The first shipment of Haolonggood dinosaur models is due to arrive at the Everything Dinosaur warehouse on Wednesday, 20th September (2023). A spokesperson from the UK-based mail order company explained that the shipment had cleared customs. Transport had been arranged to deliver the Haolonggood dinosaur models to Everything Dinosaur. The models should be on-line and available for sale, either late on the 20th or by early Thursday morning (21st).
The shipment of Haolonggood models has cleared UK customs and is scheduled to arrive at Everything Dinosaur’s warehouse on Wednesday, September 20th (2023). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
For information about Haolonggood dinosaur models and other prehistoric animal figures stocked by Everything Dinosaur: Email Everything Dinosaur.
Haolonggood Dinosaur Models
In total, there will be nineteen different Haolonggood dinosaur models delivered.
Here is the full list:
Dicraeosaurus (Yunmi).
Nasutoceratops (Huarong) and Nasutoceratops (Yanqing).
Ouranosaurus (Wuwei) and Ouranosaurus (Wuju).
Tianzhenosaurus (Shixiou) and Tianzhenosaurus (Yangxiong).
Pentaceratops (Lioutang) and Pentaceratops (Likui).
Apatosaurus (Shijing) and Apatosaurus (Huangxin).
Wuerhosaurus (Shiyong) and Wuerhosaurus (Jiaoting).
Pachyrhinosaurus (Ivfang) and Pachyrhinosaurus (Guosheng).
Edmontonia (Jiezhen) and Edmontonia (Jiebao).
Allosaurus (Yangzhi) and Allosaurus (Suochao).
The Haolonggood Allosaurus dinosaur models (Allosaurus Yangzhi and Suochao).
Haolonggood Allosaurus Figures
Haolonggood tend to create two colour variants of each prehistoric animal model that they manufacture. The picture (above) shows the new Haolonggood Allosaurus figures. The model on the left is Suochao, whilst the blue Allosaurus on the right of the image is Yangzhi. Both these Allosaurus models will be in stock at Everything Dinosaur.
The spokesperson commented that this was a substantial shipment and team members would do all they could to ensure the figures were available for sale on the company’s website as quickly as possible.
Everything Dinosaur has commissioned a Dicraeosaurus scale drawing to use in a fact sheet in anticipation of the arrival of the Haolonggood Dicraeosaurus model. The Haolonggood shipment is due to arrive at the company’s warehouse in a few days.
Everything Dinosaur has commissioned a Dicraeosaurus scale drawing to accompany the fact sheet being written in anticipation of the arrival of the Haolonggood Dicraeosaurus model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Dicraeosaurus Scale Drawing
The Haolonggood Dicraeosaurus sauropod model has a scale of 1:35. The figure measures a fraction under 36 cm long. It stands approximately 9.5 cm high.
Two species have been named. Both the type species Dicraeosaurus hansemanni and the potentially geologically younger D. sattleri are known from numerous skeletons, many of which are nearly complete. Dicraeosaurus had a short neck, and a relatively large head. The jaws were more robust than those of other diplodocids. It is likely that this sauropod fed on coarse plant material.
The green Haolonggood Dicraeosaurus dinosaur model.
Dicraeosaurus is regarded as one of the largest of the dicraeosaurid dinosaurs. Palaeontologists estimate that it grew to a length of around fifteen metres.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented that the team members were looking forward to the arrival of the Haolonggood models.
The spokesperson added:
“We expect the PNSO and Haolonggood shipments to arrive at our warehouse on the same day. It is likely that they will arrive next Wednesday [20th September]. We have made plans to ensure we can unpack the shipment rapidly and then get these sets of figures on-line quickly.We have also allocated some time that day to contact all those customers who wanted to be informed when the PNSO and Haolonggood figures arrived.”
Scientists have used complex statistical analysis to assess one of the most dramatic changes in the history of visible life on Earth. At the end of the Permian, during a mass extinction event there was a dramatic and extensive faunal turnover between brachiopods and bivalves.
One of the biggest crises in Earth’s history was marked by a revolution in the shellfish. Brachiopods, sometimes called “lamp shells”, as some genera superficially resembled Roman lamps, were replaced everywhere ecologically by the bivalves, such as clams, mussels and oysters. This happened as a result of the devastating end-Permian mass extinction which reset the evolution of life 250 million years ago.
Research conducted by palaeontologists based in Wuhan (China) and the University of Bristol, has shed new light on this crucial faunal turnover when ocean ecosystems changed, eventually taking on a more modern, familiar structure that still persists today.
Left, Devonian brachiopod fossils from Ohio, USA. Image by ‘Daderot’ (Wikimedia Commons; Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication). Right, recent bivalve shells from shell beach, western Australia. Picture credit Zhong-Qiang Chen.
Brachiopods and Bivalves
Life on land and in the sea is rich and forms particular ecosystems. In modern oceans, the seabed is dominated by animals such as bivalves, corals, gastropods, crustaceans, marine worms and fishes. These ecosystems all date back to the Triassic when life slowly recovered from the “Great Dying”. During that crisis, only one in twenty species survived, and there has been long debate about how the new ecosystems were constructed and why some groups survived, and others perished.
Brachiopods were the dominant shelled animals prior to the extinction. However, bivalves thrived afterwards, seemingly better adapting to their new conditions.
Lead author of the study published in “Nature Communications”, Zhen Guo commented:
“A classic case has been the replacement of brachiopods by bivalves. Palaeontologists used to say that the bivalves were better competitors and so beat the brachiopods somehow during this crisis time. There is no doubt that brachiopods were the major group of shelled animals before the extinction, and bivalves took over after.”
Statistical Bayesian Analysis
Co-author Joe Flannery-Sutherland added:
“We wanted to explore the interactions between brachiopods and bivalves through their long history and especially around the Permian-Triassic handover period. So, we decided to use a computational method called Bayesian analysis to calculate rates of origination, extinction, and fossil preservation, as well as testing whether the brachiopods and bivalves interacted with each other. For example, did the rise of bivalves cause the decline of brachiopods?”
The researchers found that in fact both groups shared similar trends in diversification dynamics right through the time of global crisis.
This suggests that these two groups were not really competing or preying on each other. It is more likely that these unrelated groups were responding to similar external drivers such as fluctuations in sea temperature, oxygen levels and acidity.
The bivalves eventually prevailed, and the brachiopods retreated to deeper waters, where they still occur, but in much reduced numbers.
Diversities of brachiopods and bivalves over the past 500 million years, showing the brachiopod-bivalve switch near the Permian-Triassic boundary. Picture credit: Zhen Guo et al.
Statistical Analysis to Resolve the Brachiopods and Bivalves Faunal Turnover Issue
Professor Zhong-Qiang Chen (China University of Geosciences, Wuhan) explained that it was very satisfying to see how modern computational techniques helped resolve a long-standing issue in palaeontology.
Professor Zhong-Qiang Chen stated:
“We always thought that the end-Permian mass extinction marked the end of the brachiopods and that was that. But it seems that both brachiopods and bivalves were hit hard by the crisis, and both recovered in the Triassic, but the bivalves could adapt better to high ocean temperatures. So, this gave them the edge, and after the Jurassic, they just rocketed in numbers, and the brachiopods didn’t do much.”
Fossils of over 330,000 brachiopods and bivalves were analysed in the course of this study. The Bristol University supercomputer took weeks to crunch all the numbers. The Bayesian analysis took into account all kinds of uncertainties and aspects of the data to provide an extremely detailed report on the evolutionary changes.
Diversities of brachiopods and bivalves through the time of the brachiopod-bivalve switch near the Permian-Triassic boundary. Picture credit: Zhen Guo et al.
Professor Michael Benton (University of Bristol) concluded:
“The end-Permian mass extinction was the biggest of all time, and it massively reset evolution. In fact the 50 million years after the crisis, the Triassic, marked a revolution in life on land and in the sea. Understanding just how life could come back from near-annihilation and then set the basis for modern ecosystems is one of the big questions in macroevolution. I’m sure we haven’t said the last word here though!”
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bristol in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Bayesian analyses indicate bivalves did not drive the downfall of brachiopods following the Permian-Triassic mass extinction” by Zhen Guo, Joseph T. Flannery-Sutherland, Michael J. Benton, and Zhong-Qiang Chen published in Nature Communications.
The discovery of a new species of horned dinosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana has been announced. The new dinosaur named Furcatoceratops elucidans has been assigned to the Nasutoceratopsini subfamily of the Centrosaurinae. This ceratopsian is known from a single, sub-adult specimen (holotype number NSM PV 24660). However, the nearly complete and three-dimensionally preserved bones have the potential to yield valuable data on early centrosaurines. The fossil material was first described in 2015, it was reputed to represent an Avaceratops.
A Furcatoceratops life reconstruction. The recently described (2023), ceratopsid Furcatoceratops elucidans shown in lateral view. Picture credit: Tim Bollinger.
Furcatoceratops elucidans
The disarticulated skeleton was collected from the upper Coal Ridge Member of the Judith River Formation. The fossil material is believed to around 75.6 million years old (Campanian faunal stage of the Late Cretaceous. Postcranial material recovered included a substantial proportion of the left side of the body, including a complete left front limb and parts of the pelvis. In addition, a significant amount of skull material was excavated.
Although the fossil specimen represents a sub-adult, researchers estimate that this herbivorous dinosaur probably reached a maximum length of around four metres. It may be possible to calculate an accurate assessment of bodyweight using circumference measurements of the left femur. Consequently, it may be possible to demonstrate that a fully grown adult Furcatoceratops would have weighed over five hundred kilograms.
A scale drawing showing the newly described centrosaurine Furcatoceratops elucidans. This horned dinosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana is thought to have been around four metres in length. Picture credit: Tim Bollinger.
A Significant Ceratopsid Fossil Discovery
The authors of the scientific paper conducted a phylogenetic assessment and concluded that F. elucidans was closely related to Nasutoceratops titusi from Utah and Avaceratops lammersi, which is also known from the Judith River Formation. Although Avaceratops lammersi was scientifically described in 1986, palaeontologists have remained uncertain with regards to classifying ceratopsid fossil material associated with other strata within the Coal Ridge Member.
The Furcatoceratops fossils will permit palaeontologists to study postcranial autapomorphies. Research on centrosaurines will be less reliant on skull fossil characteristics. Therefore, the Furcatoceratops holotype will likely be valuable for understanding previously neglected aspects of ceratopsian anatomy.
The genus translates as “forked horn face”, presumably a reference to the curved shape of the prominent brow horns. The species name comes from the Latin for “enlightening”, which reflects the significance of the holotype in terms of providing insights into ceratopsid anatomy and growth rates.
Scale Drawing and Illustration
Everything Dinosaur team members were composing a blog post about Furcatoceratops when an email was received from American artist Tim Bollinger. We checked out his DevianArt page: UnexpectedDinoLesson and discovered that he had drawn Furcatoceratops.
Tim stated:
“I love everything you are doing at Everything Dinosaur. I am a dinosaur enthusiast myself, and an aspiring palaeoartist I would love to be involved with Everything Dinosaur in any way possible.”
We explained that we get many requests such as this. However, in a bid to showcase his work, we asked and received permission to feature Tim’s illustration of Furcatoceratops in our blog post.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of artist Tim Bollinger in the compilation of this article.
Take a look at Tim Bollinger’s work under the moniker UnexpectedDinoLesson:
Instagram – @unexpecteddinolesson Facebook – @UnexpectedDinoLesson X (Twitter) – @Dino_Lesson YouTube – @unexpecteddinolesson (subscribe to the channel here: Unexpected Dinosaur On YouTube.
The scientific paper: “Furcatoceratops elucidans, a new centrosaurine (Ornithischia: Ceratopsidae) from the upper Campanian Judith River Formation, Montana, USA” by Hiroki Ishikawa, Takanobu Tsuihiji and Makoto Manabe published in Cretaceous Research.
Recently, Everything Dinosaur received a copy of “Carnian Street” the first novel by aspiring author David McGowen. The book focuses on the life of Emily, a college student in the gritty, run-down fictional Yorkshire city of Thewlington. Tired of the childish antics of her peers, Emily yearns for something better. She wants to explore, to travel and to experience what the world, present and past has to offer.
The author draws on his own experiences of having lived in Leeds, attended art college and having been born in Thailand to weave an intriguing storyline that traces Emily’s development away from her dysfunctional surroundings to that of a confident young woman.
The front cover of “Carnian Street” by David McGowen. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
“Carnian Street”
With a title referencing a stage within the Late Triassic, readers can expect plenty of prehistoric animal encounters. The author is a fan of dinosaurs, however, the Dinosauria does not dominate the dialogue. This said, Baryonyx and a pair of Eotyrannus do make an appearance along with other fauna associated with the Wealden Formation. Inspired by one of the many enigmatic characters in this intriguing book Emily attempts to draw a Stegosaurus. An encounter is described in which this famous armoured dinosaur looks on whilst a kebab is consumed.
Readers are transported back in time to explore ancient landscapes and marine environments. Megalodon features along with fearsome toothed birds. The author drawing on his own imagination to populate the prehistoric landscape with bizarre and colourful creatures.
Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon Encounters
The harsh and brutal life on the long submerged Doggerland habitat is highlighted. The struggles for existence of our ancestors documented in visceral detail. The novel is aimed at a mature audience. It deals with adult themes. Strong language is used throughout the book and some of the dialect can best be described as “earthy”. It is suitable for ages fifteen and over.
“Carnian Street” is an imaginative composition. We suspect that nothing quite like it has been placed on bookshelves for a long while.
Book Details – “Carnian Street”
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Published August 2023 | Price: £13.99/€15.95 | Pages: 405 6 plus| Paperback | ISBN: 9781398474031 Also available as an E-book.
Visit the website of Austin Macauley Publishers: Austin Macauley Publishers. Search on the website for “Carnian Street” to find the book.
Angiosperms are great survivors! Anyone having to remove dandelions and buttercups from their lawn or garden border will testify to this. However, a new study demonstrates that flowering plants are truly nature’s great survivors. The angiosperms came through the K-Pg extinction event relatively unscathed. This extinction event may even have assisted flowering plants as they became the dominant flora on our planet.
The study by researchers from the University of Bath in collaboration with colleagues from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) shows that flowering plants were not too badly affected by the extinction event that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs.
Plant diversity at a cenote (sinkhole) near the Chicxulub crater caused by the asteroid hit 66 million years ago. Picture credit: Jamie Thompson.
Mass Extinction Events
Scientists have detected evidence of five major extinction events during the Phanerozoic Eon. The most famous is the end-Cretaceous extinction event that saw the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs. An extra-terrestrial bolide impact may have contributed to the eradication of around 75% of all species. The impact on the angiosperms had not been explored until now.
Plant fossils are relatively rare compared to the body and trace fossils of animals. This makes it very difficult for palaeontologists to assess how genera might have been affected by extinction events.
If the fossil record is too poor and fragmentary to provide data, then an alternative method of analysis must be found. Dr Jamie Thompson of the Milner Centre for Evolution (University of Bath) and Dr Santiago Ramírez-Barahona of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México analysed evolutionary trees constructed from mutations in the DNA sequences of up to 73,000 living species of flowering plants. Using complex statistical methods, they fitted “birth-death” models to estimate the rates of extinction throughout deep geological time.
From the time of the dinosaurs, but flowering plants were relatively unscathed by the K-Pg extinction event.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Angiosperms Flourished After the Extinction Event
The fossil record suggests that the K-Pg event had a strong regional impact on flowering plant species extinctions. However, it only had a minor impact on the extinction rates of major lineages (families and orders). These lineages survived and flourished. Out of approximately 400,000 extant plant species, around 300,000 are angiosperms.
Molecular clock evidence suggests that the vast majority of angiosperm families around today existed before the end-Cretaceous event. Species including the ancestors of orchids, water lilies, magnolia and mint all shared Earth with the dinosaurs.
Commenting on the study, co-author Dr Jamie Thompson stated:
“After most of Earth’s species became extinct at K-Pg, angiosperms took the advantage, similar to the way in which mammals took over after the dinosaurs, and now pretty much all life on Earth depends on flowering plants ecologically.”
Angiosperms are Great Survivors – How?
Despite being unable to walk and relying on the sun for energy and food, how did the flowering plants become so successful?
Fellow author Dr Ramírez-Barahona explained:
“Flowering plants have a remarkable ability to adapt. They use a variety of seed-dispersal and pollination mechanisms, some have duplicated their entire genomes and others have evolved new ways to photosynthesise.”
The seeds of many angiosperms are also extremely robust and remain dormant for years until the right conditions occur to allow them to germinate.
The study is published in Biology Letters and the project was supported by benefactors Roger and Sue Whorrod.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bath in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “No phylogenetic evidence for angiosperm mass extinction at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K-Pg) boundary” by Jamie B. Thompson and Santiago Ramírez-Barahona published in Biology Letters (Royal Society Publishing).
The new for late 2023 PNSO Dayong the Yangchuanosaurus, a replica of a metriacanthosaurid theropod is coming into stock at Everything Dinosaur. The Yangchuanosaurus figure will be in stock in a few weeks. The Yangchuanosaurus is the latest theropod to be announced in PNSO’s mid-size model range.
The new for late 2023 Dayong the Yangchuanosaurus from PNSO. Yangchuanosaurus has been classified as a metriacanthosaurid theropod dinosaur.
PNSO Dayong the Yangchuanosaurus
Named and described in 1978 (Dong et al), Yangchuanosaurus was a member of the Allosauroidea superfamily. It was an apex predator, with some palaeontologists estimating that this dinosaur reached lengths in excess of ten metres. The new for 2023 Yangchuanosaurus is more sensibly proportioned. The model measures 22.5 cm in length.
The metriacanthosaurid theropod dinosaur model measures 22.5 cm long and stands 6.4 cm tall.
PNSO has already introduced models of Yangchuanosaurus. There is a small figure of Yangchuanosaurus, and it features in a 1:35 scale diorama with the stegosaur Chungkingosaurus. This is the first Yangchuanosaurus figure made by PNSO that has an articulated lower jaw.
The PNSO Yangchuanosaurus dinosaur model has an articulated jaw.
Yangchuanosaurus Accessories
The model is supplied with an A3-sized Sci-Art poster along with a fully illustrated, 64-page colour booklet. A QR code on the packaging links to a product video. Dayong the Yangchuanosaurus is also supplied with a transparent support stand.
The PNSO Yangchuanosaurus dinosaur figure is supplied with a full-colour, 64-page illustrated booklet, a Sci-Art poster and there is a QR code that links to a product video.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented that the Albertosaurus, Megalosaurus and Gorgosaurus PNSO figures were due into stock in a few days. The Yangchuanosaurus would be following in a second shipment along with another new PNSO figure.
A Wild Safari Prehistoric World Therizinosaurus is to be added to the range of prehistoric animal figures offered by Safari Ltd. An image of this new theropod dinosaur model has been included in documents sent to Everything Dinosaur. A spokesperson for the UK-based mail order company explained that the figure was likely to be in stock early in 2024.
The first official image of the soon to be introduced Wild Safari Prehistoric World Therizinosaurus dinosaur model.
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Therizinosaurus Model
Formally named and scientifically described in 1954 (Maleev), this dinosaur is famous for its huge hand claws. Size estimates vary, but some palaeontologists suggest Therizinosaurus could have reached a length of ten metres and stood around five metres tall. Fossils of Therizinosaurus cheloniformis are rare. This dinosaur’s body shape and size has been inferred by studying more complete specimens of smaller maniraptoran relatives such as Nanshiungosaurus and Erliansaurus.
Huge “scythe lizard”. A scale drawing of Therizinosaurus. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Model Measurements
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur stated that the model had a length of 16.8 cm (6.6 inches). It stood 16.4 centimetres high (6.4 inches tall).
The spokesperson also confirmed that the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Therizinosaurus dinosaur model was likely to be in stock at Everything Dinosaur early in 2024.
Everything Dinosaur has received a whopping 647 Feefo product reviews over the last few months. Feefo, the independent ratings agency records comments from customers and feedback on products. As well as receiving hundreds of comments about customer service, nearly 650 product reviews have been received.
Over the last few months Everything Dinosaur has received a colossal 647 feedback comments about products from customers. The average product rating from customers was an amazing 4.9 out of 5 stars. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Feefo Product Reviews
Feefo is one of the world’s largest verified buyer reviews platforms.
Feefo helps to empower businesses like Everything Dinosaur by collecting genuine, verified customer reviews and insights. This feedback provides visitors to our website with extra assurance and allows Everything Dinosaur to relate real customer purchasing experiences.
Over 93% of the product reviews received are 5-star reviews. An amazing 642 out of 647 product reviews from customers are either 4-star or 5-star (99.2%).
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We would like to thank all our reviewers who have submitted feedback to Feefo about us. The comments we have received help us to improve our business. Everything Dinosaur has received an amazing 647 reviews over the last few months. We are immensely proud to have earned such an astonishing number of 5-star reviews.”
Customer Service Reviews
In addition to the product reviews, Everything Dinosaur has received hundreds of customer service reviews. Of the 324 customer service reviews received over this period, 320 of them are 5-star reviews. The other four reviews are 4-star reviews.
With this level of independently verified customer reviews, Everything Dinosaur has one of the best business ratings for customer service in worldwide retail.
Our thanks to William who sent into Everything Dinosaur his review of the PNSO Requena the Livyatan prehistoric whale model. The reviewer commented that the PNSO model was impressive, a replica worthy of fighting the formidable Otodus megalodon.
A close-up view of the head of Requena the Livyatan.
William explained that the PNSO Livyatan was a superb model. He stated that in his opinion it would not be surpassed. It was wonderful to own a replica of one of the Earth’s greatest predators.
The reviewer commented:
“This is my first foray into the ancient Miocene oceans and I chose wisely with the ancient “Requena”. It is just perfection, in all aspects from the sculpt, to the colour, to the design. Everything Dinosaur delivers with their premier on-line global store.”
PNSO Requena the Livyatan prehistoric whale model anterior view.
A “Leviathan” of a Model
Pleased with his PNSO purchase William forgave the visible seams on this large figure and exclaimed:
“It is not a tiny figure, it’s a leviathan of a model!”
The reviewer concluded his comments by praising Everything Dinosaur. He complimented the UK-based mail order company for their efforts in bringing into stock the latest models and figures. He highlighted Everything Dinosaur’s work with Haolonggood of China and congratulated them on becoming official stockists.
William has purchased from Everything Dinosaur on many occasions. He highlighted how easy it was to make a purchase. In addition, he stressed how safe and secure purchasing was. He explained that customers receive an email with minutes of placing an order. Parcels are packed and despatched swiftly.
