New PNSO prehistoric animal announcements continue to come thick and fast as the Chinese manufacturer announces the introduction of a new Mamenchisaurus dinosaur model in their Scientific Art range. This new version of Er-ma the Mamenchisaurus is in 1:45 scale, although it is roughly the same size as the existing PNSO Scientific Art Mamenchisaurus which has a stated scale of 1:35.

A Sauropod with a Club Tail

This new PNSO Mamenchisaurus figure has been given a small defensive club on the end of its tail, reminiscent of Shunosaurus. There may be some debate as to whether this dinosaur possessed such a club, fused caudal vertebrae in at least one specimen does suggest that a tail club was present.

Several species of this Asian sauropod have been described, since the first taxon Mamenchisaurus constructus was named in 1954. In 2001, a well-preserved and nearly complete specimen assigned to the species M. hochuanensis was shown to have four fused vertebrae at the tip of its tail. These fused caudal vertebrae were not thought to have been caused by taphonomy and a pathological cause was discounted. It was proposed that these bones represented a defensive tail club or perhaps a tactile, sensory organ.

The new for 2021 PNSO Mamenchisaurus has been furnished with a tail club and in the release notes accompanying this figure’s announcement the model is described as representing M. hochuanensis.

Mamenchisaurus Model Measurements

This is the second, large Mamenchisaurus to be introduced by PNSO, after the original Er-ma figure in 1:35 scale that came into stock at Everything Dinosaur back in March 2019. Although, these two dinosaur models have different declared scales, they are approximately the same size. This can be explained by the fact that the figures have different postures and they represent different Mamenchisaurus species.

• The 2019 Er-ma the Mamenchisaurus (1:35 scale) measures 47.5 cm in length and has a head height of 15 cm. Everything Dinosaur team members have suggested that this figure represents M. constructus.
• The new for 2021 Er-ma the Mamenchisaurus (1:45 scale) measures 48 cm long and is 14 cm tall, it represents the species M. hochuanensis.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We welcome the new for 2021 PNSO Mamenchisaurus figure. We cannot confirm or deny at this stage whether the original Er-ma Mamenchisaurus model that has proved to be so popular with collectors, will be retired and withdrawn from production. The new for 2021 figure has a different declared scale, but since the models represent different species and the actual fully-grown size for these sauropods is not known, the declared scale for a figure of this type of dinosaur is somewhat irrelevant in our view.”

The Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur Models and Toys.

Due in Stock Later in the Year

The new PNSO Er-ma the Mamenchisaurus is due in stock at Everything Dinosaur later in the year (2021). Sending out such a huge model will prove challenging for the team. The box that this figure is supplied in measures 54 cm in length. This might require the UK-based company to commission a special cardboard box to permit these items to be sent out to customers safely.

To view the current range of PNSO prehistoric animal models available from Everything Dinosaur: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs.