Photos - Part 9

11 11, 2022

New CollectA Models 2023 (Part 2)

By Mike|2022-11-10T22:08:39+00:00November 11th, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Photos, Press Releases|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur in collaboration with CollectA announces the second batch of new CollectA models 2023. Three new prehistoric animal figures have been announced namely:

Ruyangosaurus (1:100 scale Deluxe model) – due to be available early 2023.
Brighstoneus (Age of Dinosaurs Popular) – due to be available in early 2023.
Anomalocaris (CollectA Other Prehistoric Animals) – due to be available in early 2023.

New CollectA Models

CollectA Deluxe Ruyangosaurus (1:100 Scale)

The first CollectA Deluxe scale model to be announced for 2023 is this stunning replica of the enormous Chinese titanosaur Ruyangosaurus. Named and described in 2009 (Ruyangosaurus giganteus), this huge sauropod is estimated to have been around thirty metres long and to have weighed in excess of fifty tonnes. It is one of the largest dinosaurs known from Asia.

The CollectA Deluxe Ruyangosaurus has been given a grey, almost elephant-like colouration in recognition of the sheer size of this leviathan. The neck is thick, but the cervical vertebrae (neck bones) of these huge dinosaurs were quite delicate and there were numerous air sacs to help lighten the neck.

The skin texture is very detailed, and this herbivorous giant has been given rows of dermal armour (osteoderms), which are most prominent over its vulnerable hips. The CollectA Deluxe Ruyangosaurus will make an interesting partner to the mostly geologically older genus Mamenchisaurus, a model of which (CollectA Deluxe 1:100 Mamenchisaurus) was introduced by CollectA in 2021.

CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Brighstoneus

Hot on heels of the Ceratosuchops model announced last week, comes Brighstoneus an iguanodontid from the Isle of Wight that was, coincidently, formally named and described just a few weeks after Ceratosuchops in late 2021.

The reassessment of fossil bones found in 1978 close to the village of Brighstone on the south-western coast of the Isle of Wight, which had been thought to represent the genus Iguanodon, led to the naming of Brighstoneus (B. simmondsi).

CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Brighstoneus Model — *The CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Popular Brighstoneus dinosaur model. This ornithopod figure should be available from Everything Dinosaur in early 2023.*

Examination of the naris bone indicated that this dinosaur had a bulbous snout, and this feature has been incorporated into the new CollectA figure. The patterning on the model would have helped to camouflage this eight-metre-long herbivore and the white flash around the eye suggests that visual communication was very important to this animal that probably lived in herds.

This recently described dinosaur suggests that there are probably several different iguanodontids still awaiting discovery in the Wealden Group strata. It is great to see this model representing another member of the Wealden Group dinosaur biota added to the CollectA range.

CollectA Anomalocaris

The third in this trio of new CollectA models to be announced this week is a replica of the apex Cambrian predator Anomalocaris. This superb model of Anomalocaris canadensis from the famous Burgess Shale deposits of British Columbia joins a growing number of CollectA invertebrate models that represent iconic animals from the fossil record.

Anomalocaris is distantly related to extant crustaceans such as lobsters and shrimps. It is considered to be at the top of the earliest marine food chains because of its large body size, formidable grasping claws armed with sharp spikes and a ferocious-looking circular mouth positioned under the head. Once thought to measure more than a metre in length, most Burgess Shale specimens indicate a typical body length of thirty centimetres, still much bigger than virtually all of the other animals known from these Canadian Cambrian-aged deposits.

Model Measurements

CollectA Deluxe Ruyangosaurus (1:100 scale) – length 40 cm, height of head 29.5 cm.
CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Popular Brighstoneus – length 14.8 cm, height of head 4.8 cm.
CollectA Anomalocaris (Other Prehistoric Animals) – length 13 cm, height 3 cm.

This trio of fantastic CollectA figures are scheduled to be in stock at Everything Dinosaur in the early part of 2023.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s blog post about the first batch of new CollectA prehistoric animals for 2023 to be announced: New CollectA Models for 2023 (Part 1).

We will post up more details about new for 2023 CollectA models next Friday and a brief video about these three CollectA figures will shortly be posted up on Everything Dinosaur’s YouTube channel.

Visit Everything Dinosaur on YouTube (please subscribe): Everything Dinosaur on YouTube.

The newly announced Ruyangosaurus in 1/100th scale is part of the CollectA Deluxe range of models. To view the other scale replicas in this series: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life Models and Figures.

The Age of Dinosaurs Popular Brighstoneus and the stunning Anomalocaris model will be placed in the CollectA Prehistoric Life section of Everything Dinosaur’s website: CollectA Prehistoric Life Replicas.

31 10, 2022

Unique Halloween Dinosaurs – Clever Dinosaur Fans Get Creative

By Mike|2024-03-09T16:57:11+00:00October 31st, 2022|Categories: Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Photos|2 Comments

A highlight of the autumn is “All Hallows’ Eve” – Halloween. An opportunity to post up pics of some Halloween dinosaurs. It is time for some spooky stories, murderous monsters and scary skeletons, all harmless fun but 66 million years ago real monsters roamed planet Earth and one of the most frightening dinosaurs of them all was Spinosaurus, a giant carnivorous dinosaur that is thought to be the biggest meat-eating land animal that ever lived.

Our thanks to Caldey who sent in a picture of a spooky Spinosaurus holding a Halloween pumpkin.

Picture credit: Caldey

Terrifying Theropod

The “lion of the Jurassic” Allosaurus has joined in the Halloween fun and games, with Caldey sending into Everything Dinosaur a second picture of a Halloween pumpkin held in the jaws of a ferocious dinosaur.

Picture credit: Caldey

Halloween Dinosaurs

As we approach the “witching hour” we want to wish all our customers and readers a happy Halloween! “All Hallows’ Eve” is traditionally linked with demons and monsters and the fossil record is jam-packed full of very scary looking invertebrates and vertebrate specimens that would have been very much at home in the cast of a horror movie.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur thanked Caldey for sending in the cleverly composed Halloween dinosaur photographs and commented:

“We enjoyed looking at the dinosaur pictures and we appreciate the spooky lighting effect that Caldey has used to depict her Halloween dinosaurs.”

We wish all our readers a happy Halloween!

23 10, 2022

Fuelled by Dinosaurs Spotting a Funny Bumper Sticker

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:01:19+00:00October 23rd, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Geology, Main Page, Photos|1 Comment

Sometimes dinosaurs can be spotted in the most unusual places. For example, an eagle-eyed Everything Dinosaur team member spotted a fuelled by dinosaurs sticker on a car parked next to our “dino van” at our warehouse the other day.

Fuelled by Dinosaurs — Fuelled by recycled dinosaurs. A decal spotted on a car which was parked next to Everything Dinosaur’s “dino van”. Not sure if the statement made is technically correct but we appreciated the sentiment. We note the Americanised spelling of “fueled”. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

A Mistaken Assumption

The idea that petrol and other oil derived fuels are made up of the constituents of dead dinosaurs is a common assumption. Unfortunately, whilst it might please a petrol head to think that their super-charged, sports car is powered by long extinct animals like Triceratops and T. rex, this is not true. Fossil fuels such as petrol and natural gas are derived from the remains of (mostly) plant matter such as plankton (algae) laid down in a marine environment.

Most people understand that coal is derived from plant material, in the case of the UK, our plentiful and ubiquitous supplies of coal that fuelled the industrial revolution and industry until very recently largely consists of the remains of Carboniferous swamps and forests.

A carboniferous scene. — *By the Carboniferous, the insects were already highly diversified. These swamps formed the extensive coal measures associated with the UK. Picture credit: Richard Bizley.*

Fuelled by Dinosaurs

We are sorry car fans, for all you petrol heads out there, your vehicle is not powered by dinosaurs but by the ancient remains of some of the simplest, yet most important organisms on Earth – marine plankton.

Still, it’s a thought. Perhaps some clever car maker or another part of the oil or automotive industry will latch onto this misnomer and use it in their advertising. After all, not so long ago, a well-known brand of petrol advertised its fuel by stating put “a tiger in your tank”!

20 10, 2022

Special Models for Customers

By Mike|2022-10-21T10:03:52+01:00October 20th, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Animal News Stories, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Photos, Press Releases|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur’s team members receive lots of email enquiries every day including requests to source special models for customers. A mother of a reptile-obsessed dinosaur fan emailed us to ask could we source and supply some snake replicas. We made some enquiries and we were able to sort this out, bringing in some Squamata with our next shipment of Safari Ltd prehistoric animal models.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Snakes on a Shipment

You might have heard about the film “Snakes on a Plane”, starring Samuel L. Jackson. This film was released in 2006 to mixed reviews. In this instance, team members had to ensure there were “snakes on a shipment”, to satisfy the demands of a snake-loving dinosaur fan.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“If customers are looking to source some unusual models, or perhaps a replica that has been recently retired, we are happy to use our extensive contacts in the industry to see if we can obtain the figure for them.”

The snake models come from the Safari Ltd range of replicas, to view the Safari Ltd prehistoric animal models in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Figures and Models.

Special Models for Customers

Everything Dinosaur does supply some prehistoric snake models, for example the popular Rebor Titanoboa Museum Class Maquettes “Brian Diccus” and “Monty Resurgent”. These limited-production figures were introduced in 2020, a museu-quality replica of a Titanoboa swallowing its crocodilian prey.

To view the range of Rebor figures and replicas in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Rebor Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animal Replicas.

*The Rebor Titanoboa Museum Class Maquette Brian Diccus.*

When it came to handling the very realistic snake figures from Safari Ltd, team members tried not to be too squeamish, but whatever the model might be, we will try our best to source it and supply it, even if it is a green Anaconda!

To ask about how Everything Dinosaur can help you find a rare, retired or otherwise difficult to find model or figure: Contact Everything Dinosaur.

8 10, 2022

Meeting Some Old Friends – A Special Trip to a Museum

By Mike|2024-03-09T17:07:17+00:00October 8th, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

Whilst on a trip to Liverpool team members at Everything Dinosaur took the opportunity to briefly visit the fabulous Liverpool World Museum and meet up with some old friends. On the fourth floor in the dinosaur gallery there are some cases that display dinosaur replicas, typical examples of the fauna associated with a geological period, although our visit was short, we were able to take a photograph of the Jurassic dinosaur models that were on display.

Liverpool World Museum Jurassic dinosaurs. — *An exhibit at Liverpool World Museum showcasing typical Jurassic dinosaurs. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Jurassic Dinosaur Models

The display case shows a Stegosaurus (left), a sauropod (centre) and a replica of a theropod dinosaur (right). Everything Dinosaur does not know when the models were commissioned or installed but the exhibit could have been first set up in the 1970s. This display case has been a part of the Museum’s Earth Gallery for as long as we can remember.

The models, although carefully crafted, provide what is now a very outdated view of typical members of the Dinosauria. There is a certain nostalgia for exhibits such as this. Whilst it is acknowledged that this is not a modern depiction, over the years, we have grown rather fond of this trio of dinosaurs and others like them that adorn the display cabinets.

When visiting the fourth floor of the Liverpool World Museum to view the collection of fossils and the casts of dinosaurs on display, it is always a highlight of our visit to take a moment or two to reacquaint ourselves with some old friends.

4 10, 2022

Sue in Front of the Cameras

By Mike|2022-10-05T18:45:58+01:00October 4th, 2022|Categories: Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Photos, Press Releases|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur co-owner Sue in front of the cameras. Sue was asked by the BBC for an interview recently and although reluctant at first, she was persuaded to appear in front of the cameras. The interview was part of a package being developed for the BBC news channel. The interviewer praised Sue and commented that she was easy to interview and that her contribution to the piece was greatly appreciated.

*Sue from Everything Dinosaur being filmed and interviewed in our warehouse. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Nerve wracking in Front of the Cameras

Being interviewed and filmed can be quite nerve wracking. Sue admits that she is gradually gaining more confidence in front of the cameras, but it is still quite a stressful experience. She is much happier dealing with customer queries over the telephone, working on the accounts or packing orders, but sometimes media companies make requests, and we do our best to accommodate them.

Over the years, Everything Dinosaur has been involved in a number of media events and related activities, even working with film production companies. When media outlets are looking to feature a small business, one that sells dinosaurs and prehistoric animal models and toys, tends to stand out on the page.

However, the allure of the bright lights has not taken Sue away from her day-to-day duties. She is not off to Hollywood anytime soon. I don’t think we will have need to book a hotel room near Elstree Studios in the near future.

Sue in Front of the Cameras

Sue herself states:

“Although I am reluctant to be interviewed, I do get asked and I try my best. Often, I am told by the person supervising the filming or conducting the interview that they want to hear about women working in commerce. I suppose as our business is a little unusual, after all, we sell dinosaurs and prehistoric animals, media companies tend to migrate towards those business that are a little different and Everything Dinosaur is certainly different.”

Everything Dinosaur logo with ® trademark. Team members are interviewed by the media. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Dinosaur Toys and Games

The UK-based mail order business has built up a worldwide customer base with dinosaur toys, models and games being despatched to over 100 countries. Purchases are made on the company’s award-winning website.

To see the range of prehistoric animal themed toys, models and games available from Everything Dinosaur: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

2 09, 2022

Meeting “Deadly Doris” – A Stunning Museum Display

By Mike|2024-04-13T08:56:08+01:00September 2nd, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

Earlier this week, team members at Everything Dinosaur attended an event at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and whilst we were there, we took the opportunity to take some pictures of “Deadly Doris” the nickname given to the life-size Pliosaurus replica which is suspended from the Museum’s ceiling.

The Bristol Museum pliosaur. — 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.

Everything Dinosaur attended a special evening opening of the Museum to celebrate the life and works of Anthony Beeson, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Fans of dinosaur models will know of Anthony through his work with CollectA helping to design the prehistoric animal figures in the award-winning “Prehistoric World” model range.

However, Anthony was a true polymath with a huge range of interests and a very wide circle of friends. He was an expert on Greek and Roman art and architecture, a skilled painter, an archivist of the Association for Roman Archaeology, an author and the former art librarian at Bristol City Libraries.

He often talked about the fossils and other exhibits on display at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and although the museum was officially closed, we were able to take some photographs of the life-size replica of the “Westbury pliosaur” that is suspended from the ceiling in the Museum’s main atrium.

We were given the opportunity to say a few words to the audience who had gathered to show their appreciation for Anthony, as the pliosaur replica nicknamed “Deadly Doris” looked on.

CollectA with the assistance of Anthony Beeson have made some spectacular scale models of marine reptiles including a Pliosaurus: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life/World Models.

“Deadly Doris”

The partial remains of an eight-metre-long pliosaur were discovered in Lower Kimmeridge clay sediments at Westbury (Wiltshire) in 1994. The fossils representing a single animal, included a skull and jaws that were nearly two metres in length. The pliosaur was formally named and described in 2013 (Benson et al) as Pliosaurus carpenteri. The fossils are on display at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and artist Tony Hitchcock was commissioned to produce a life-size replica as part of the marine reptile exhibit.

As we gave our speech about Anthony and his contribution to the CollectA range, “Deadly Doris” looked down on proceedings. We are sure Anthony would have approved and been delighted with a pliosaur in attendance.

To view the CollectA not-to-scale Prehistoric Life range: CollectA Prehistoric Life/World Models.

22 08, 2022

A Beautiful Dragonfly is Spotted

By Mike|2024-04-19T06:19:30+01:00August 22nd, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Animal News Stories, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

A dragonfly has been spotted by Everything Dinosaur team members on a small patch of grass next to a drainage ditch outside the company’s warehouse. This is the first time that a dragonfly has been seen in the vicinity of the Everything Dinosaur warehouse. There is a small area of grass next to a drainage ditch and we suspect the dragonfly, possibly a male Common darter (Sympetrum striolatum) emerged from the ditch during the recent hot weather. Our litter picking and tidying up of this small body of water outside our warehouse is paying dividends.

Dragonfly spotted in grassland. — *Can you spot the dragonfly? Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

A Haven for Wildlife

The ditch is a haven for wildlife, and we have spotted several different species of water snails including the Great Pond Snail (Lymnaea stagnalis) and the Great Ramshorn (Planorbarius corneus). There are also small fish – we suspect Stickleback (Gasterosteidae family). There may also be frogs and newts, although we have not observed any amphibians to date, although we were visited by a young Mallard duck a few weeks ago.

Photographing the dragonfly was tricky, we could not get that close to our subject, but we tried our best.

A view of the dragonfly spotted in the grassland — *A close-up view of the dragonfly. We think this might be an immature male Common darter (Sympetrum striolatum). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented that it was always exciting to see a dragonfly. Due to loss of habitat and pollution, these magnificent insects are under threat in many parts of the UK. The earliest dragonfly fossils are known from the Carboniferous. Some of these Carboniferous forms (Meganisoptera order) were huge with wingspans in excess of sixty centimetres. Extant dragonflies (Odonata) are distantly related to these ancient, winged insects, the Odonata lineage may have evolved in the Late Permian.

A view of the dragonfly by an Everything Dinosaur team member. — *A close-up view of the dragonfly spotted outside the Everything Dinosaur warehouse.*

Spotting Dragonflies

The office pond has also produced dragonflies, although no Common darters. As the mature nymphs emerge from the pond, they climb up plant stems and prepare to shed their external skeletons and emerge as winged adults (Ecdysis).

Team members have already spotted several exuviae (shed exoskeletons) around the pond.

Dragonfly spotted around the office pond. — A dragonfly that has just emerged from Everything Dinosaur’s office pond. This picture shows a Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) – we think. The photograph was taken in 2020. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Let’s hope we see a few more dragonflies before the end of summer.

14 08, 2022

A Majestic Kingfisher! What a Beautiful Photograph!

By Mike|2024-05-12T07:32:48+01:00August 14th, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Animal News Stories, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

Our thanks to model collector and keen bird watcher Elizabeth who sent into Everything Dinosaur a fantastic photograph of a Kingfisher with its lunch. The lack of rainfall in most areas of the UK in recent months has led to water levels in rivers and lakes dropping. This has concentrated fish (the preferred prey of the Kingfisher), into ever decreasing pools and fish-eaters such as the beautiful Kingfisher have been taking advantage of the easier access to prey.

Kingfisher image. — *The “King of the River” one of the most spectacular of Britain’s birds – a close-up view of the beautiful plumage of a Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis). Picture credit: Elizabeth.*

The drought could have long-term implications for local Kingfisher populations, particularly if ponds and other water sources dry up. Team members at Everything Dinosaur do occasionally catch the glimpse of a pair of iridescent wings, or a splash of orange colour, as they walk along the canal and the river on their way to work. There are Kingfishers in our neighbourhood, but these short-lived birds are notoriously difficult to spot.

Our thanks to Elizabeth for sending in her superb photograph. We think this might be a male. Female Kingfishers have an orange/pinkish tinge to their lower beak. In contrast, the males tend to have black beaks. A tip to help you remember the difference between male and female Kingfishers is to think of the female birds wearing pink lipstick on their lower mandibles.

It is a superb, close-up view of one of our country’s most colourful birds.

2 08, 2022

Archaeologists Battle Tides and Time

By Mike|2023-04-17T12:54:04+01:00August 2nd, 2022|Categories: Adobe CS5, Main Page, Photos|0 Comments

Dedicated and enthusiastic field team members led by Dr Julie Bond (University of Bradford) are battling time and tides to document an Iron Age settlement and other important archaeological finds before the elements take their toll.

Dedicated and Enthusiastic Archaeologists

Dr Bond with her colleagues and students studying Archaeological and Forensic Sciences are battling against erosion to uncover artefacts and document the site located on the island of Rousay in the Orkneys (Scotland).

Field workers battle to protect the Iron Age settlement. — *Field workers battle to protect the Iron Age settlement on the Scottish island of Rousay, Orkney. Picture credit: The University of Bradford.*

A Large Iron Age Settlement

The site, located at the Knowe of Swandro, on the west coast of Rousay has been occupied from around 1000BC to AD1200. As well as the Iron Age roundhouses, there are the remains of Pict buildings, a Viking settlement and a Norse Long Hall, all of which are threatened by coastal erosion.

The area is considered to be one of the most important locations for documenting the history of Scandinavian settlers in the British Isles.

Honorary Researcher, Dr Steve Dockrill warned that this project is a race against tides and time. Nature will win in the end, but the hardworking team are determined to map and document the site and collect artefacts to preserve evidence of human habitation.

Dr Dockrill stated:

“A substantial Iron Age roundhouse, which forms the focus of a village-like settlement is being eroded by the sea. The large roundhouse had been lived in by generations for a millennium or more, and shows signs of a number of building events modifying the structure.”

Coastal Erosion

Coastal erosion, accelerated by rising sea levels is an increasing threat to sites such as these. The Knowe of Swandro location is providing archaeologists with a unique opportunity to explore the construction of the roundhouse and surrounding buildings.

Dr Dockrill added:

“The site is rich in cultural material and evidence for the use of land and sea in terms of agriculture and fishing. This site is being destroyed by the sea. Over a third of the roundhouse has been lost to coastal erosion. Despite this we are uncovering new evidence for life in the Iron Age and are using the latest technology to record the archaeological evidence before it vanishes”

The University of Bradford-led excavation is working in partnership with the Swandro Orkney Coastal Archaeology Trust, to investigate the site. The Swandro Orkney Coastal Archaeology Trust relies on public donations to fund its work and has HRH Prince Charles as its patron.

To date, the dedicated team have found bone tools, jewellery, shards of pottery and a late Roman coin. A rare Iron Age glass bead has also been uncovered, this could have been part of a piece of jewellery or perhaps a gaming piece.

Students from the University of Bradford on the Archaeological and Forensic Sciences course travel to the Orkneys to gain practical work experience.

Student Michal Szedzielorz commented:

“This is an amazing experience. I have learnt more in 6 weeks than I ever expected. I have learnt so many new practical skills and a better understanding of archaeology.”

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Whilst the actions of waves and tides can reveal archaeological and palaeontological treasures, these same forces can destroy, and we wish all the field team members every success with their endeavours.”

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bradford in the compilation of this article.

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