CollectA Kosmoceratops Dinosaur Model Reviewed

Over the last three years or so there have been a number of remarkable horned dinosaur discoveries, many which have been found in the United States.  Dinosaur model manufacturers are beginning to catch up with the palaeontologists, producing replicas of the newly discovered dinosaurs.  CollectA have recently added a number of  new horned dinosaur models to their product range, one of which is a new model of the recently discovered ceratopsian known as Kosmoceratops.

The CollectA Kosmoceratops Dinosaur Model

A new horned dinosaur model from CollectA.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

CollectA Kosmoceratops Dinosaur Model

The Kosmoceratops dinosaur model is painted mostly green and is a member of the Chasmosaurinae group of horned dinosaurs, although it is certainly not a typical member of the Chasmosaurinae.  Kosmoceratops (K. richardsoni) named after Scott Richardson, an amateur fossil collector who was helping to survey the area  when this dinosaur’s fossils were found, was formally named and described in 2010.  Fossils of this dinosaur have been found in the state of Utah (USA).  The discovery of Kosmoceratops  has helped scientists to establish two distinct Late Cretaceous dinosaur faunas on the landmass that formed part of western North America.

Painted a striking green the Kosmoceratops is certainly an eye-catching replica.  This is highly appropriate as although the neck frill and the skull is much smaller than when compared to another recently discovered horned dinosaur from Utah, Utahceratops, this dinosaur had one of the most ornate and highly decorated skulls and neck frills known to science.  Palaeontologists have estimated that there were at least fifteen horns or horn-like structures adorning Kosmoceratops.  Each of these lumps and bumps is painted an attention-grabbing, bright red and the large brow horns project sideways,  just like the horns of Utahceratops.  Why the brow horns on these two ceratopsians pointed out sideways remains a mystery.  They would not have been much use to repel a frontal attack from a large predator such as a tyrannosaur, perhaps the brow horns were used in fights amongst herd members to establish herd  hierarchies.

Palaeontologists have suggested that the brow horns and their sideways projection is reminiscent of extant buffalo who use their horns in wrestling contests with fellow herd members.  Perhaps Kosmoceratops locked horns with rivals in a similar fashion to help settle disputes within the herd.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s extensive range of dinosaur models: CollectA Horned Dinosaur Models and Replicas.

CollectA have built a good reputation amongst dinosaur model collectors for the quality of their dinosaur replicas.  It is also interesting to note that this company is prepared to produce models of lesser known dinosaurs such as Kosmoceratops and this is to be welcomed by dinosaur model collectors and dinosaur enthusiasts.  It certainly is an interesting addition to the range of CollectA dinosaurs.

The CollectA Miragaia Dinosaur Model Reviewed

Team members at Everything Dinosaur provide a review of the CollectA Miragaia dinosaur model.

Fossils of European stegosaurs are very rare.  What fossil material that has been excavated provides evidence of a number of stegosaur genera from the Jurassic, but most of the specimens are incomplete and highly fragmented.  Little is known about the evolution of  the Thyreophora (armoured dinosaurs) in Europe.  However, over the last few years a number of better preserved and more complete stegosaur fossils have been discovered in western Portugal.  One of these recent fossil discoveries, that of a dinosaur that came to be known as Miragaia has inspired CollectA to make a replica of this armoured dinosaur.

CollectA Miragaia Dinosaur Model

In contrast to most other European stegosaur remains, much of the front part of the skeleton of this Late Jurassic stegosaur is known.  Paleontologists have excavated at least two specimens, one adult, one sub-adult from the same dig site in Upper Jurassic strata attributed to the Lourinhã Formation of western Portugal.  Elements of the skull have been discovered and from this scientists have been able to reconstruct this dinosaur.  CollectA, the dinosaur model makers, have used the scientific data to produce a colourful, not-to-scale dinosaur model of this Portuguese herbivore.

The New CollectA Miragaia Dinosaur Model

A European stegosaur – Miragaia.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Skull material includes the premaxilla, maxilla and the naris post elements that comprise the back of the skull.  Post cranial material comprises of shoulder bones, most of the front legs, neck bones and a number of armoured plates.  Miragaia seems to have had a remarkably long neck for a stegosaur.  It had an estimated fifteen cervical vertebrae (neck bones), more than long-necked sauropods such as Diplodocus and Apatosaurus.

The Miragaia Model

The Miragaia model from CollectA shows this long neck in fine detail. In fact the head and the neck make up about twenty-five percent of the length of the entire model.  Scientists have debated how flexible the neck of Miragaia was, ironically the plastic compound used to make this replica has left the model with a rather bendy neck, but this does not detract from the overall quality of the model.

The head is narrow and the front legs are smaller than the hind legs, a trait seen in most other stegosaur genera. The model has been painted light brown, with a red flash on the throat pouch. The armour plating and the tail spikes are painted in a dark green colour, mimicking the colouration of the top of the spine and down to the tail.  The model has two shoulder spikes, these are large, more than two centimetres in length and painted bright red.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s model range,  including Miragaia: CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Prehistoric Life Models.

The Miragaia dinosaur model has been given a rough skin texture, to give the impression that this dinosaur had large scales, with some dermal armour embedded along the flanks.  Scientists are not sure what the tail of this dinosaur was like.  There have been no fossils of the back-end of Miragaia found.  The model makers at CollectA have given their replica a row of spines running back from over the hips to the tip of the tail.

The model’s overall length is nineteen centimetres approximately and it is a welcome addition to the CollectA model range, one that will no doubt delight fans of stegosaurs.