I want to thank everyone who gave me their input on dragon biology. I have finished a rough draft "Dracomorpha" cladogram, including lineages based on all the major dragons in historical mythology (Asian lungs, wyverns and even wyrms among others; even clades based on specific dragons such as Jormungandr and the Leviathan). My cladogram is very diverse and links seemingly unrelated animals together very strategically... I think it's pretty clever, anyway. I should note that I ultimately decided to exclude six-limbed dragons. It was too much to hassle with, the best theory I got was that an extra set of limbs could have developed from modified ribs... But that was far too contrived, I felt, despite it being the best option I saw. So fire-breathing? I can work with that. Magically flying Asian lungs? I've got that covered. But six-limbed dragons? That's a little more imagination than I can handle.

I also have an announcement to make, I will be transferring myself to a separate deviantART account eventually. I already have it set up. I'm going to start fresh. I will continue to use this account for personal use, as I am +Watching several Deviants and my Favorites collection would be difficult to replicate. But I want to move my publicity to said new account. This is a forewarning, I'm not moving today, this week or probably anytime this month. But I want to let you all know ahead of time so that my official move won't catch you by surprise. So in the next few months be on the lookout for a second announcement publicizing my new account.
Why am I moving? For two reasons. First, occasionally everyone wants to reinstate themselves anew. For approximately three years I have operated under this account, DeinonychusEmpire, and have earned a considerable following from the community. But I've decided this account is getting cluttered. So being the lazy-ass I am, rather than concerning myself with uncluttering this account, I'm shrugging it aside and giving myself a clean slate. On my new account, I will be showcasing mainly paleoart, however other projects, such as my Dracomorpha project, will be featured there as well. Don't expect any more updates from this account, please.
The second reason is that, as I am a paleontological enthusiast, I am always striving to contribute my own efforts to the paleontological community whilst developing my artistic ingenuity. I am reintroducing myself with a new account to say, "This is the new professional me!" I may re-upload some Deviations from my this account to display on my new one, but being a perfectionist and a progressionist I believe that any subject I've illustrated before I can reproduce better thereafter. So I may decide to re-draw my previous works as I feel the need to. I've decided to approach paleoart more eccentrically than I previously have. Rather than illustrating individual prehistoric fauna as the inspiration strikes me, I intend to engage intervals of entire geological formations. Paleontological ecosystems have latterly interested me; I have lately become fascinated by what extinct organisms coexisted, and how they interacted, with each other, rather than the individual organisms themselves; which almost seem as portions of a larger whole. Every organism in their respective ecosystems is like a body organ. The heart, the lungs, the skin... Every healthy body needs a symbiotic relationship within itself wherein the individual function of the organs can coexist and sustain that body. Likewise a healthy ecosystem, where organisms must coexist in balanced function to sustain the environment nature has adapted them to survive in so intricately. Nature is complex, powerful, but also delicate. And I aim to represent her delicacy through my paleoart, as I believe extinct fauna are outstanding examples of delicacy: once living organisms now extinct on this Earth forever because of more often than not subtle changes in the environment that altered the ecosystems they were essential to. Dinosaurs, among other prehistoric creatures, exemplify that while humanity can not control nature and therefor cannot preserve every environment (as some changes are beyond our control), we must dedicate our souls to do the best we can, even if that be by simply not destroying them in the first place.

It is a noble gesture, I believe. And an equally noble reason to give myself a clean slate.

-Rick Charles