GEO - Triumph of the Mammals
GEO - Triumph
of the Mammals
Cover story issue
“Triumph of the Mammals”
February 2025 | GEO magazine
Art direction Torsten Laaker
Editing Christian Gogolin
Dinosaurs and mammals shared
the Earth as their habitat
Fold-out chart showing the chronological classification of the ages and their creatures
How can you accurately depict something that no one has ever seen?
Scientists reconstruct the appearance of dinosaurs mainly by analyzing fossils (bones, fossilized skin impressions, feathers), comparative biology (comparison with modern animals such as birds and reptiles), and modern technologies (CT scans) to deduce muscles, fat, skin color, and internal structures, although a certain degree of interpretation always remains. These illustrations were created in close collaboration with the scientific editorial team at GEO.
Made by hand
Pencildrawings on paper based on the diaries of explorers
The evolutionary history of whales
Whales are mammals, yet they live in water.
Their ancestors walked on four legs and inhabited the land.
