This work examines paleoart as an intersection between the visual arts and paleontology, dedicated to reconstructing extinct organisms and ecosystems from fossil evidence. Paleoart is not mere illustration, but epistemic mediation: it translates anatomical, functional, and paleoenvironmental hypotheses into assessable representations, making explicit the choices, gaps, and levels of inference that condition scientific interpretation. In dialogue with the Educational Psychogenetics of Fr. Joaquim Ferreira Xavier Júnior, SJR, reconstruction is conceived as a practice of symbolization and perspective coordination, useful for thinking about inquiry-based teaching and the formation of the scientific gaze. Methodologically, a four-layer workflow is outlined: (1) an inventory of evidence and constraints; (2) an inference matrix with premises and alternatives; (3) iterative artistic production with review; and (4) didactic transposition carried out by the authors, who build, on dissected boards, a representation of Paraphysornis brasiliensis, articulating classical and digital art to model organs, musculature, skin, and feathers. By documenting each reconstructive decision, the study reduces the risk of visual anachronisms and copy effects across media, offering a replicable standard for research, museums, and teaching materials.

Authors:
Waldir Moura, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Lívia Dinis Rodrigues, UNINTER, Brazil
Edgar Delbem, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

About the Presenter(s)
Waldir Siqueira Moura is an assistant research professor at the Resurrection VespeR Research and Education Entity. His interests include educational technologies and Digital Humanities. He is currently researching gamification in complex systems.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/waldir-moura-96572177/

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