issi saaneq, meaning "cold bones". Growing 5 to 6 meters long, this dinosaur is the largest animals known from the Fleming Fjord Formation and would have been a bipedal herbivore like other plateosaurids. Issi is so far the only non-avian dinosaur from Greenland to be named, and is also the northernmost named non-avian dinosaur so far.

Aetosaurus ferratus: the rather small armored reptile on the far shore of the stream facing the right side of the drawing. This is a species of aetosaur, an extinct group of herbivorous reptiles distantly related to crocodiles with bony plates of osteoderms on the back for defence, making them resemble the ankylosaur dinosaurs. Growing around a meter long, this is a rather small species of aetosaur, with some other aetosaurs growing over 3 meters long. A. ferratus seems to have been a widespread animal, with remains also being found in Italy and Arizona, USA outside of Greenland.

Arcticodactylus cromptonellus: the two pterosaurs flying in the right half of the picture near the Aetosaurus. A basal species of pterosaur, it was originally assigned as a second species in the Eudimorphodon genus along with the Italian species, but is now placed in a seperate genus (still it would have been a close relative of Eudimorphodon). The only known specimen is of a tiny individual with a wingspan of just 24 centimeters, comparable in size to American robin, but this was a juvenile so the adults were likely larger.

Cyclotosaurus naraserluki: the large creature in the water with a smaller animal in its jaws. The genus Cyclotosaurus contains 7 or 8 species that lived during the Triassic period, mostly in Europe, but this species described in 2017 lived in Greenland. Cyclotosaurus were temnospondyl amphibians of the Mastodonsauridae family, and growing 3 to 4 meters long they were huge for amphibians. This giant amphibian was a carnivore that fed on large fish, other amphibians and maybe even smaller creatures drinking at the water's edge.

Gerrothorax pulcherrimus: the creature in the jaws of the Cyclotosaurus that is about to get eaten. Like the ankaml eating it, this was a temnospondyl amphibian, but this one belonged in the Plagiosauridae family and was only a meter long. Likely fully aquatic, it is thought to have breathed through internal gills like a fish and was an ambush predator that had on the riverbed waiting for prey (though this one became prey instead). Outside of Greenland, remains of thsi species have also been found across Europe and maybe even Thailand.

Proganochelys quenstedti: the turtle on the near shore of the stream around the bottom left corner. Also found in Germany and Thailand, this is the oldest known fully-shelled testudine (the group of reptiles including turtles and tortoises), and while once the oldest stem-turtle known we now have Odontochelys from Triassic China (but this Chinese animal didn't have a full shell). There has been some debate over if this meter-long stem-turtle was aquatic or not, perhaps it may have alternated between aquatic and terrestrial lifestyles. Unlike some modern turtles it couldn't retract all the way into its shell, partly due to the large spikes on its neck and tail getting in the way.

Kalaallitkigun jenkinsi: the furry, vaguely mouse-like animal lifting its tail upwards and facing the right side of the drawing, on a branch in the foreground in the bottom right. Described in 2020, this small mouse-like creature is a primitive mammaliaform related to true mammals, and belongs in the order Haramiyida. Known from a partial jaw, the teeth show this animal was either herbivorous or omnivorous.

Haramiyavia clemmenseni: the other furry critter on the branch in the foreground of the bottom right, facing the left and with its tail hung downwards. Like Kalaallitkigun: it was a Haramiyidan mammaliaform and was a small mouse-like critter, but its teeth suggests an insectivorous diet instead. Also, first Haramiyavia on DA!

And of course, merry late Christmas to yall.

Description
Drawing that felt kinda fitting for Christmas I guess since it's polar Mesozoic life from around the north pole where Santa Claus lives, but since it's already late and I type long descriptions it'll probably be Boxing Day when I'm done typing and post this. Kinda wanted to draw this formation since Issi was described earlier this year.

The Fleming Fjord Formation of east Greenland dates to around 222 to 202 million years ago in the late Triassic period and is one of the northernmost locations on earth where remains of non-avian dinosaurs have been found (it is even further north than Alaska's Prince Creek Formation). As is the norm for Triassic ecosystems, dinosaurs only made up a small part of this area's wildlife and a wide variety of other creatures are present, and currently only one species of dinosaur from this area has been officially named. While Triassic global temperatures were higher than they are now, the arctic circle (which this part of Greenland was already within) could still drop barely below 0°C during winter so it would still be quite chilly in colder months, possibly even snowing slightly in some years. The drawing shows a scene during a Triassic winter in the Fleming Fjord Formation with some of its known fossil fauna and northern lights (Aurora borealis) overhead. Animals in the picture are:

Issi saaneq: the large, long-necked dinosaur standing on its hind legs on the far shore of the stream. This dinosaur was a plateosaurid, a basal type of sauropodomorph related to the ancestors of the massive, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs. The remains of this animal have been known since 1991 and were long thought to be fossils of the related Plateosaurus from Triassic Europe, but further analysis have found it to belong in a seperate genus and species so a month ago in early November 2021 the dinosaur was given a new species name, Issi saaneq, meaning "cold bones". Growing 5 to 6 meters long, this dinosaur is the largest animals known from the Fleming Fjord Formation and would have been a bipedal herbivore like other plateosaurids. Issi is so far the only non-avian dinosaur from Greenland to be named, and is also the northernmost named non-avian dinosaur so far.

Aetosaurus ferratus: the rather small armored reptile on the far shore of the stream facing the right side of the drawing. This is a species of aetosaur, an extinct group of herbivorous reptiles distantly related to crocodiles with bony plates of osteoderms on the back for defence, making them resemble the ankylosaur dinosaurs. Growing around a meter long, this is a rather small species of aetosaur, with some other aetosaurs growing over 3 meters long. A. ferratus seems to have been a widespread animal, with remains also being found in Italy and Arizona, USA outside of Greenland.

Arcticodactylus cromptonellus: the two pterosaurs flying in the right half of the picture near the Aetosaurus. A basal species of pterosaur, it was originally assigned as a second species in the Eudimorphodon genus along with the Italian species, but is now placed in a seperate genus (still it would have been a close relative of Eudimorphodon). The only known specimen is of a tiny individual with a wingspan of just 24 centimeters, comparable in size to American robin, but this was a juvenile so the adults were likely larger.

Cyclotosaurus naraserluki: the large creature in the water with a smaller animal in its jaws. The genus Cyclotosaurus contains 7 or 8 species that lived during the Triassic period, mostly in Europe, but this species described in 2017 lived in Greenland. Cyclotosaurus were temnospondyl amphibians of the Mastodonsauridae family, and growing 3 to 4 meters long they were huge for amphibians. This giant amphibian was a carnivore that fed on large fish, other amphibians and maybe even smaller creatures drinking at the water's edge.

Gerrothorax pulcherrimus: the creature in the jaws of the Cyclotosaurus that is about to get eaten. Like the ankaml eating it, this was a temnospondyl amphibian, but this one belonged in the Plagiosauridae family and was only a meter long. Likely fully aquatic, it is thought to have breathed through internal gills like a fish and was an ambush predator that had on the riverbed waiting for prey (though this one became prey instead). Outside of Greenland, remains of thsi species have also been found across Europe and maybe even Thailand.

Proganochelys quenstedti: the turtle on the near shore of the stream around the bottom left corner. Also found in Germany and Thailand, this is the oldest known fully-shelled testudine (the group of reptiles including turtles and tortoises), and while once the oldest stem-turtle known we now have Odontochelys from Triassic China (but this Chinese animal didn't have a full shell). There has been some debate over if this meter-long stem-turtle was aquatic or not, perhaps it may have alternated between aquatic and terrestrial lifestyles. Unlike some modern turtles it couldn't retract all the way into its shell, partly due to the large spikes on its neck and tail getting in the way.

Kalaallitkigun jenkinsi: the furry, vaguely mouse-like animal lifting its tail upwards and facing the right side of the drawing, on a branch in the foreground in the bottom right. Described in 2020, this small mouse-like creature is a primitive mammaliaform related to true mammals, and belongs in the order Haramiyida. Known from a partial jaw, the teeth show this animal was either herbivorous or omnivorous.

Haramiyavia clemmenseni: the other furry critter on the branch in the foreground of the bottom right, facing the left and with its tail hung downwards. Like Kalaallitkigun: it was a Haramiyidan mammaliaform and was a small mouse-like critter, but its teeth suggests an insectivorous diet instead. Also, first Haramiyavia on DA!

And of course, merry late Christmas to yall.