On July 7th (2022), a new scientific paper providing a review of the Early Cretaceous Eotyrannus lengi was published. Everything Dinosaur helped to fund the publication of this research. The authors, Dr Darren Naish (School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton) and Andrea Cau (Parma, Italy) concluded that E. lengi was a valid tyrannosauroid taxon from the Barremian Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight.
In order to make a new study into the dinosaur Eotyrannus open access, so that everyone could view this research, the authors set up a GoFundMe campaign. Everything Dinosaur helped to fund this study. We are happy to support this excellent paper and we are helping to make such studies possible. Your purchases from Everything Dinosaur genuinely help science.
The publication costs of this manuscript were supported by a successful gofundme campaign (July 2018). The fund target was reached in less than 24-hours and Everything Dinosaur was happy to make a substantial contribution to ensure that this research could be published allowing free access.
Our congratulations to all the other funders, who helped make this possible.
We hope to produce an article on this excellent scientific paper in the very near future, after all, it sheds light on an amazing dinosaur dominated ecosystem. The researchers conclude that Eotyrannus was a mid-size predator with much larger megalosauroid or allosauroid apex predators present. There were certainly many different types of theropod in the environment including carcharodontosaurian allosauroids, baryonychine spinosaurids as well as probable compsognathids and members of the Maniraptora.
The scientific paper: “The osteology and affinities of Eotyrannus lengi, a tyrannosauroid theropod from the Wealden Supergroup of southern England” by Darren Naish and Andrea Cau published in PeerJ.
PNSO have announced that their next dinosaur model will be a sauropod. The PNSO Chuanchuan the Lingwulong dinosaur model will be in stock at Everything Dinosaur in just a few weeks.
PNSO Chuanchuan the Lingwulong
Named and described in 2018 (Xu et al), from numerous fossils representing several individuals collected from Yanan Formation deposits in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China, Lingwulong (L. shenqi), is the earliest known diplodocoid sauropod. Its discovery suggests that the Sauropoda dispersed and diversified much earlier than palaeontologists had previously thought. Lingwulong demonstrates that diplodocoids were present in eastern Asia and it is wonderful to see PNSO adding a model of such a significant Chinese dinosaur to their model range.
The PNSO Chuanchuan the Lingwulong model measures around 47.5 cm in length and has a head height of 13.5 cm. PNSO have not declared a scale for this dinosaur model, but this dinosaur is thought to have reached lengths in excess of 17 metres, perhaps as much as 20 metres. Based on these measurements, team members at Everything Dinosaur propose a scale of around 1:36 to 1:42.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We have known about Chuanchuan the Lingwulong dinosaur model for some time. It is already on the water and heading into the UK on our next shipment of PNSO models and figures. We are looking forward to receiving this sauropod figure, one of the largest models that PNSO have made for some time.”
Posters and Full-colour Booklet
Continuing the trend to add value to the figures that the company produces, Chuanchuan the Lingwulong will be supplied with a sci-art poster inspired by the work of the famous Chinese artist Zhao Chuang and a 64-page, full-colour booklet. A QR code, which once scanned, provides access to a short video that explains how the figure was created.
The PNSO Chuanchuan the Lingwulong dinosaur model is expected in stock at Everything Dinosaur in a few weeks. To view the current range of PNSO dinosaur and prehistoric animal models in stock at Everything Dinosaur: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Models and Figures.
A reviewer of dinosaur models praises Everything Dinosaur for their customer service and quality of products.
As part of two recent PNSO dinosaur reviews sent into Everything Dinosaur by model collector William. The reviewer praised Everything Dinosaur commenting that without Everything Dinosaur there would not be great model collections.
Dinosaur Fan Praises Everything Dinosaur
William emailed Everything Dinosaur and commented that for the legion of palaeo-figure collectors Everything Dinosaur is truly valued for all it does for model collectors and dinosaur fans especially during a challenging global pandemic.
He wrote:
“From searching the leading brands to all the tireless efforts to get the stock from suppliers to your warehouse to the front doors of customers. They offer a very good range for children as well as catering for the adult collector.”
Everything Dinosaur on YouTube, Blogs and Social Media Platforms
William added that he appreciated the time and effort that team members put in to making YouTube videos, as well as blogging about the latest dinosaur discoveries and new fossil finds.
When commenting on the delivery of orders, he added:
“The level and quality of packaging and the dedication to deliveries byyour company is what the big guys of the web and the high street should be aspiring to. Parcels are well protected, strong and secure with clear address labelling and the models are protected with plenty of bubble wrap.”
A Great Range of Delivery Options
The customer commented that Everything Dinosaur offers a great range of delivery options all of them are fairly priced, with many parcels being delivered within 24-hours.
Our work in helping to educate the next generation of palaeontologists was also praised and William commented: “Who knows, one day we could see a new Mikeceratops or a Sueposeidonsaurus all due to your primary school visits.”
Our thanks to William for his most generous and kind words.
A new giant, Late Cretaceous predatory dinosaur has been named based on fossils found in Argentina. The dinosaur, assigned to the Carcharodontosauridae has been named Meraxes gigas and its fossilised remains represent the most complete carcharodontosaurid specimen found to date in the Southern Hemisphere.
The giant, South American predatory dinosaur Giganotosaurus which featured in the latest instalment of the “Jurassic Park/Jurassic World” movie franchise is just one of a poorly known group of theropod dinosaurs that were the apex predators in many terrestrial environments during the Cretaceous. Although, most dinosaur fans can name many carcharodontosaurids, these meat-eaters remain enigmatic and most genera have been described based on fragmentary remains. All that has changed with the publication of a scientific paper describing Meraxes gigas from the Upper Cretaceous Huincul Formation of northern Patagonia (Argentina).
A Giant Predator with Short Arms
Writing in the scientific journal “Current Biology” the researchers who include Juan Canale (Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Argentina), suggest that M. gigas was around eleven metres long and weighed around four tonnes (estimated 4.26 tonnes). The skull bones, which represent one of the most complete large theropod skulls ever found, indicate a skull length of 1.27 metres, but its arms were disproportionately small. Like other Cretaceous apex predators, the tyrannosaurs and the abelisaurids, this dinosaur had very short arms. Arms so short that they could not reach its own mouth.
Lead author Juan Canale commented:
“I’m convinced that those proportionally tiny arms had some sort of function. The skeleton shows large muscle insertions and fully developed pectoral girdles, so the arm had strong muscles. They may have used the arms for reproductive behaviour such as holding the female during mating or support themselves to stand back up after a break or a fall.”
The fossils found in Huincul Formation exposures (late Cenomanian to Turonian) in Las Campanas Canyon some 14 miles southwest of Villa El Chocón, (Neuquén Province, Argentina), also include an almost complete right arm (j, in the image above). This limb, one of the most complete of any derived carcharodontosaurid described to date, is comparatively short and provides evidence to support the idea that many carcharodontosaurids had reduced forelimbs similar to those observed in abelisaurids such as Carnotaurus and most famously in Tyrannosaurus rex.
The researchers propose that forelimb reduction among three lineages of large-bodied predators is an example of convergent evolution, whereby not closely related organisms evolve the same traits. The fossils of Meraxes gigas show a remarkable degree of parallelism between latest-diverging tyrannosaurids and carcharodontosaurids.
Helping to Define the Size of Giganotosaurus (G. carolinii)
Meraxes has the most complete cranium of any Carcharodontosaurinae, with a total skull length estimated at 1.27 metres which is comparable to the most complete specimen of Acrocanthosaurus (A. atokensis) with a skull size of 1.23 metres. Giganotosaurus has the next most complete skull among carcharodontosaurids, but it is missing part of the maxilla and several other bones, so estimating its total length has been problematical. Although the head of Meraxes was not as wide as the head of Giganotosaurus, the cranium of Meraxes is sufficiently similar to G. carolinii to permit an estimate for the length of the Giganotosaurus skull to be made. Based on this comparison, the skull of the largest Giganotosaurus specimen would have been around 1.62 metres long, making it one of the longest theropod skulls known to science.
The discovery of yet another super-sized carcharodontosaurid from Argentina demonstrates the high diversity of these theropods shortly before their extinction. Parallels can be drawn between the diversity of South American carcharodontosaurids and tyrannosaurs known from the Campanian faunal stage in western North America.
There are no reliable records of carcharodontosaurids in South America beyond the end of the Turonian stage of the Late Cretaceous, this great clade of theropods are believed to have become extinct around 90 million years ago.
The genus name (Meraxes) is named after a female dragon from the Song of Ice and Fire series of books by George R. R. Martin, upon which the hugely successful television series “Game of Thrones” was based. The species name (gigas) comes from the Greek meaning giant.
The scientific paper: “New giant carnivorous dinosaur reveals convergent evolutionary trends in theropod arm reduction” by Juan I. Canale, Sebastián Apesteguía, Pablo A. Gallina, Jonathan Mitchell, Nathan D. Smith, Thomas M. Cullen, Akiko Shinya, Alejandro Haluza, Federico A. Gianechini and Peter J. Makovicky published in Current Biology.
Our thanks to dinosaur model collector William who sent into Everything Dinosaur his detailed review of the PNSO Sinraptor dinosaur model. In his comprehensive review, William states that Sinraptor is one of the more obscure members of the Metriacanthosauridae family, although the exact phylogeny of this theropod has yet to be resolved.
A Clear Winner
Describing Xinchuan as a “clear winner”, William comments that there are so many traits and characteristics of the figure to admire including the pugnacious, robust head. PNSO have depicted Sinraptor as a “do or die type of theropod, ready to hunt or as easily plunder a kill”.
Beginning with the head, William describes it commenting on the very fine skin texturing and smooth appearance of the skull, with no shrink wrapping of the model detected. The perfect eye orbits and subtle ear apertures are praised.
The lacrimal crests progress upwards from above the nostrils high over the eye sockets before tapering off just behind the orbits. The fully articulated jaw with no lips is highlighted. The opening and closing of the jaw is described as having a smooth, fluid action. William praises the design team behind this dinosaur figure.
Reviewing the Body of the Figure
A deep keel bone is the anchor point of a powerful rib cage which can be seen just under the skin and William suggests the thigh muscles on this figure look even more powerful than the recently introduced PNSO Allosaurus model. He also reports that the replica has an accurate and detailed cloaca.
The tail is described as being a little shorter than expected, but the length could be deceptive as it bends.
William adds:
“It is truly a pleasure to add this bruiser to my collection.”
William highlights the robust forelimbs and comments that they are longer than those of the PNSO Allosaurus figure and give the impression of great strength and power.
Colour and Texture
The colour scheme is described as being not just a pink and grey object but a highly painted figure with subtle mixtures of rosy pinks and elephantine greys. The colouration of the underside of the model is praised, as are the details depicted around the eyes. William comments that the stained and discoloured teeth are great and states:
“Such a nicely executed colour scheme plus superb skin sculpture.”
QR code with a link to a short, informative video.
Sinraptor Facts and Figures
As in previous reviews of prehistoric animal models by William, he provides some information on Sinraptor, choosing to focus on the second species named in this genus S. hepingensis. Sinraptor hepingensis was erected in 1992, based on fossils formerly ascribed to Yangchuanosaurus, some palaeontologists have challenged the validity of this taxon.
Time Period: Temporal range: Middle Jurassic (169-142 million years ago). Location: North-western China.
William also commented on the second Sinraptor species to be erected stating that a second species was named in 1992 (Gao). Originally named Yangchuanosaurus hepingensis this specimen was later reclassified as Sinraptor hepingensis. The holotype Sinraptor hepingensis fossil is now on public exhibit in Zigong, China at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Sichuan Provence.
In completing his PNSO Xinchuan Sinraptor review William described the palaeoenvironment, stating that Sinraptor lived in a dinosaur dominated sub-tropical environment.
Our thanks to William for sending into Everything Dinosaur his PNSO Sinraptor review.
To view the range of PNSO models and figures in stock at Everything Dinosaur: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs.
Scientists propose that cold snaps killed off the competitors of the dinosaurs and pterosaurs at the end of the Triassic opening the door for a dinosaur dominated Jurassic. The researchers propose that dinosaurs and pterosaurs with their integumentary coverings including primitive feathers, were insulated from the cold, whereas many other types of reptile co-existing with them just had scales. It was the body coverings that permitted the Dinosauria and the Pterosauria to thrive in cold conditions, whereas many of the other reptiles became extinct.
Ice-rafted Debris Discovered in Lakebed Deposits
The research team which included Paul Olsen, lead author of the study (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University), examined sandstone and siltstone formations formed in lakebeds in China’s Junggar Basin. These deposits are Upper Triassic in age and at this time this part of China had a palaeolatitude of around 71 degrees north. It was well above the Arctic Circle. Footprints found by the researchers indicate the presence of dinosaurs. In addition, the lake sediments contained abundant small pebbles, and it was concluded that these pebbles represent ice-rafted debris deposits.
The Small Pebbles are Significant
The numerous small pebbles found amongst the fine siltstones and sandstones were probably deposited by melting blocks of ice. The research team, who included scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, suggest that in the winter when the lake waters froze over, pebbles were picked up by the ice from the rocky lake shores. As the warm weather returned, the ice sheets would melt and chunks of ice would float away over the lake, gradually melting and as they did, they would drop the pebbles and other material.
Survival of the Fluffiest
The ice-rafted debris suggest freezing winters endured by dinosaurs. Around 201.6 million years ago, extensive volcanism which ejected millions of tonnes of debris into the Earth’s atmosphere lowered light levels and led to global climate change. Our planet endured a prolonged period of cold.
The cold decimated all medium-to large-sized non-dinosaurian, non-insulated continental reptiles. As they were adapted to cold climates, the Dinosauria and their cousins the Pterosauria were well placed to dominate terrestrial habitats as world temperatures plummeted.
Cold Climate
Lead author of the study Paul Olsen commented:
“They were [dinosaurs and pterosaurs] fundamentally cold-adapted animals. When it got cold everywhere, they were ready, and other animals were not.”
The scientific paper: “Arctic ice and the ecological rise of the dinosaurs” by Paul Olsen, Jingeng Sha, Yanan Fang, Clara Chang, Jessica H. Whiteside, Sean Kinney, Hans-Dieter Sues, Dennis Kent, Morgan Schaller and Vivi Vajda published in Science Advances.
Our thanks to dinosaur fan and model collector Nick from Greece, who is so excited about the forthcoming Beasts of the Mesozoic tyrannosaur series that he sent in an illustration of Gorgosaurus inspired by one of the models.
Beasts of the Mesozoic Tyrannosaurs
The tyrannosaur series is the third line of articulated prehistoric animal models, following the highly successful “raptors” and the ceratopsians. A total of twenty-four replicas of dinosaurs from within the Tyrannosauroidea superfamily will be featured, including a Gorgosaurus, which inspired Nick’s superb illustration.
Beasts of the Mesozoic Gorgosaurus libratus
The Beasts of the Mesozoic Gorgosaurus libratus figure will have twenty-two points of articulation and it will measure around 50 cm in length (1:18 scale model). The Gorgosaurus model is part of wave three of this series and it is expected to be introduced around quarter three of 2023.
In his email to Everything Dinosaur, the artist wrote:
“I am very grateful for your services, without your dedicated work it would be too difficult and expensive for us to purchase many of the dinosaur figures that you’re retailing. In my case the Beasts of the Mesozoic line. I am sending you this illustration as a gift for your contribution to our joyful hobby! It’s an illustration I’ve done last November (for the Dinovember art challenge) and it is inspired by the upcoming Beasts of the Mesozoic Gorgosaurus figure. I hope you like it!”
Responding to Customer’s Requests
We do our best to respond to all our customer’s requests, questions and queries. Building up a relationship with your customer base is very important. Sometimes we get sent little gifts in appreciation of our efforts. Our thanks to Nick from Greece who sent us a wonderful dinosaur (Gorgosaurus libratus) illustration he had created.
Glad to know we are doing something right in these tough times.
To view the range of Beasts of the Mesozoic figures in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Beasts of the Mesozoic.
The limited-edition Rebor Smilodon populator in the Year of the Tiger colouration has arrived at Everything Dinosaur and is now in stock. Following the success of earlier versions “Ice Age” and “Plain”, Rebor decided to produce a special edition figure in honour of the Chinese Year of the Tiger.
A Sabre-toothed Tiger?
Most palaeontologists doubt whether Smilodon had a striped coat like extant tigers. Although a member of the Felidae (cat) family, the Smilodon genus was not closely related to modern big cats such as lions and tigers. It was not a creature of jungles and dense forests, but mostly associated with much more open habitats. However, as the Chinese lunar calendar celebrates the Year of the Tiger, the design team at Rebor decided to create a limited-edition Smilodon populator replica.
A Single Production Run
As team members at Everything Dinosaur understand the situation, Rebor only intend to have a single production run for these 1:11 scale models.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“The Smilodon populator figures have proved to be extremely popular and we suspect that this limited-edition figure will also prove to be an enormous success. We have spent the last few hours contacting all those customers who wanted to be informed when this new model arrived.”
The Eye of the Tiger
The new Rebor model is beautifully painted and comes complete with two heads, one with a closed mouth and one with the mouth open. Collectors have the choice to display their model with either the mouth open or closed.
The Smilodon populator replica measures just under twenty-seven cm in length and stands a little over 13 cm tall.
Rebor Smilodon populator Stray Cat Year of the Tiger
Scientists have described a new genus of robust kangaroo from fossils found in late Pleistocene deposits in Papua New Guinea. Analysis suggests that it was not closely related to kangaroos found today in Australia.
Protemnodon nombe
Researchers from Flinders University examined two partial dentaries (lower jaw bones) that had been previously assigned to the Protemnodon genus and named P. nombe. They identified unique characteristics in the teeth and the shape of the bones that led them to conclude that the fossils were sufficiently different from other Protemnodon material to be assigned their own genus. The ancient kangaroo has been named Nombe nombe honouring the Nombe Rockshelter where the fossils were discovered.
A New Guinea/Australia Land Bridge
During the Miocene Epoch, around 5-8 million years ago, lower global sea levels permitted a land bridge between Australia and Papua New Guinea to form. This led to a faunal interchange between the two regions. An ancient form of Australian kangaroo migrated northwards and entered the territory now known as Papua New Guinea. When sea levels rose and the Torres Strait was formed, these ancient kangaroos were able to evolve in isolation away from their Australian ancestors.
A Robust Kangaroo
Co-author of the scientific paper published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, PhD student Isaac Kerr commented:
“The New Guinean fauna is fascinating, but very few Australians have much of an idea of what’s actually there.”
Co-author of the paper, Professor Gavin Prideaux (Flinders University), explained that excavations at the Nombe Rockshelter and elsewhere in central Papua New Guinea are providing palaeontologists with evidence of a unique ecosystem on the island, a biota dominated by prehistoric marsupials that were adapted to their mountainous, tropical environment. Flinders University hopes to be able to undertake more extensive fieldwork over the next three years and they are confident that these excavations will unearth new species.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from Flinders University in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “A new genus of fossil kangaroo from late Pleistocene New Guinea” by Isaac A. R. Kerr and Gavin J. Prideaux published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia.
We got sent a copy of the amazing “Travels with Trilobites” by world-renowned expert on the Trilobita Andy Secher. What a fantastic book! Trilobites are regarded by many scientists as being one of the most successful animals to have ever existed and their fossils are absolutely fascinating as well as stunningly beautiful. We can’t wait to read and then review this superbly illustrated guide to all things Trilobita!
Published by Columbia University Press
Published by Columbia University Press the book includes forewards by Mark Norell, Kirk Johnson and Niles Eldredge. There are over 25,000 described species of trilobites and although entirely marine (as far as we know), they evolved into a myriad of forms. Many of the beautiful, full-colour photographs in the book show fossils from the author’s own extensive collection.
Andy Secher is a field associate in palaeontology at the prestigious American Museum of Natural History (New York). His own private collection comprises more than 4,000 trilobite specimens. The book provides the opportunity to explore one of the most enigmatic marine creatures of the Palaeozoic Era.
Team members at Everything Dinosaur are going to enjoy reading and then reviewing this wonderful book.
To purchase “Travels with Trilobites” by Andy Secher, visit the Columbia University Press website and search for Andy Secher: Visit Columbia University Website.