Puercan Wetland Ecosystem
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2019

This mural was created for the Denver Museum of Nature & Science as a reconstruction of a Puercan-age ecosystem from the early Paleocene of North America, only a few million years after the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs. The scene depicts a tannin-stained oxbow channel bordered by white sandy banks and dense subtropical vegetation representative of the recovering post-extinction landscape.

The reconstruction highlights some of the largest and most specialized herbivorous mammals of the time and their relationship with early seed-producing plants, particularly legumes. A Taeniolabis feeds on legume pods along the riverbank, while the carnivorous mammal Eoconodon forages among large palm seeds washed ashore at the water’s edge. The flora includes fossil legumes, early members of the walnut and buckthorn families, abundant ferns growing on the forest floor and tree trunks, palms, and towering sycamore trees.

Developed in close collaboration with museum scientists, the mural combines paleontological evidence with observations from modern wetland environments to recreate the ecology, vegetation, and atmosphere of an ancient riverine habitat. The artwork formed a part of the museum’s exhibition.