Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings

5 03, 2021

A Beautiful Pinacosaurus Scale Drawing

By Mike|2024-05-21T06:41:30+01:00March 5th, 2021|Categories: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Press Releases|0 Comments

As we are preparing for the arrival of the latest batch of new for 2021 PNSO prehistoric animal models team members at Everything Dinosaur have been busy completing their Pinacosaurus fact sheet that will be sent out with sales of this armoured dinosaur model.

Bart the PNSO Pinacosaurus Dinosaur Model

*The new for 2021 PNSO Bart the Pinacosaurus dinosaur model (lateral view). This model is expected in stock at Everything Dinosaur on March 8th, 2021.*

PNSO Pinacosaurus grangeri

Pronounced “pin-ack-oh-sore-us”, this Late Cretaceous armoured dinosaur is one of the best known of all the members of the Ankylosauridae family. Measuring up to five metres in length, this herbivorous, armoured dinosaur is known from numerous specimens representing juveniles and adult animals.

Everything Dinosaur’s Scale Drawing of Pinacosaurus

Pinacosaurus scale drawing. — Everything Dinosaur’s scale drawing of the armoured dinosaur from Asia – Pinacosaurus grangeri. The dinosaur is estimated to have measured up to five metres in length and weighed approximately 1.9 tonnes, that is about as heavy as an extant Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur Toys and Figures.

What Other PNSO Figures are Due in Stock?

About a dozen or so PNSO prehistoric animal figures are due to arrive at Everything Dinosaur’s new warehouse on Monday (8th March 2021). Team members are not quite sure when the figures will arrive but they are all on standby to help get them unloaded and on-line as quickly as possible.

All eight of the new for 2021 dinosaur models should be on this shipment plus some of the earlier models that were available at the factory when the container was being made ready for sending to the docks.

PNSO Pinacosaurus Dinosaur Model (Dorsal View)

The new for 2021 PNSO Bart the Pinacosaurus dinosaur model (dorsal view). The beautifully detailed armour on this model can be clearly seen. This figure is expected in stock at Everything Dinosaur within 72-hours (Monday, 8th March 2021).

PNSO Age of Dinosaurs (Prehistoric Animal Figures)

PNSO have rapidly built an excellent reputation for their dinosaur and prehistoric animal models. Everything Dinosaur has worked with this Chinese company for many years and a spokesperson from the UK-based specialist mail order company stated:

“We are expecting A-Shu the Qianzhousaurus, Perez the Machairoceratops, along with the other new horned dinosaur figure A-Qi the Sinoceratops, plus Domingo the Carnotaurus and the new Wilson T. rex figure. In addition, the three new armoured dinosaurs Isaac the Sauropelta, Rosana the Miragaia and of course Bart the Pinacosaurus.”

However, given all the current difficulties with global logistics at the moment, team members will be thoroughly checking over the shipment prior to putting these models on-line.

The spokesperson added:

“There are so many problems with shipping goods at the moment. For example, this container was held at the UK port for several days simply because of the amount of congestion at the dockside. The inspection by UK Customs and Trading Standards did not hold up the shipment for too long, but we know that a number of the cartons will have been opened as part of the checking process so we will be spending time once the delivery has arrived in sorting out the boxes before these models can be put into our on-line shop.”

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

28 02, 2021

Caldey’s Beautiful Zuniceratops

By Mike|2024-05-19T12:11:26+01:00February 28th, 2021|Categories: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page|0 Comments

Caldey’s Zuniceratops Illustration

Our thanks to budding palaeo-artist Caldey who sent into Everything Dinosaur her illustration of the Beasts of the Mesozoic Zuniceratops figure and what a splendid illustration it is! We have received numerous horned dinosaur drawings from Caldey in recent months, we can now add her Zuniceratops christopheri artwork to our collection.

Caldey’s Illustration of Zuniceratops christopheri

A beautiful illustration of the Late Cretaceous horned dinosaur Zuniceratops (Z. christopheri) by Caldey. Previously, Caldey has dispatched to Everything Dinosaur drawings of Diabloceratops, Medusaceratops, Triceratops and other horned dinosaurs.

Picture credit: Caldey

Illustrating Zuniceratops

The colourful and enigmatic Z. christopheri with its vivid facial markings and flashes of blue is cleverly contrasted with the monochrome foreground and vegetation that Caldey has incorporated into her drawing. A tuft of bristle-like hairs on the rump of this dinosaur has also been added. Although there is no fossil evidence to indicate whether this ceratopsian possessed such a feature, it is known in other members of the Ceratopsia, such as Psittacosaurus, a dinosaur that Caldey has also illustrated.

Zuniceratops is regarded as a transitional form of horned dinosaur. It roamed what was to become New Mexico around ninety million years ago and its fossil remains show a mix of primitive and more derived anatomical traits, so why not give it bristles too?

Caldey’s Illustration of Psittacosaurus

Caldey’s illustration of the early member of the Ceratopsia – Psittacosaurus. There is evidence to suggest that this small, plant-eating dinosaur had a fan of bristle-like structures at the base of its tail. Palaeontologists remain uncertain as to their function.

Picture credit: Caldey

These illustrations are based on horned dinosaur figures and models. Specifically, these drawings have been inspired by the Beasts of the Mesozoic model range.

To view this range: Beasts of the Mesozoic Models and Figures.

The artist has carefully picked out and highlighted the individual scales on the Zuniceratops. This is particularly evident on the head, where even the tiny jugal (cheek horn) has been illustrated.

A Close-up View of the Head of the Zuniceratops

A close-up of the head of Zuniceratops as illustrated by Caldey.

The individual scales have been carefully picked out and highlighted by the artist.

Picture credit: Caldey

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“It is always a pleasure to receive artwork and we do get lots of pictures sent into us. We do look at them all and we are really grateful for all that we receive. Our congratulations to Caldey for her splendid drawing of Zuniceratops.”

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

21 02, 2021

Stunning Microraptor Models on Display

By Mike|2024-05-19T11:20:48+01:00February 21st, 2021|Categories: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products|0 Comments

Team members at Everything Dinosaur came across this image of a pair of Microraptors displaying to each other. The image shows two Wild Safari Prehistoric World Microraptor models and the picture was sent to Everything Dinosaur by Safari Ltd in 2017 or thereabouts. The picture has not been used by Everything Dinosaur before.

Microraptors on Display

Wild Safari Prehistoric World Microraptor

The image (above), was one of several sent to Everything Dinosaur by Safari Ltd to promote their range of newly introduced prehistoric animal figures. That year (2017), was a bumper year for new prehistoric animal model introductions from Safari Ltd. In total, there were thirteen new replicas introduced. As well as the Microraptor, there was a new model of another member of the Dromaeosauridae, albeit from a different subfamily to Microraptor. Safari Ltd added a feathered Velociraptor to their product portfolio.

A Pack of Hungry Velociraptors — *A quartet of Velociraptors (Wild Safari Prehistoric World Velociraptor models). In 2017, Safari Ltd launched two, new Dromaeosauridae models – Velociraptor and Microraptor.*

The picture (above) shows a pack of Velociraptors (Wild Safari Prehistoric World Velociraptor dinosaur models).

The list of new figures from Safari Ltd in 2017:

Coelophysis
Deinocheirus
Diplodocus
Einiosaurus
Giganotosaurus
Kronosaurus
Microraptor
Parasaurolophus
Psittacosaurus
Quetzalcoatlus
Tylosaurus
Tyrannosaurus rex (feathered)
Velociraptor (feathered)

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“What a splendid year 2017 turned out to be for new prehistoric animal models from Safari Ltd. In 2014, the twenty-eight year collaboration between the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Safari Ltd had ended just a couple of years before. More prehistoric figures had been promised by the American-based manufacturer and in 2017 collectors began to see the results of Safari Ltd’s development work.”

The Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Toys.

Safari Ltd have continued their trend of increasing the number of prehistoric animal figures they produce. Even a pandemic has not stopped them, Everything Dinosaur will stock a further two new Safari Ltd dinosaur models this year.

The new for 2021 Wild Safari Prehistoric World Baryonyx dinosaur model. This new for 2021 dinosaur model is currently in stock at Everything Dinosaur along with the armoured T. rex and the armoured Triceratops dinosaur models. The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Daspletosaurus and the new Spinosaurus figure will be available from Everything Dinosaur shortly (April 2021).

To view the Wild Safari Prehistoric World models available from Everything Dinosaur: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

2 02, 2021

A Unique Triceratops Drawing

By Mike|2024-05-18T21:48:05+01:00February 2nd, 2021|Categories: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Educational Activities, Main Page|0 Comments

Triceratops Drawing

Our thanks to the talented artist Caldey who sent to Everything Dinosaur a drawing of one of her favourite Cretaceous dinosaurs – Triceratops (T. horridus). We think that Caldey was inspired by the Beasts of the Mesozoic Triceratops (sub-adult) articulated model that was recently introduced. Our thanks to Caldey for sending in her Triceratops illustration.

A Drawing of the Late Cretaceous Horned Dinosaur Triceratops (Illustration by Caldey)

An illustration of Triceratops produced by Caldey.

The beautiful Triceratops illustration produced by young artist Caldey.

Picture credit: Caldey

For comparison, here is a picture of the Beasts of the Mesozoic Triceratops figure that we think helped to inspire young Caldey.

The Beasts of the Mesozoic Triceratops horridus Articulated Dinosaur Model (Sub-adult Version)

The Beasts of the Mesozoic sub-adult Triceratops articulated model. Team members at Everything Dinosaur think that this model was the inspiration behind Caldey’s Triceratops drawing.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Our thanks to Caldey for sending into us a beautiful drawing of a Triceratops. We receive lots of illustrations and we enjoy looking at them all. With so many amazing prehistoric animal figures and replicas around these days young artists can use these figures to help inspire their own creative efforts.”

The Beasts of the Mesozoic Triceratops (T. horridus) figure that inspired this young artist is just one of nine articulated ceratopsian figures currently in this range. There will be more horned dinosaur models introduced in the near future (2021). The Beasts of the Mesozoic Triceratops figure has already received several five-star customer reviews.

To purchase the Triceratops model, you can find it on this part of the Everything Dinosaur website: Beasts of the Mesozoic Models and Replicas.

14 01, 2021

World’s Oldest Cave Art Known to Science Discovered in Sulawesi

By Mike|2024-05-18T16:28:21+01:00January 14th, 2021|Categories: Adobe CS5, Animal News Stories, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page|0 Comments

Oldest Cave Art Found in Sulawesi

Scientists have discovered the world’s oldest known animal cave painting on the island of Sulawesi (Indonesia) – a wild pig – believed to have been drawn 45,500 years ago. The cave painting consists of a figurative depiction of a group of Sulawesi warty pigs, one male seems to be observing an interaction between two other pigs, their impressions are only partly preserved. Painted in red ochre, the dark red impressions are approximately life size. There are two handprints painted above the back of the pig, this evocative artwork provides the earliest evidence recorded to date of human settlement in this region.

The Oldest Cave Art Known to Science

The World’s Oldest Known Animal Cave Painting

Warty pig cave art (Sulawesi, Indonesia).

The world’s oldest known animal cave painting on Sulawesi (Indonesia). An illustration of a warty pig believed to have been drawn 45,500 years ago.

Picture credit: Maxime Aubert (Griffith University, Australia)

Writing in the academic journal Science Advances, the archaeologists from Griffith University, the University of Brisbane in collaboration with their Indonesian colleagues from Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ARKENAS), Hasanuddin University (Indonesia) and other academic bodies discovered the remarkable cave art in a limestone cave known as Leang Tedongnge on the south-western peninsula of the island of Sulawesi. The cave painting consists of a figurative depiction of a group of Sulawesi warty pigs (Sus celebensis) that are endemic to this Indonesian island.

Commenting on the significance of their discovery, Professor Adam Brumm (Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution at Griffith University) stated:

“The Sulawesi warty pig painting we found in the limestone cave of Leang Tedongnge is now the earliest known representational work of art in the world, as far as are aware. The cave is in a valley that’s enclosed by steep limestone cliffs and is only accessible by a narrow cave passage in the dry season, as the valley floor is completely flooded in the wet. The isolated Bugis community living in this hidden valley claim it had never before been visited by Westerners.”

Views of the Entrance to the Leang Tedongnge Cave and a Schematic Plan of the Cave Site

Views of the Leang Tedongnge cave on Sulawesi and a schematic diagram of the cave system.

(A and B) Leang Tedongnge cave. The cave is located at the foot of a limestone karst hill (A); the cave mouth entrance is shown in (B). Plan (C) and section of Leang Tedongnge site.

Picture credit: Brumm et al (Science Advances)

Dating Using Isotope Analysis of Mineral Deposits

To determine the approximate age of the cave paintings, the research team used Uranium-series isotope dating of associated calcium carbonate mineral deposits. The oldest cave painting was estimated to be at least 45,500 years old. A second painting from a nearby cave known as Leang Balangajia was dated to around 32,000 years ago.

A Digitally Enhanced View of the Cave Art at the Leang Tedongnge site

Computer enhanced view of the cave art with hand prints and pigs highlighted.

A stitched panorama view of the cave art enhanced using Decorrelation Stretch (DStretch) computer software.

Picture credit: Brumm et al (Science Advances)

Professor Brumm described the artwork:

“It shows a pig with a short crest of upright hairs and a pair of horn-like facial warts in front of the eyes, a characteristic feature of adult male Sulawesi warty pigs. Painted using red ochre pigment, the pig appears to be observing a fight or social interaction between two other warty pigs.”

Co-author of the paper PhD student Basran Burhan, an Indonesian archaeologist from southern Sulawesi ,who is currently studying at Griffith University commented:

“These pigs were the most commonly portrayed animal in the ice age rock art of the island, suggesting they have long been valued both as food and a focus of creative thinking and artistic expression.”

Recovering DNA from the Handprints

The research team are confident that they will be able to recover DNA from the two handprints located above the pig’s back. A study of this genetic material will shed light on the origins of the people who painted this prehistoric scene. This cave art underlines the importance of Indonesia in terms of mapping the spread of modern humans around Asia and the researchers state that even older cave art may still be awaiting discovery in the hundreds of limestone caves located on Sulawesi.

Views of the Two Sulawesi Handprints

Close-up views of the two Sulawesi handprints preserved above the red ochre illustration of the warty pig. One looks much larger than the other and these may represent stencils made by two individuals.

Picture credit: Maxime Aubert (Griffith University, Australia)

The scientific paper: “Oldest cave art found in Sulawesi” by Adam Brumm, Adhi Agus Oktaviana, Basran Burhan, Budianto Hakim, Rustan Lebe, Jian-xin Zhao, Priyatno Hadi Sulistyarto, Marlon Ririmasse, Shinatria Adhityatama, Iwan Sumantri and Maxime Aubert published in the journal Science Advances.

Visit Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur.

13 01, 2021

Stunning Early Apemen Illustration by Zdeněk Burian

By Mike|2024-05-18T16:26:46+01:00January 13th, 2021|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

Illustrating Neanderthals – Zdeněk Burian

Our perception of our close cousins the Neanderthals (H. neanderthalensis) has changed dramatically over the last four decades or so. Once thought to be brutish thugs with limited intelligence recent discoveries have revealed that the “apemen” of prehistory were just as sophisticated as ourselves and their demise and eventual extinction remains a mystery. When Everything Dinosaur team members posted up some Ice Age inspired artwork by the famous 20th century wildlife illustrator and palaeoartist Charles Robert Knight earlier this month*, we were asked by a blog fan to post up some similarly themed artwork by Zdeněk Burian.

The Illustration of a Group of Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) by Zdeněk Burian

Neanderthals depicted a quite primitive “ape-men”.

Picture credit: Zdeněk Burian

Burian was an equally influential 20th century artist. He produced numerous illustrations of prehistoric mammals and Ice Age scenes, but we thought we would reflect on how our views have changed regarding what is arguably the most closely related** hominin species to our own – Homo neanderthalensis by posting artwork from Burian illustrating a Neanderthal campsite.

To view the post* which features the Ice Age artwork by Charles R. Knight: A Herd of Woolly Mammoths by Charles R. Knight.

The exact taxonomic relationship between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis remains controversial. Some palaeoanthropologists consider H. neanderthalensis to be a sub-species of H. sapiens, whilst others suggest that both H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis are descended from Homo heidelbergensis.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Everything Dinosaur.

7 01, 2021

A Herd of Woolly Mammoths (Charles R. Knight)

By Mike|2024-05-18T08:26:00+01:00January 7th, 2021|Categories: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

A Herd of Woolly Mammoths (Charles R. Knight)

The weather might be decidedly chilly (at least here in the UK), at the moment. With this in mind, time to post up an iconic Ice Age scene painted by the renowned American palaeoartist Charles Robert Knight, depicting a herd of Woolly Mammoths on the move. This talented artist might be most famous for his depictions of dinosaurs but he also produced many artworks and illustrations of prehistoric mammals and hominins.

A Herd of Woolly Mammoths a Famous Illustration by the American Artist Charles R. Knight (1874-1953)

The Woolly Mammoth an iconic animal of the Ice Age.

A Woolly Mammoth herd (Charles R. Knight). An iconic painting of a herd of Mammuthus primigenius. An ideal illustration given the chilly weather here in the UK.

Picture credit: Charles R. Knight

The artwork, illustrations and murals of Charles R. Knight can be found on display in numerous museums in the United States, such as the National Museum of Natural History (Washington – District of Columbia), the Field Museum (Chicago) and perhaps most famously of all, the American Museum of Natural History (New York).

He also painted many extant animals and several of these illustrations can be found in American Zoos such as the Bronx Zoo (New York) and the National Zoo (Washington – District of Columbia).

His illustration of a herd of mammoths is in keeping with the cold weather we are currently experiencing. The detailed and beautifully crafted artworks of Charles R. Knight are all the more remarkable given his poor eyesight. For most of his life, this highly talented and gifted person who has left a legacy of superb artworks, was virtually blind.

2 01, 2021

A Komodo Dragon in the Snow

By Mike|2024-05-18T08:05:30+01:00January 2nd, 2021|Categories: Animal News Stories, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

A Komodo Dragon in the Snow

A good artist can turn their hand to using a variety of materials and techniques to express themselves. Take for instance, this excellent illustration of a Komodo dragon (V. komodoensis), created after a recent snowfall by Caldey. A fine example of snow art, depicting the largest living lizard, a reptile that would have been very uncomfortable in such a cold environment, however Caldey’s Komodo dragon looks very much at home in her back garden.

A Komodo Dragon in the Snow

Creating a Komodo dragon in the snow.

Picture credit: Caldey

Plotting Proportions and Adding Details

When working on a large project, many professional artists sketch out their design at first and use this as a blueprint for the much larger artwork. By taking this approach, the proportions can be plotted prior to the outline being made and the details added. We are not sure how Caldey created her lizard, but she has done well to plot the proportions and scale the animal to fit the space that was available. Our congratulations! What a clever and innovative piece of work.

Getting Creative in the Snow – Creating a Komodo Dragon

Getting creative in the snow. An illustration of a Komodo dragon by Caldey. A close-up view of the head of the Komodo dragon snow drawing.

Picture credit: Caldey

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“With the recent snowfalls in the UK, we have seen lots of pictures of snowmen on social media, but we can’t recall ever seeing a Komodo dragon before. Our congratulations to Caldey for her clever and innovative use of “solid precipitation”. We suspect there are not many gardens graced with drawings of lizards.”

Sadly, given the vagaries of the British weather, the Komodo dragon will not be on view for very long.

11 09, 2020

A Dinosaur “Begs” to Differ

By Mike|2024-03-14T18:55:20+00:00September 11th, 2020|Categories: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

A Neoceratopsian from Mongolia – Beg tse

A new species of basal neoceratopsian has been described from fossils found near the town of Barunnbayan in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. The little dinosaur, which was probably less than a metre long, has been named Beg tse in honour of the Himalayan deity Beg-tse. In Mongolian culture, prior to the spread of Buddhism, Beg-tse was a god of war, often depicted as heavily armoured with large, roughened patches on its body. The researchers studying the fossil material noted that, like other members of the Neoceratopsia, Beg had rugosities (roughened areas), on its skull, notably on the jugal and the surangular.

Beg tse – A Newly Described Dinosaur

The Compressed Skull of Beg tse with an Accompanying Line Drawing

Beg tse skull and line drawing. — *Lateral view of the holotype skull of Beg tse with line drawing. The compressed skull measures 14 cm in length approximately.*

Picture credit: Yu et al (Nature)

The Most Basal Neoceratopsian Described to Date

The only known specimen of Beg tse (specimen reference: IGM 100/3652), was discovered by a joint American Museum of Nature/Mongolian Academy of Sciences expedition in 2015. The fossils probably represent a single individual and consist of an articulated partial skull along with postcranial elements consisting of a fragmentary right ischium, a partial left scapula, one rib bone and numerous bone fragments.

A phylogenetic analysis conducted by the scientists, which included Dr Mark Norell (American Museum of Natural History), indicates that Beg is the most basal neoceratopsian dinosaur known to date and is more derived than both the Psittacosauridae and Jurassic Chaoyangsauridae.

A Speculative Life Reconstruction of the Basal Neoceratopsian Beg tse

Beg tse life reconstruction. — *A speculative life reconstruction of the basal neoceratopsian Beg tse. The illustration has been based on the neoceratopsian Liaoceratops yanzigouensis from north-eastern China.* *Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Proving Difficult to Date

It is difficult to estimate the date of the fossil bearing strata for many of the Gobi Desert dig sites due to the lack of detailed geological mapping and the limited number of sediments suitable for radiometric dating. The sandstone dominated deposit has been dated to between 113 – 94 million years ago, with a most probable date of circa 100 million years ago. As a result, the researchers conclude that Beg dates from the latest Early Cretaceous or the earliest Late Cretaceous.

The Ceratopsia may have originated around the Middle Jurassic, but the skull of Beg tse exhibits a combination of primitive and more derived traits which suggests that the basic ceratopsian bodyplan persisted until at least the Early-Late Cretaceous boundary. Beg along with other Asian neoceratopsians such as Auroraceratops and Mosaiceratops represent transitional forms between basal ceratopsians and more derived forms. With a wide geographical range from South Korea, China and Mongolia and a long time span from the Aptian to possibly the Campanian, the early evolutionary history of the horned dinosaurs is probably much more complex than previously thought.

The scientific paper: “A neoceratopsian dinosaur from the early Cretaceous of Mongolia and the early evolution of the ceratopsia” by Congyu Yu, Albert Prieto-Marquez, Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig, Zorigt Badamkhatan and Mark Norell published in Nature (Communications Biology).

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

28 08, 2020

Preparing for the New Zuniceratops Model

By Mike|2024-03-14T07:52:41+00:00August 28th, 2020|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases|0 Comments

Preparing for the Beasts of the Mesozoic Zuniceratops

A neoceratopsian is drawing nearer. Everything Dinosaur will soon be receiving stock of the new Beasts of the Mesozoic ceratopsians, including the wonderful Zuniceratops figure. This colourful creation depicts Zuniceratops christopheri, the oldest North American ceratopsian possessing prominent, well-developed brow horns, a foretaste of what was to become with the evolution of the centrosaurine and chasmosaurine lineages of horned dinosaurs.

The Beasts of the Mesozoic Zuniceratops Model

*Beasts of the Mesozoic Zuniceratops dinosaur model (lateral view).*

Preparing Fact Sheets on Horned Dinosaurs Including Zuniceratops

Everything Dinosaur likes to supply a free fact sheet with sales of dinosaur models. Over the years, the company has researched and written hundreds of fact sheets. As a result, most of the Beasts of the Mesozoic Ceratopsidae are already covered, but Zuniceratops is one of the exceptions. Staff are currently completing their fact sheet all about this neoceratopsian from the Middle Turonian Moreno Hill Formation of west-central New Mexico. A scale drawing of this relatively small member of the horned dinosaurs has already been commissioned.

A Scale Drawing of the Neoceratopsian Zuniceratops (Z. christopheri)

Zuniceratops scale drawing. — *Everything Dinosaur’s scale drawing of the neoceratopsian Zuniceratops christopheri.* *Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Stocks of the new for 2020 Beasts of the Mesozoic ceratopsians are due to arrive at Everything Dinosaur’s UK warehouse in a few weeks. In addition, new supplies of the popular Beasts of the Mesozoic Raptors will be arriving too.

To view the range of Beasts of the Mesozoic models available from Everything Dinosaur: Beasts of the Mesozoic Articulated Prehistoric Animal Models.

At Home in the Landscape Zuniceratops christopheri

*Zuniceratops in the landscape. The beautiful Beasts of the Mesozoic Zuniceratops dinosaur model.*

Zuniceratops christopheri

Zuniceratops was formally named in 1998 (Douglas Wolfe and James Kirkland), in a preliminary description. The publishing of the scientific paper coincided with the discovery of a substantial Zuniceratops bonebed that provided hundreds more fossil bones representing at least seven individuals (based on the number of lower jaws found).

The bones are disarticulated and represent a group of different sized animals, so calculating the maximum size for Zuniceratops is problematic, but most palaeontologists estimate that this horned dinosaur that lived around 90 million years ago (Turonian stage of the Late Cretaceous), measured between 2.2 and 3.3 metres in length. As such, it was very much smaller than its descendants, the centrosaurine and chasmosaurine dinosaurs that were so diverse and numerous during the Campanian and Maastrichtian faunal stages of the Late Cretaceous.

The co-association of individuals of various sizes in the bonebed suggests that this dinosaur lived in herds, with adults and younger animals demonstrating communal behaviour.

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.