Everything Dinosaur will be stocking the new Rebor Dire wolf models. There are two colour variants of Aenocyon dirus. The “low roar” plain version and a colour variant that resembles an extant Gray wolf “Havallagata” version. Each figure will be supplied with three interchangeable heads.
The Rebor 1:11 scale Dire Wolf replica “low roar” in the plain colouration.
Rebor Dire Wolf “Low Roar” Plain
The Rebor Dire Wolf “low roar” has an intriguing colouration. It reminds us of the Gray wolf subspecies known as the Steppe Wolf (Canis lupus campestris), or perhaps the coat is painted to represent the critically endangered Red wolf (Canis rufus) of the southeastern United States. It is a beautiful model, and it is in approximately 1:11 scale. These models will work well with the recently introduced Rebor Smilodon populator figures.
Each Rebor Dire wolf model is supplied with three interchangeable heads.
The Dire wolf figure can be displayed with its mouth closed or snarling or with its mouth fully open.
To view the current range of Rebor models in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Rebor Models and Figures.
Rebor Dire Wolf “Havallagata” Nord Version
The second colour variant is the “Havallagata” Nord version. It represents a Dire wolf in 1:11 scale. However, it could also depict a giant wolf in 1:18 scale, perhaps something similar to the fearsome animals which featured in the Game of Thrones television series.
The Rebor Dire wolf “Havallagata” Nord version.
The “Havallagata” Nord version is also supplied with three interchangeable heads. Collectors can display their figure snarling, or with the mouth open or closed.
Each wolf will measure around 18.5 cm in length. The height the figures is estimated at 9 cm.
Dire Wolf (Aenocyon dirus)
The Dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) is a recently extinct member of the dog family. It has an extensive fossil record, mainly from the Americas. An apex predator and hypercarnivore, it probably specialised in hunting Pleistocene megaherbivores. It became extinct around 9,500 years ago. Palaeontologists have suggested that climate change, the decline of prey species or competition from other predators including humans could have been factors in the animal’s extinction.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur praised the Rebor Dire wolf models.
The spokesperson added:
“We are not aware of many Dire wolf figures. Congratulations to Rebor for making such splendid models. Both these Dire wolf figures will be in stock at Everything Dinosaur in a few weeks.”
A new scientific paper published this week postulated that Nanotyrannus (N. lancensis) is a valid taxon. The study was published in the journal “Fossil Studies”. Several lines of scientific enquiry were explored, and the researchers concluded the fossil material ascribed to Nanotyrannus probably did not represent examples of juvenile T. rex.
One of the authors of the study is Dr Nicholas Longrich of the University of Bath. The other author is fellow palaeontologist Dr Evan Saitta, a PhD graduate of the University of Bristol and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago.
Everything Dinosaur team members created a short video to highlight this research.
Is Nanotyrannus (N. lancensis) a valid taxon? A new scientific study suggests that it is. Video credit: Everything Dinosaur.
The debate surrounding the validity of Nanotyrannus is likely to continue. Indeed, this taxon has attracted controversy ever since it was first formally erected in 1946 (Gilmore). However, model manufacturers have produced Nanotyrannus figures. For example, in 2021 PNSO introduced “Logan the Nanotyrannus” and Safari Ltd have made a Dino Dana Nanotyrannus (see below).
The Dino Dana Nanotyrannus dinosaur model. Picture credit: Safari Ltd.
Dinosaur fans and model collectors can discuss the validity of this taxon and perhaps these tyrannosaurs can do battle with other tyrannosaur figures animals such as Tarbosaurus and of course Tyrannosaurus rex.
More than twenty Tyrannosaurus rex specimens have been described. Palaeontologists are aware that this dinosaur changed its body plan dramatically as it grew and matured. A juvenile T. rex had a proportionately much smaller head, a slender neck and longer legs than the adults. This change in body shape is so dramatic that in all likelihood, juveniles behaved very differently than mature animals. They also probably hunted in different ways.
It is as if adult and juvenile T. rex were different species. If this is the case, then juveniles occupied a very different niche in the ecosystem compared to the fully-grown tyrannosaurs. This helps to explain the confusion over the taxonomy of all the tyrannosaur specimens currently assigned to Nanotyrannus lancensis/Tyrannosaurus rex.
The scientific paper: “Taxonomic Status of Nanotyrannus lancensis (Dinosauria: Tyrannosauroidea) — A Distinct Taxon of Small-Bodied Tyrannosaur” by Nicholas R. Longrich and Evan T. Saitta published in Fossil Studies.
The new for 2024 PNSO Aymen the Spinosaurus replica will be in stock at Everything Dinosaur in a few weeks. This Spinosaurus figure reflects some of the recent scientific revisions concerning this theropod. The model measures an impressive 32.5 cm long. In its bipedal stance the Spinosaurus stands 14 cm tall.
Striding across the landscape but with water close by, the new for 2024 PNSO Aymen the Spinosaurus dinosaur model.
Aymen the Spinosaurus
PNSO have manufactured several Spinosaurus figures including 1:35 scale replicas. Aymen is also in 1:35 scale and it will be supplied with twenty sci-art posters. These posters feature several other members of the Spinosauridae family.
A replica Spinosaurus aegyptiacus skull will also be included in the product packaging.
The PNSO Spinosaurus figure is supplied with twenty colour posters and a replica Spinosaurus skull.
To view the current range of PNSO prehistoric animal figures available from Everything Dinosaur: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Models.
The PNSO Aymen the Spinosaurus will also be supplied with a forty-eight page, full-colour booklet.
Spinosaurus Model Measurements
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur confirmed that the figure measured 32.5 cm in length and that the top of the head was around 14 cm off the ground. Based on the stated scale, this would suggest that Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reached a length of around 11. 3 metres.
The new Spinosaurus model measures 32.5 cm long and it stands some 14 cm tall. This is a Sci-Art figure, and the declared scale is 1:35.
This new Spinosaurus figure is longer than both the recently introduced PNSO Saurophaganax and Yangchuanosaurus models.
To enquire about this new Spinosaurus figure and to request a figure reservation: Email Everything Dinosaur.
The Everything Dinosaur spokesperson added:
“Collectors can see how scientific opinion about this theropod has changed. Perceptions and views about this dinosaur are reflected in the changing PNSO Spinosaurus figures.”
Newly published research suggests that the Nanotyrannus genus is valid. Writing in the academic journal “Fossil Studies” researchers conclude that Nanotyrannus lancensis is a distinct species and that fossil specimens do not represent juvenile examples of Tyrannosaurus rex.
An adult Nanotyrannus lancensis attacks a juvenile T. rex. Newly published research suggests that N. lancensis is a valid taxon. Picture credit: Raul Martin.
Nanotyrannus lancensis and Tyrannosaurus rex
The scientists, Dr Nick Longrich, from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath and Dr Evan Saitta, from the University of Chicago propose that Nanotyrannus was probably not closely related to T. rex. Their research indicates that Nanotyrannus was a smaller, longer-armed tyrannosaur with a narrower snout.
The debate as to the validity of Nanotyrannus as a taxon has persisted for decades. The first skull assigned to Nanotyrannus was found in Montana in 1942. Analysis of a skull bone from a previously unrecognised T. rex fossil coupled with a detailed bone histology demonstrates that specimens of N. lancensis do indeed represent adult animals and not juveniles of another, already described species.
The research led Longrich and co-author Evan Saitta to a previous fossil discovery. The skull bone is a frontal, it was at a museum in San Francisco but had not been studied. The researchers were able to conclude that this frontal came from a juvenile T. rex, an animal that would have had a skull about 45 cm long and a body length of 5 metres.
Frontal skull bone from a young T. rex. Picture credit: Longrich and Saitta/University of Bath.
Dr Longrich explained:
“Yes, it’s just one specimen, and just one bone, but it only takes one. T. rex skull bones are very distinctive, nothing else looks like it. Young T. rex exist, they’re just incredibly rare, like juveniles of most dinosaurs.”
Comparing Growth Rates
Measuring the growth rings in Nanotyrannus bones, the researchers demonstrated that they became more closely packed towards the outside of the bone – its growth was slowing. It suggests these animals were nearly full size, not fast-growing juveniles. Modelling the growth of the fossils showed the animals would have reached a maximum of around 900-1500 kilograms and five metres – about 15 per cent of the size of the giant T. rex, which grew to 8,000 kilograms and twelve metres long or more.
Holotype Nanotyrannus lancensis skull (left) compared to T. rex skull (right). Significant autapomorphies in both cranial and postcranial fossils were documented. Picture credit: Longrich and Saitta/University of Bath.
Dr Longrich commented:
“When I saw these results, I was pretty blown away. I didn’t expect it to be quite so conclusive.”
He added:
“If they were young T. rex they should be growing like crazy, putting on hundreds of kilograms a year, but we’re not seeing that. We tried modelling the data in a lot of different ways and we kept getting low growth rates. This is looking like the end for the hypothesis that these animals are young T. rex.”
Fossil evidence suggests that Nanotyrannus grew slowly compared to the rapid growth of a teenage T. rex. Picture credit: Longrich and Saitta/University of Bath.
No Evidence of Fossils with Combined Traits
In addition, the researchers found no evidence of fossils combining features of both the Nanotyrannus and T. rex, which would exist if the one transitioned into the other. Every fossil they examined could be confidently identified as one species or the other. Neither did the patterns of growth in other tyrannosaurs fit with the hypothesis that Nanotyrannus fossils were juvenile T. rex.
The new for 2021 PNSO Nanotyrannus dinosaur model.
The picture (above) shows a replica of Nanotyrannus lancensis in the PNSO model range.
Nanotyrannus lancensis – Strong Evidence in Support of this Genus
Dr Longrich said:
“If you look at juveniles of other tyrannosaurs, they show many of the distinctive features of the adults. A very young Tarbosaurus – a close relative of T. rex – shows distinctive features of the adults. In the same way that kittens look like cats and puppies look like dogs, the juveniles of different tyrannosaurs are distinctive. Nanotyrannus just doesn’t look anything like a T. rex. It could be growing in a way that’s completely unlike any other tyrannosaur, or any other dinosaur- but it’s more likely it’s just not a T. rex.”
The researchers argue these findings are strong evidence that Nanotyrannus is a separate species, one not closely related to Tyrannosaurus. It was more lightly-built and long-limbed than its thick-set relative. It also had larger arms, unlike the famously short-armed T. rex.
Furthermore, the authors suggest that, given how difficult it is to tell dinosaurs apart based on their often-incomplete skeletons, palaeontologists may be underestimating the diversity of dinosaurs, and other fossil species.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bath in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Taxonomic Status of Nanotyrannus lancensis (Dinosauria: Tyrannosauroidea) — A Distinct Taxon of Small-Bodied Tyrannosaur” by Nicholas R. Longrich and Evan T. Saitta published in Fossil Studies.
Everything Dinosaur has built up a formidable reputation for its customer service. Our dedication is not limited to the packing of orders for customers, it extends to helping the couriers and other delivery partners that collect from our warehouse. Royal Mail sent a slightly smaller van than usual to our premises. Undaunted we worked with the driver to ensure all the parcels could be sent out. Thanks to our excellent packing we were able to squeeze in all the sacks and individual boxes.
Orders from Everything Dinosaur ready for despatch. Excellent packing permits all the orders from that day to be loaded into a single van. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Excellent Packing and Helping Out
Despite the heavy rain, team members were able to assist the van driver and get all the parcels safely loaded into the vehicle. Royal Mail takes care of the majority of our UK domestic deliveries. Most of the parcels in the photograph are being sent out by first class parcel post.
Royal Mail usually send out a large van to collect all the parcels from Everything Dinosaur’s warehouse. Due to a lack of vehicles sometimes hired vans are used to collect our parcels. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur explained that team members liked to assist drivers collecting parcels from the warehouse. Indeed, sometimes the volume of parcels that were being collected leads to us helping to pack the vehicle so that all the orders can be despatched.
The spokesperson added:
“We appreciate how hard these drivers work. Customer orders are made ready for despatch in plenty of time for their collection at the allotted time. We often help to pack the sacks of orders into Royal Mail vehicles. Thankfully, most of our parcels are square or rectangular in shape, and this does make filling the vans a little easier. Still, it takes quite a lot of effort to get all the parcels in and away.”
We wish all our customers, fans, social media followers and friends a very happy New Year! Everything Dinosaur has lots of exciting adventures planned for the next twelve months, we are looking forward to telling you all about them.
Wishing all our customers, social media followers and fans a very happy New Year! Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Happy New Year
This year (2024), we shall endeavour to keep up our blog posts. There are more videos, reels and shorts planned too. Team members have been working hard over the holiday period to ensure orders have been despatched quickly. Hopefully, we will maintain our Feefo highest service rating, perhaps we will be winners again this year. These awards will be announced in February. Also, in February the Chinese Lunar New Year begins. It is the year of the dragon! How very appropriate for a dinosaur company with lots of plans.
Wishing all our customers, fans and followers a very happy and peaceful 2024.
A new television documentary featuring Sir David Attenborough is due to be shown on the BBC tomorrow (New Year’s Day). Entitled “Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster”, it tells the story of the excavation of a huge pliosaur skull from the Dorset coast.
The life-size replica of the pliosaur (P. carpenteri) suspended from the ceiling at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Pliosaurus carpenteri was formally named and described in 2013 (Benson et al). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The image (above) shows a replica of a pliosaur on display at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Scientists from Bristol University were involved in the study of this pliosaur skull. The skull likely represents a new genus of pliosaur, and at around ten metres long it was a monster!
The Giant Pliosaur Skull
Such is the preservation of the skull, that although crushed the bones remain in articulation. An accurate three-dimensional image of the fossil could be produced. From these images a three-dimensional model of the skull was made. Professor Emily Rayfield (University of Bristol) and expert in jaw biomechanics was able to use this model to estimate the bite force of this apex predator.
Based on scaling up bite force calculations from Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), a biteforce of around 32,000 newtons was calculated for the pliosaur. Although there is a margin of error to take into account with these calculations, the result represents the highest bite force estimated for a marine animal living or extinct.
The film follows Sir David Attenborough as he investigates the discovery of a lifetime. Sir David joins two of Britain’s most intrepid fossil hunters, Steve Etches and Chris Moore, as they face a race against time to excavate the fossil material from its precarious position halfway up a cliff near Kimmeridge Bay.
“Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster” is due to be shown on BBC1 at 8pm on January 1st (2024).
The CollectA Deluxe 1:40 scale Pliosaurus model.
The image (above) shows a replica of a Pliosaurus marine reptile. It is similar in appearance to the CGI pliosaur images revealed in the documentary. The figure comes from the CollectA Deluxe range.
Everything Dinosaur has been sent photographs of the 1:35 scale Haolonggood Alamosaurus prototypes. Previously, only concept art images were available for versions A and B. Model collectors can gain a better appreciation of the selected colour schemes.
A prototype of the Haolonggood Alamosaurus figure (version A). The horned dinosaur figures in the image help to convey the size of the Alamosaurus model.
Haolonggood Alamosaurus Photographs
The picture (above) shows the proposed colour scheme for Alamosaurus version A. The horned dinosaurs included in the photograph help to show the size of the titanosaur model. The Haolonggood Alamosaurus is in 1:35 scale and it will stand around thirty-five centimetres tall.
The first batch of these figures will be supplied with a display base, tree and an unpainted pterosaur figure.
Email Everything Dinosaur if you want to reserve one of these special dinosaur models: Email Everything Dinosaur.
A prototype of the Haolonggood Alamosaurus figure (version B).
Those Alamosaurus models reserved prior to the end of the year will be sent out with a display base, tree and an unpainted pterosaur model. The image (above) shows the Alamosaurus version B. It is standing on the display base and unpainted pterosaur figures (both designs) can be seen in the photograph. Only one unpainted pterosaur model will be sent out with each Alamosaurus.
The Limited-edition Alamosaurus (Version C)
The limited-edition (plain) Alamosaurus figure will only be made once. After the first batch of these models have been sold, that colour scheme will be retired.
A prototype of the Haolonggood Alamosaurus figure limited-edition figure (version C).
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur thanked Haolonggood for providing the photographs and stated:
“These images will demonstrate the quality of these 1:35 scale figures to collectors.”
Today, we at Everything Dinosaur continue our countdown of our favourite blog posts of 2023. In the second of this two-part series, we look at the months July to December (2023).
In July we received some amazing prehistoric animal drawings, undertook model review videos, released newsletters and learned about a prehistoric mammal attacking Psittacosaurus. Fans of the invertebrates were not disappointed to read about Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki, the oldest fossil spider to be found in Germany: Germany’s Oldest Spider Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki.
Stocking the Haolonggood Model Range
Book launches, addressing international conferences and discussing trilobites. Just a few of the highlights from August (2023). New abelisaurs were described along with possibly, the heaviest vertebrate that ever lived (Balaenoptera musculus). We welcomed new Beasts of the Mesozoic and PNSO models, but it was another manufacturer that we focused upon. Everything Dinosaur announced that they would be stocking the Haolonggood prehistoric animal model range.
The Haolonggood prehistoric animal models will have their own product category area on the Everything Dinosaur website. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
In September, we wrote a blog about the first dicraeosaurid from India. Fossil feather proteins and the complexity of birds were discussed along with a new, bizarre theropod from China. Haolonggood models arrived in stock and brachiopods took centre stage. The second Isle of Wight member of the Hypsilophodontidae was described, over 150 years after the first. The dinosaur named Vectidromeus insularis is geologically much older than Hypsilophodon foxii. Blog readers can expect to hear about more new Wealden Group dinosaurs in the future.
Vectidromeus insularis life reconstruction. Picture credit: Emily Willoughby.
“Lonesome George”
Hollywood film premieres, mentoring university students and the boom in mammoth tusk sales threatening extant elephants were all highlighted. Talented model makers and new theropod figures from PNSO and Nanmu Studio were discussed in October. We enjoyed writing about “Lonesome George” an amazing replica of a Pinta Island giant tortoise.
The Rebor 1:6 scale Pinta Island tortoise “Lonesome George” in oblique lateral view. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
In November in the UK, the nights were certainly drawing in. The longer evenings allowed us more time to prepare blog posts on the new for 2024 CollectA figures, a new fleet-footed theropod from Brazil and TetZooCon. Rebor introduced GrabNGo Alligators and the Wild Past Scutosaurus and Kotlassia arrived. It was the front page of a national newspaper that drew most attention. Mammoths were going to be back within five years:
A tabloid newspaper on Saturday 18th November was predicting the return of the Woolly Mammoth by 2028. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
In the last month of 2023, we wrote about last recommended parcel posting dates and a new television documentary presented by Sir David Attenborough. A new, enormous titanosaur from Argentina was described and we learned about the last meal of a Gorgosaurus. We highlighted our model video reviews and discussed blog maintenance and new model releases.
The first production figure of the new CollectA Deluxe Dearc sgiathanach arrived and this was certainly a highlight of our entire year.
The CollectA Deluxe Dearc pterosaur model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
There are lots of exciting research papers due to be published. Several new books about prehistoric animals are due to be launched. We at Everything Dinosaur have some exciting plans of our own. There is certainly a lot to do in 2024 and a lot of fascinating stories to cover.
We look forward to continuing our blog and trying to write a daily article.
At Everything Dinosaur, we try and post up an article on this blog site every single day. This can be quite a challenge considering all our other activities and projects. However, as a result of our work on this weblog we have managed to compile a huge amount of information, articles and features chronicling (for the most part), advances in the Earth sciences and new fossil discoveries along with research into prehistoric animals.
We thought it would be interesting to look back at some of our blog posts this year and list the top ten favourite and most popular posts.
Here is part one, numbers ten to six covering January to June.
It was an action-packed January for Everything Dinosaur. The company was awarded Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award once again, there was a cyber incident at Royal Mail, and we discussed Carboniferous suction feeders. However, it was a superb pterosaur fossil from southern Germany that caught the eye.
A life reconstruction of the newly described pterosaur Balaenognathus maeuseri. Picture credit: Megan Jacobs
In February a baby Torosaurus model was reunited with its mum, Mojo models took centre stage and the Rebor Deinosuchus figures arrived. We wrote articles about the larynx of Pinacosaurus, how to leave a review and rare dinosaur footsteps. For the first time, frogs spawned in the office pond in February.
At the end of March, we published an article summarising a new scientific paper that postulated that dinosaurs had lips. The lips versus lipless debate has existed for more than a century. Early depictions of dinosaurs gave them lips like extant lizards. When it came to depicting dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex in early films, the lips were ditched so that cinema goers could see their teeth. The teeth on show made the dinosaurs more frightening. Movie monsters bearing their huge teeth became a recurrent theme that is still seen in movies today. However, this new paper came firmly down in support of lips on theropod dinosaurs.
It also gave us the opportunity to display the excellent artwork of Mark Witton.
A juvenile Edmontosaurus disappears into the enormous, lipped mouth of Tyrannosaurus. Picture credit: Mark Witton.
Top Everything Dinosaur Blog Posts (April to June 2023)
In April we discussed T. rex brain size, took into stock new CollectA figures, new staff training and praised the Wyoming “Jurassic Fest”. One of our highlights was the article that examined newly published research on marine reptiles. The study focused on the wide variety of swimming styles adopted by Mesozoic marine reptiles.
A museum exhibit showing the jaw of a large ichthyosaur. These “fish lizards” figured prominently in the University of Bristol study. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Schleich model retirements were discussed in May along with new Nanmu Studio and PNSO model releases. A rare letter penned by Mary Anning finding a home and a New York prehistoric animal exhibit mystery was solved. However, our highlight was the opportunity to visit the new April the Tenontosaurus exhibit at the Manchester Museum.
It seems appropriate to mention April the Tenontosaurus when reviewing our blog posts from May 2023.
A New Armoured Dinosaur – Vectipelta barretti
Dinosaur drawings, new models and rapidly metamorphosising frogs featured in June. Team members got to visit the astonishing Patagotitan exhibition at the London Natural History Museum. This provides an appropriate segway into our favourite post of that month. A new species of armoured dinosaur was named. Vectipelta barretti honours Professor Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum.
Vectipelta life reconstruction. Picture credit: Stuart Pond.
Dinosaur fans can expect further new dinosaur announcements from Wealden Group strata.
We hope you enjoyed reading these blog posts as much as we enjoyed researching and writing them. Part two documenting July to December 2023 will be published shortly.
