All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
About Mike
Mike runs Everything Dinosaur, a UK-based mail order company specialising in the sale of dinosaur and prehistoric animal models, He works alongside Sue, and between them they have become the "go to guys" for museum quality prehistoric animal models and figures. An avid fossil collector and reader of dinosaur books, Mike researchers and writes articles about palaeontology, fossil discoveries, research and of course, dinosaur and prehistoric animal models.
The stunning Rebor Tyrannosaurus rex “Kiss” Mountain figure is back in stock at Everything Dinosaur. Team members have been able to bring in more stock of this popular tyrannosaur in time for the festive season.
The Rebor Kiss T. rex figure (Mountain), this tyrannosaur model has been given lips. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
The Rebor Tyrannosaurus rex has been beautifully painted, and the figure has been given lips. The debate about lips in the Dinosauria is on-going. Many palaeontologists believe that dinosaurs did indeed have lips.
To read an article from earlier this year (2023) about lips in the Tyrannosauridae: Tyrannosaurus rex Had Lips.
The spectacular Rebor Tyrannosaurus rex “Kiss” in the mountain colour variant measures approximately 40.5 cm long and that magnificent head stands around 14 cm high. The model is in an approximate scale of 1:35.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“It is wonderful to see this popular Rebor figure back in stock. We have been busy contacting customers who wanted to be notified when this replica arrived. The Tyrannosaurus rex figure has an articulated jaw, poseable arms and a flexible tail. It is a clever piece of dinosaur design.”
Delegates at COP28 continue their discussions on how to limit and make preparations for future climate change. These discussions, their success or failure will have consequences for all of humanity. Decisions made today will have implications for all future generations too. The publication of a new book that documents the history of our planet’s climate and its connection to life on Earth provides context and delivers a fresh perspective.
“The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries” is written by Donald R. Prothero. He is an incredibly talented American palaeontologist and geologist with a gift for communication. As adjunct professor of geological sciences at California State Polytechnic University (Pomona, California), the author is well qualified to explain the intimate connection between climate and life on Earth. However, unlike many scientists, Donald R. Prothero’s engaging writing style permits the general reader to understand and grasp sometimes difficult concepts.
The story of our planet’s climate in twenty-five discoveries by Donald R. Prothero.
Picture credit: Columbia University Press
Climate Change from a Deep Time Perspective
Our planet has undergone radical climate change throughout its history. Climate has changed dramatically from a “Snowball Earth” that led to a mass extinction event to sweltering jungles that stretched across the globe. Over deep geological time, climate has shaped the evolution of life on our planet. Furthermore, living organisms have shaped the Earth’s climate. We are not the first inhabitants to dramatically influence our planet’s climate. This new book documents these changes. It highlights how our climate has never changed so radically as it is changing now.
“The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries”
“The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries” takes the reader on a journey through Earth’s history. In this highly entertaining book, the author addresses questions such as Why do we have phytoplankton to thank for the air we breathe? What kind of climate was necessary for the rise of the dinosaurs, or the mammals, their successors? When and how have climatic changes caused mass extinctions?
Team members at Everything Dinosaur have enjoyed reading other books written by Donald R. Prothero. For example, we reviewed “The Story of the Dinosaurs in 25 Discoveries”.
The author concludes this most informative publication with an examination of the Ice Ages and the Holocene Epoch. Our role in climate change is outlined and the perils we now face are explained.
Understanding why the climate has changed in the past, this timely book shows, is essential to grasping the gravity of how radically human activity is altering the climate today.
The Book Details
The Book: “The Story of Earth’s Climate in 25 Discoveries”
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published February 2024 | Price: £32.00/$38.00 USD (hardback) | Pages: 472
ISBN: 9780231203586
Visit the website of Columbia University Press: Columbia University Press. Search on the website for the author or title to find the book.
Many prehistoric animal models are photographed in lateral view. Everything Dinosaur explains the differences between right and left lateral views. It can be a little confusing for model collectors when photographs of a new prehistoric animal figure are released. Often the images include lateral views, these are images of the figure seen from the side.
The new for 2023 PNSO Megalosaurus dinosaur model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The image (above) shows a view of the recently introduced PNSO Edward the Megalosaurus dinosaur model. The left side of the model can be seen. This photograph shows the left lateral view of the figure. That is, in a left lateral view the object faces to the left as you look at the image.
Determining whether a prehistoric animal figure is in left lateral or right lateral view is made easier if the whole of the model is shown in the image.
Left lateral view – the head of the figure faces to the left as you look at the image.
Right lateral view – the head of the figure faces to the right as you look at the image.
The Papo Kronosaurus marine reptile photographed in right lateral view. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
In the image (above) the recently introduced Papo Kronosaurus model is facing to the right. Therefore, this model is being shown in the right lateral view.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“Our blog often features details of scientific papers. Some of them can be quite technical and we try to summarise the findings and provide simplified explanations for the general reader. Interpreting scientific drawings can be a challenge. It can also be difficult to understand the details shown on a photograph of a prehistoric animal model if the orientation is not known.”
The partial skull of the lizard shown in right lateral view. Picture credit: David Whiteside, Sophie Chambi-Trowell, Mike Benton and the Natural History Museum UK
The photograph (above) shows the skull of the stem lizard Cryptovaranoides microlanius in right lateral view. Computerised tomography (CT) was used to help the researchers to construct the left side of the skull of C. microlanius. This enabled the team to construct a left lateral view of the skull.
Although left lateral and right lateral are terms that are not often used in scientific disciplines, it is helpful to have an understanding of their meaning. It is important to have standard anatomical terms and scientific papers have been published that examine the use of such terms when describing fossils.
The next time you see a photograph of a prehistoric animal model, we hope our short explanation will help you to understand whether the view is left or right lateral.
It is another hectic day at Everything Dinosaur. Team members have been busy picking and packing orders for customers. However, there was time to take a quick photograph of three Horseshoe crab soft toys. These cute and cuddly invertebrates will soon be on their way to customers.
The horseshoe crab soft toys look quite happy at the prospect of leaving our warehouse.
A trio of horseshoe crab soft toys photographed in the Everything Dinosaur warehouse. These cute and cuddly animals will soon be on their way to customers. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Prehistoric Plush
Everything Dinosaur stocks a wide range of dinosaur soft toys and prehistoric plush. We have T. rex soft toys, Triceratops and even Woolly Mammoths. We also like to stock some of the more unusual soft toys. Horseshoe crabs are still around today, but they first evolved nearly five hundred million years ago.
Our Horseshoe crab soft toys represent “living fossils”. However, these marine animals are under threat. Habitat destruction that accompanies coastal development presents a danger and the animals are used as bait in the fishing industry. Their unusual metabolism and their blue-coloured blood has been extensively studied. The blood has clotting agents (amebocytes), which are of great benefit to medical science.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented that they thought the horseshoe crabs were cute and cuddly.
The spokesperson added:
“These are beautiful soft toys and very unusual. The horseshoe crab soft toys looked like they were smiling at us as they awaited their turn to be packed. We took a quick photograph before returning to our packing duties.”
Visit the award-winning and user-friendly Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.
A newly published scientific paper has highlighted the diet of juvenile tyrannosaurs. Writing in the academic journal “Science Advances” the research team report that a young Gorgosaurus consumed the hind limbs from a pair of caenagnathid dinosaurs (Citipes elegans). This is the first time that stomach contents have been found in association with a tyrannosaur specimen.
A superb, well-preserved Gorgosaurus libratus specimen was found by Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology staff in the Dinosaur Provincial Park in 2009. The specimen is a juvenile, thought to be between five and seven years of age. When it died this dinosaur weighed around 335 kilograms, only about 13% of the mass of an adult Gorgosaurus.
Dr François Therrien (Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum) and Dr Darla Zelenitsky (Assistant Professor at University of Calgary) stand next to the young Gorgosaurus specimen. Picture credit: Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.
Stomach Contents Preserved in a Young Gorgosaurus
Whilst being cleaned and prepared at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (Alberta, Canada), the partial remains of two small theropods were discovered inside the stomach cavity. The research team determined that this juvenile tyrannosaur ate the hind limbs of two caenagnathids. Rather than consuming the whole animal, the young tyrannosaur only ate the hind limbs (the meatiest parts of the body).
The red square highlights where the preserved gut contents found in the Gorgosaurus libratus can be found. Picture credit: Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.
Analysis of the Citipes remains demonstrated that they were young animals, perhaps twelve months old. Alongside the Citipes limb bones caudal vertebrae were discovered. This suggests that there was preferential consumption of the Citipes hind quarters.
The stomach contents preserved inside Gorgosaurus libratus. The light and dark blue elements show the right and left hindlimbs of one Citipes individual. The light and dark green bones represent the other Citipes specimen consumed. Picture credit: Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.
The elements highlighted in green in the illustration (above) are the remains of the first Citipes individual the gorgosaur consumed. The elements highlighted in blue are fossilised bones from the second Citipes individual eaten.
The Same Meal but Consumed at Different Times
As the elements of the two Citipes individuals are at different stages of digestion, the researchers were able to conclude that the gorgosaur’s stomach contents represent two different meals. These two juvenile Citipes could have been ingested hours or days apart. The presence of two dinosaurs of the same species and age in the stomach contents, ingested at different times, suggests that young caenagnathids may have been among the preferred prey of juvenile gorgosaurs.
This specimen is the first to provide direct evidence that young gorgosaurs had different diets than their adult counterparts. When fully grown Gorgosaurus would have been an apex predator. Feeding traces preserved on fossil bones indicate that Gorgosaurus fed on ceratopsians and duck-billed dinosaurs.
This evidence suggests that tyrannosaurs occupied different ecological niches over their lifetime. As young tyrannosaurs grew and matured, they would have transitioned from hunting small and young dinosaurs to preying on large herbivores. This dietary shift likely began around the age of eleven, when their skulls and teeth started becoming more robust.
The recently introduced PNSO Tristan the Gorgosaurus dinosaur model in lateral view. A replica of an adult Gorgosaurus libratus. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The picture (above) shows a replica of an adult Gorgosaurus. The skull is much more robust and powerful and the teeth proportionately larger. The model is from the PNSO Age of Dinosaurs range.
Dietary differences are seen in animals at different ontogenic stages in modern ecosystems. These differences in diet provide a competitive advantage by lessening intraspecific competition for resources. Therefore, such a shift may have allowed juvenile and adult tyrannosaurs to coexist in the same environment with reduced conflict.
Being able to occupy different ecological niches during their lifespan was probably a key to the evolutionary success of the Tyrannosauridae.
An illustration of Gorgosaurus libratus eating Citipes elegans. Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology/Julius Csotonyi.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Exceptionally preserved stomach contents of a young tyrannosaurid reveal an ontogenetic dietary shift in an iconic extinct predator” by Francois Therrien, Darla K. Zelenitsky, Jared T. Voris, Gregory M. Erickson, Philip J. Currie, Christopher L. Debuhr and Yoshitsugu Kobayashi published in Science Advances.
Everything Dinosaur receives lots of five-star feedback from customers. Today, we highlight some five-star Feefo feedback sent by a customer in Germany. The UK-based mail order company has thousands of customers in Europe. Everything Dinosaur has developed an excellent reputation for customer service.
Five-star feedback from a customer in Germany. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Five-star Feefo Feedback from All Over the World
Over the last thirty days (November 7th 2023 – December 7th 2023), Everything Dinosaur has received a total of twenty-seven Feefo customer service reviews. All of these rate our customer service as five-star. Over this same period, we have also received sixty product reviews all of them rating our models and figures as excellent.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“It is wonderful to receive feedback from all over the world. We have many customers in Europe, and we welcome their comments and views.”
The German-speaking customer commented:
“Sehr guter Service, rasche Lieferung, schöne Figuren, besonders aus der neuen Serie (Halonggood).”
This translates as:
“Very good service, fast delivery, beautiful figures, especially from the new series (Haolonggood).”
A total of nineteen different Haolonggood dinosaur models were in the first shipment of figures from China. Ten different genera of dinosaur are represented. These models have received praise from many customers. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Whilst sorting our image archive, we came across a super example of a dinosaur themed teaching activity. In December 2019 Everything Dinosaur visited Greenhill Primary in Bury (Greater Manchester). The teaching team had invited us in to help with the Year 1 term topic. The children had been learning all about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. One of the areas of learning the teachers wanted to focus upon was improving literacy.
A super example of a dinosaur themed activity helping to support Year 1 literacy. This example was spotted on a visit to Greenhill Primary in Bury. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Dinosaur Themed Teaching Activity
The dedicated and enthusiastic teaching team had prepared a comprehensive term topic. A topic that would appeal to a variety of learning styles. The children were excited and keen to demonstrate their knowledge.
Dinosaurs appeal to children. Many are fascinated by them, and a clever term topic can really engage young minds. If the children are motivated and enthused, they will quickly develop new skills and gain confidence with writing and reading.
The colourful drawings of prehistoric animals posted around the classroom helped to encourage the pupils in their own creative writing.
Our thanks to Caldey who sent into Everything Dinosaur her illustration of the tyrannosaur Bistahieversor sealeyi. It is a beautiful Bistahieversor drawing. We think this piece of artwork was inspired by the recently introduced Beasts of the Mesozoic 1/18th scale Bistahieversor sealeyi figure. Congratulations Caldey, it is a stunning illustration.
An anterior view of a Bistahieversor by Caldey. A stunning theropod dinosaur illustration that was inspired by the Beasts of the Mesozoic 1/18th Bistahieversor sealeyi figure.
Picture credit: Caldey
A Beautiful Bistahieversor
Teeth representing a tyrannosaur had been discovered in sediments associated with the Hunter Wash Member of the Kirtland Formation (New Mexico). Skeletal material representing a juvenile tyrannosaur was found and in 1997 the remains of a much larger animal were discovered. These remains represented an adult which would have measured over eight metres long. Bistahieversor was formally named and described in 2010 (Carr and Williamson). The species name honours Paul Sealey, a museum volunteer who found the adult specimen.
The Beasts of the Mesozoic Bistahieversor sealeyi box. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A spokesperson from the UK mail order company stated:
“The colourful Beasts of the Mesozoic figures have inspired many young artists to create illustrations. Caldey’s beautiful Bistahieversor drawing is a wonderful example. The detail that Caldey has captured is stunning and we love the way in which she has depicted the nasal crest associated with this theropod dinosaur.”
Our thanks to Caldey for sending in her wonderful dinosaur drawing.
The latest edition of “Prehistoric Times” magazine has arrived at Everything Dinosaur. This is the autumn (fall) edition of this popular, quarterly magazine.
The front cover artwork featuring the theropod dinosaur Concavenator was provided by the talented Spanish artist Daniel Navarro.
The front cover of “Prehistoric Times” issue 147. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The featured prehistoric animals are Ornitholestes and the Early Cretaceous mammal Repenomamus. These articles feature some superb reader submitted artwork. Our congratulations to M. Elliot Massion, Wade Carmen and Samuel Pickens for their Ornitholestes illustrations. Cover artist Daniel Navarro provides a dramatic Repenomamus attacking Psittacosaurus illustration and congratulations also to Jaime Martinez for the fantastic Repenomamus sculpture.
Look out for a Dromaeosaurus illustration in right lateral view by our chum Tim Bollinger. In addition, Fabio Pastori highlights Spinosaurus complete with accompanying butterflies.
Burian Features in “Prehistoric Times”
Jon Lavas continues his long-running series discussing the influential artwork of Zdeněk Burian. In this edition, he features xenarthrans and how Burian painted these bizarre American mammals. The detailed and highly informative article includes a number of artworks. The depiction of several different types of ground sloth are particularly impressive, as are the reference materials reflecting glyptodonts.
The image of glyptodonts (Doedicurus foreground and Glyptodon (background) that features in the account of Burian’s depiction of xenarthrans in issue 147. Picture credit: Robert B. Horsfall.
Tracy Lee Ford examines the scales of more advanced theropods in his regular feature entitled “How to Draw Dinosaurs” and editor Mike Fredericks summarises new book releases. Julian Michael Carver concludes his short story and Randy Knol updates collectors about the latest model releases.
It was great to see the stunning Sauriermuseum Aathal in Switzerland featured. Our thanks to John F. Davies for his excellent article. It was also a pleasure to read John Navroth’s account of the filming of “The Lost World”, the cinematic adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel of the same name. Any article featuring an image of stop motion pioneer Willis O’Brien is fine by us. As Mike Fredericks (editor) comments, perhaps this article is a prelude to a later piece that will feature the classic “King Kong” film from 1933.
The holiday season is very nearly upon us. It is that time of year when Everything Dinosaur is busy packing and despatching orders in time for the festivities. As always, we have contacted Royal Mail and can provide an update on the recommended last posting dates for Christmas.
Everything Dinosaur team members have been working extremely hard to stay on top of orders and to ensure parcels are despatched quickly. Our staff will do all they can to assist customers. We recommend that shoppers place orders as early as possible to give us every opportunity to get parcels out to customers.
We have published (below) a helpful table from Royal Mail outlining the last recommended posting dates:
A table showing the last recommended posting dates for parcels in time for the festive season (December 25th) – 2023.
Table credit: Royal Mail
For dinosaur themed toys, models and games visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Visit Everything Dinosaur.
Last Recommended Posting Dates for 2023
The last recommended posting dates for Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, the Middle East and the Far East is this Wednesday (6th December).
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“This time of year the mail network is getting extremely busy. We are doing all we can to pack and despatch parcels quickly. Customers are advised to place their orders as early as possible.”
Helpful Tips and Advice
Here are our top tips to ensure you have a happy and stress-free mail order experience:
Please remember to include the house name or house number with the delivery address information that you provide with your order.
Remember to check the postcode/zip code.
Before finally hitting the “submit” button to send an order to Everything Dinosaur, it is a good idea to check the delivery address for one last time.
PayPal and in our own website’s ordering process, customers can include a message to Everything Dinosaur in the order message box. You can use this message box to inform us about any special delivery circumstances that you might have.
Everything Dinosaur’s website makes it easy for you to specify a different delivery address to your billing address, perhaps you want to send a parcel to work or to a relative.
If you do decide to send an item to your work address, (assuming that you are not working from home), please ensure that you include the company name in the delivery address details. Please remember to check the postcode or zip code.
You can always specify a neighbour’s address, or a designated safe place where the parcel can be delivered to if you will be out when the delivery is likely to occur.
For further advice and information, you are welcome to contact Everything Dinosaur: Email Everything Dinosaur.
