A lithe and graceful looking model of the Late Jurassic dinosaur known as Ceratosaurus has been added to the Wild Dinos, not-to-scale model range made by Safari Ltd of the United States. This is the second theropod dinosaur model to be added to this series in 2012, the first being a model of the much larger and later dinosaur known as Acrocanthosaurus. It is good to see this contemporary of Allosaurus (Ceratosaurus nasicornis) being added to a mainstream model range.
Fossils of Ceratosaurus
Fossils of Ceratosaurus were discovered in the late 19th century by a local farmer hired by an American palaeontologist to look for dinosaur fossils in the countryside of the state of Colorado (United States). Fossils of this particular meat-eating dinosaur have been found in Upper Jurassic aged strata and the fossils have been found in association with another, much larger predatory dinosaur known as Allosaurus. When scientists first examined, what turned out to be a nearly complete skeleton of this dinosaur, they noticed that the animal had a proportionately longer tail than the Allosaurus. Using this information and comparing the dinosaurs with crocodiles alive today, the scientists speculated that Ceratosaurus lived in water and that the long tail would have helped this animal to swim. Palaeontologists today, depict Ceratosaurus as a fully terrestrial, lithe and active hunter.
Wild Safari Dinos Ceratosaurus
The Wild Dinosaurs Ceratosaurus Model
“Horned Lizard” dinosaur model.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The Wild Dinos replica by Safari Ltd measures a little over twenty centimetres in length. It does indeed have a long, graceful tail, so the design team have taken note of the actual fossil evidence. Although, this particular dinosaur genus is known from quite extensive fossil material, scientists are unsure as to how big this dinosaur was. Conservative estimates depict this dinosaur at about four metres in length. Based on this assumption, the model is approximately in 1:20 scale.
This dinosaur was named after the prominent horn located on the top of its snout and the model does have a single horn, painted a dark brown colour. The crests over the eye sockets are also very prominent and painted the same colour. The eye itself is relatively small, surprising really when the size of the orbit in the fossil skull is considered. The body is painted a dusky brown colour with a lighter, pale underside, reflecting the current trend in dinosaur model painting of giving replicas a contrasting colour under the body. The long tail shows lots of detail and the narrow jaws, so typical of ceratosaurs are very well sculpted.
This is an impressive dinosaur model, it is a treat to see a Jurassic theropod dinosaur model introduced that is not an Allosaurus. The size of this Wild Safari Dinos Ceratosaurus model permits it to work well and in scale with Allosaurus models created by other figure manufacturers.
Providing Assistance to the Parents of a Graduate – Quetzalcoatlus
Our team members tend to get a lot of emails and letters, we try our best to respond to all those that require a reply. One of the more unusual requests for assistance received by Everything Dinosaur involved a graduate, geologists and azhdarchid pterosaurs.
Everything Dinosaur
Genny Marcus Haskins has just graduated with a degree in Wildlife Conservation – our congratulations to her. Her parents, Sue and Roger are both geologists. When Genny was born, instead of a stork being depicted on cards announcing the birth of their daughter, Sue and Roger decided that it would be more appropriate to illustrate Genny’s arrival with a pterosaur carrying their little bundle of joy in its jaws, rather than the traditional stork.
Graduation Card
When Genny graduated from high school, a geologist/artist friend revised the non-stork/pterosaur image providing an updated picture of a flying reptile. As Genny aged, so pterosaurs evolved – that was the general idea. So when Genny graduated with her degree, it was necessary to find a picture of another, later type of flying reptile and the Quetzalcoatlus, one of the last of the pterosaurs (Maastrichtian faunal stage), and one of the largest known was selected.
Genny’s Unique Graduation Card
Keeping up with the evolution of the Pterosauria.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Sue Marcus and Roger Haskins
The picture above shows the graduation card that team members at Everything Dinosaur helped design. We were happy to help out these geologists from overseas, although we are not sure how we managed to have a Velociraptor photographed lurking behind the card, with all the dinosaur toys and games we have, we suppose that this was always going to happen. Still Genny is in no danger, she can always escape by taking to the air.
Glad to have helped out, from all of us at Everything Dinosaur, good luck with the job hunt Genny.
Slowly but surely we are getting the promised video reviews of some of the new prehistoric animal models that have been released this year completed. Below is Everything Dinosaur’s review of the new Velociraptor replica produced by Schleich as part of their “World of History” model series. Everything Dinosaur reviews the Schleich Velociraptor dinosaur model.
Schleich Velociraptor Dinosaur Model
Like the other theropods in this range, Velociraptor has an articulated lower jaw. It is intriguing to see a new replica of this Asian predator from the Late Cretaceous without any feathery covering.
The Everything Dinosaur Video Review of Velociraptor
Everything Dinosaur reviews the Schleich Velociraptor dinosaur model.
Video credit: Everything Dinosaur
There are a number of Velociraptor replicas on the market at the moment, most of the newly released ones have a covering of shaggy proto-feathers. This model, made by Schleich of Germany bucks this trend, but there are hints of feathers on this replica – this five minute video explains.
The new Schleich Velociraptor dinosaur model is a welcome addition to this model series “World of History”. A range of dinosaur, pterosaur, marine reptile and other prehistoric animal figures that has recently been expanded.
A model of a dinosaur associated with wizards and magic has been added to the Wild Dinosaurs replica series manufactured by Safari Ltd. This model is one of four new additions to this prehistoric animal figure range this year. The other new dinosaurs featured are Ceratosaurus, Acrocanthosaurus (both predators) and the horned dinosaur Vagaceratops. Everything Dinosaur team members review the Wild Dinos Dracorex model.
Wild Dinos Dracorex Model
Dracorex is a member of the pachycephalosaur family, a group of dinosaurs that are also known as “bone-heads”, as in some types of pachycephalosaur the brain cases of these dinosaurs were thickened and reinforced. Fossils of pachycephalosaurs are extremely rare, only one fossil specimen of Dracorex has been discovered to date, the fossil remains consist of a very well preserved skull, some cervical vertebrae (neck bones) and a single tooth. The fossils of this dinosaur were found in the famous Hell Creek Formation, Dracorex was named and described by the American palaeontologist Bob Bakker in 2006. Although, not large by dinosaur standards, this animal measured something like three metres in length and would have weighed perhaps as much as ninety kilograms.
The New Dracorex Dinosaur Model (Safari Ltd Wild Dinos)
New Dracorex dinosaur model available.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The species name Dracorex hogwartsia honours the author J. K. Rowling, the writer of the Harry Potter books. The scientists thought that the skull of this dinosaur resembled the skull of a dragon and with its strange lumps and bumps it looked quite magical. This coupled with the reaction of young visitors to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, where the skull was first put on display, convinced the scientists to name this dinosaur after dragons and the fictional school – Hogwarts from the Harry Potter books. This dinosaur with its fearsome appearance may have inspired its name of “Dragon King of Hogwarts School” but it was in fact a herbivore.
The Safari Ltd model depicts this particular dinosaur as a facultative quadruped, an animal that may have walked on all fours, but was capable, when it wanted to, of being able to run on its hind legs only – adopting a bipedal stance. The model measures twenty centimetres long approximately and based on the actual animal being around three metres in length, we estimate that this dinosaur model is in 1:15 scale.
Just for a bit of fun, our dinosaur experts, at Everything Dinosaur, played around with the Dracorex images and tried to create an impression of what a juvenile member of this species might have looked like.
Dracorex Adult and Juvenile as Depicted by Everything Dinosaur
Mum and baby dragons.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
To create the juvenile we toned down the cheek colour, reduced the amount of dermal armour shown in the hide and scaled down the illustration. No fossils of juveniles have ever been found, but this illustration was made using fossil material examples from immature dinosaurs and sub-adults preserved in the fossil record.
Dracorex Dinosaur Replica
The dinosaur replica is beautifully painted with a combination of bright green, mustard yellow and black. The cheek areas (this dinosaur could chew its food and so possessed cheeks to help it process plant material in its mouth most probably), are painted a vivid, striking orange. The various knobs, bumps and horns on the skull are nicely depicted and the design team have given Dracorex a rough skin texture with small pieces of dermal armour embedded in its back.
It is good to see such an unusual member of the Dinosauria added to a quality dinosaur model range such as the Wild Dinos series. This highly detailed replica will no doubt, prove popular with dinosaur model collectors as well as fans of science and fantasy novels.
Today, is World Turtle Day, a day to that is marked by a number of conservation organisations worldwide to increase our knowledge of, and respect for all things chelonian. These ancient creatures evolved before the dinosaurs and there are something like 250 species alive today. Most are threatened and vulnerable to extinction. One of the aims of World Turtle Day is to raise awareness about these reptiles and to highlight the ways in which mankind and our activity is affecting these creature’s and their chances of survival. In today’s blog post we discuss the discovery of a giant freshwater turtle fossil from a Columbian coal mine.
Chelonia are Parareptiles
Turtles are classed as Parareptiles, they are not closely related to the dinosaurs, or indeed marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. The shell, an armoured covering that protects the body of these creatures is a highly modified ribcage covered by armour plating. Palaeontologists believe that the first turtles and tortoises evolved around 220 million years ago (Triassic), a time when the dinosaurs themselves were evolving into a myriad of different forms.
The exact ancestry of the Chelonia is disputed, some scientists have postulated that they evolved from a group of Permian reptiles known as the pareiasaurs, these animals also possessed body armour and some pareiasaurs grew into giant forms like the car-sized Scutosaurus. It had been thought that the largest members of the Chelonia lived during the Cretaceous period, giant marine reptiles like the four-metre-long Archelon, but researchers and field workers exploring a remarkable Palaeogene-aged deposit have uncovered the fossilised remains of giant freshwater turtle – the largest freshwater member of the turtle family discovered so far.
Giant Freshwater Turtle
Scientists from North Carolina State University have been exploring a remarkable sixty-million-year-old, highly fossiliferous deposit in Colombia that has given palaeontologists a remarkable insight into a world recovering from the Cretaceous mass extinction event. The vertebrates that survived the events that saw the demise of the dinosaurs were able to slowly recover and to diversify. In a world with few large animals and in a very warm, global climate the reptiles once again began to thrive and the fossil record in a Colombian coal mine has revealed giant crocodiles, huge snakes and now the fossils of a freshwater turtle that was the size of a dining table.
After the Cretaceous extinction event, global temperatures soared and for many millions of years, certainly for the majority of the geological period known as the Palaeogene, these high temperatures led to the development of widespread, tropical rainforests. It has been estimated that the average global temperatures were around two times as high as they are today. Rainforests covered most of North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Reptiles thrived in these conditions and the coal measures in the Colombian mine are providing scientists with evidence of some of the giant forms of reptiles that evolved to fill the ecological niches left by the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Carbonemys cofrinii
The new genus of giant freshwater turtle has been formally named Carbonemys cofrinii. The name means “coal turtle”. It belongs to a group of turtles that are still around today, although none of C. cofrinii’s modern counterparts are as big. Details of this new reptile discovery have just been published in the highly respected scientific publication “The Journal of Systematic Palaeontology”.
An Artist’s Impression of the Crocodile-eating Turtle
PhD student Edwin A. Cadena poses next to the shell of Carbonemys.
Picture credit: North Carolina State
Giant Freshwater Turtle
This giant, freshwater turtle has been classified as member of the Suborder Pleurodira, a group of turtles that pull their necks into their shells side-ways. Until this new discovery, another member of this Suborder, species known as Stupendemys geographicus was believed to be the largest freshwater turtle that ever existed. In fact, some scientists have estimated that based on the fossil evidence found so far, S. geographicus is larger than the Colombian fossil find.
Carbonemys cofrinii had a skull over ten inches long. The first fossil evidence of this creature was found at the coal mine site back in 2005, elements of the carapace was found in close proximity to the fossilised bones. The shell measures 172 centimetres in length, about the size of a family dining table.
All extant turtles and tortoises have a highly adaptable beak. Although modern forms eat a variety of foods – from plants to jellyfish, the palaeontologists have suggested that the strong beak of Carbonemys cofrinii indicate that this creature was a carnivore – capable of catching fish, crushing shellfish in its beak and even preying on crocodiles that shared its freshwater environment.
Studying the Columbian Deposits
The Colombian deposits have revealed a remarkable Palaeogene ecosystem that was dominated by giant reptiles. The apex predator may well have been Titanoboa – at over fifty feet in length the largest snake known in the fossil record. C. cofrinii may have evolved large size and a super strong shell to protect itself from attacks from other giant reptiles such as Titanoboa (Titanoboa cerrejonensis).
A Replica of the Giant Snake Titanoboa
The assembled Rebor Titanoboa Museum Class Maquette Brian Diccus prehistoric animal model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The image above shows a Rebor Museum Class Titanoboa figure.
The fossils were first found by North Carolina PhD student Edwin Cadena who commented:
“We had recovered smaller turtle specimens from the site. But after spending about four days working on uncovering the shell, I realized that this particular turtle was the biggest anyone had found in this area for this time period – and it gave us the first evidence of gigantism in freshwater turtles.”
Turtles and tortoises co-existed with the dinosaurs for millions of years, but when the dinosaurs became extinct a whole range of new ecological niches were opened up and some of these niches were filled by the likes of Carbonemys cofrinii.
Scientists have put forward a number of explanations as to why giant reptiles evolved in this part of South America. Firstly, the environment was warm and wet, ideal for reptiles. There were few large predators, plenty of food and a relatively stable climate that permitted these giant genera to evolve and thrive.
So far, only one fossil specimen of this huge size has been discovered. Research Associate at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the State’s palaeontologist Dr Dan Ksepka believes that this type of creature, an apex predator would have been relatively rare. Creatures this size would need a large territory to sustain them, even though their cold-blooded metabolism meant that they would not have needed to consume as much food as a warm-blooded mammal of similar size.
Dr Ksepka, co-author of the paper that describes this discovery, stated:
“It’s like having one big snapping turtle living in the middle of a lake. That turtle survives because it has eaten all of the major competitors for resources. We found many bite-marked shells at this site that show crocodilians preyed on side-necked turtles. None would have bothered an adult Carbonemys, though – in fact smaller crocodiles would have been easy prey for this behemoth.”
The Colombian coal mine may not be a viable source of fossil fuel any more but it is provided scientists with a remarkable insight into life on Earth shortly after the dinosaurs became extinct.
The scientific paper: “New pelomedusoid turtles from the late Palaeocene Cerrejón Formation of Colombia and their implications for phylogeny and body size evolution” by Edwin A. Cadena, Daniel T. Ksepka, Carlos A. Jaramillo and Jonathan I. Bloch published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
A Review of the Wild Safari Dinos Vagaceratops Dinosaur Model
Part the 2012 additions to the Safari Ltd “Wild Dinos” model series, this model of the Vagaceratops is bound to be of interest to dinosaur model collectors. Although the fossil material relating to this dinosaur was first studied more than ten years ago, it was only in 2010 that the genus of Vagaceratops was established (following a review of the fossils and the discovery of Kosmoceratops).
Wild Safari Dinos Vagaceratops
This model represents one of four new models in the Wild Dinos series made by Safari Ltd. Ironically, the Marginocephalia (bird-hipped dinosaurs with a bony shelf at the back of their heads), represent fifty percent of the new additions, with this Vagaceratops being joined by the pachycephalosaur Dracorex.
The Vagaceratops Dinosaur Model (Wild Dinos Series)
“Wandering Horned Dinosaur” – Vagaceratops.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Dinosaur Provincial Park Formation
Known from a few isolated pieces of skull and the one distorted skeleton found in the Dinosaur Provincial Park Formation of Alberta, Canada, Vagaceratops had a large neck frill that was about one metre wide at the top. The frill was not solid bone. It had a pair of large holes within it, these were very probably covered in skin. These holes (the scientific term is fenestrae), served to lighten the skull. This dinosaur had a single, broad horn located on the top of its snout.
Although a horned dinosaur associated with northern latitudes, it seems that it shared its environment with another horned dinosaur, as fossils of Styracosaurus have been found in the same aged strata.
The model measures a little under twenty centimetres in length from the tip of its horny beak at the front of its jaws down to the tip of the tail. As palaeontologists have estimated this ceratopsian to have been around four and a half metres in length we estimate that this dinosaur model is in approximately 1:20 scale.
The model is well painted. It being coloured in a predominately sandy/brown hue. This is an interesting choice by the designers at Safari Ltd, as the fossils of this particular horned dinosaur have been found in strata laid down in a lush, wet, floodplain environment. The colour choice on this dinosaur model, seems more suited to a dinosaur that may have lived in dry, arid, desert environments.
The skin on the model shows lots of texture and fine detail, the face and the open mouth have been carefully painted and the characteristic curled over bony, lumps on the top of the animal’s neck frill can be clearly made out on the model. The design team have obviously paid attention to the fossil material ascribed to this genus.
The dinosaur’s tail has a set of stripes on it and it is pleasing to note that this horned dinosaur has the correct number of toes on each foot, an error in some horned dinosaur models of lesser quality.
In all in, an exciting edition to the Wild Dinos range and one that will impress dinosaur enthusiasts and model collectors.
The Everything Dinosaur Banner Showing Some new Safari Ltd Models
Dinosaur models on display a banner by Everything Dinosaur.
A team of palaeontologists and researchers have announced the discovery of a number new meat-eating dinosaurs that roamed the Early Cretaceous in what was to become Utah’s Arches National Park. The three new dinosaurs, include a new raptor (dromaeosaur) that has been scientifically described as a basal dromaeosaur, perhaps an ancestor of Utahraptor, the largest dromaeosaur discovered so far. This new raptor has been formally named Yurgovuchia doellingi. Scientists have speculated that there may be as many six new species of dinosaur described from this rich fossil bed, which is part of the Cedar Mountain Formation.
State palaeontologist for Utah’s Geological Survey, Jim Kirkland stated:
“All we are finding are new species. I think there are places where what we are seeing is evolving populations.”
The State of Utah in western North America (United States), is one of the best locations to find Mesozoic-aged vertebrate fossils in the Americas. The state has already got a number of unique dinosaur genera associated with it. The three new dromaeosaurid specimens, including the newly named Y. doellingi are associated with the Yellow Cat Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation. Specifically, Y. doellingi and one other specimen are associated with the earlier strata, known as the Lower Yellow Cat, whilst a beautifully preserved fossilised dromaeosaur tail, which also may represent a new genus or raptor is associated with the Upper Yellow Cat.
Dromaeosaur Dinosaur Discoveries
The fossil site, described as “one of the richest in the entire United States”, is helping palaeontologists to piece together the diverse dinosaur fauna that inhabited this part of the world during the Early Cretaceous.
A Scale Drawing of Yurgovuchia doellingi showing Fossil Bones Found
Lion-sized dromaeosaur from the Early Cretaceous.
Picture credit: PLoS One/Senter et al.
The new dinosaur is believed to be an ancestral relative of the much larger Utahraptor, based on similarities in pieces of fossilized vertebrae recovered. In both species, the bundles of rods that jut out from the vertebrae to form the raptor’s tail are shortened, the State geologist commented. Although only fragmentary remains have been found so far, the bones are sufficiently different from other dromaeosaurs to be described as a new genus. The cat in the drawing gives a scale for Y. doellingi. This dinosaur was about the size of a mountain lion, and it would have been a formidable predator, especially if it was a pack hunter.
The Ute Indian Word for Coyote
The new dinosaur’s name was based on the Ute Indian word for coyote, “yurgovuch,” and for the location where it was found, itself named after Utah palaeontologist Helmut Doelling, whose geological mapping of the Arches region in this part of Utah led to the discovery of this extensive bone bed.
A Model of the Largest Dromaeosaur Known to Science – Utahraptor
Dromaeosaurs were light, agile predators with a raised second toe on each foot that had a large , sickle-like claw, described as a “killing claw”.
Field workers first came across the fossils that make up the Yurgovuchia doellingi specimen back in 2005 when exploring the fossil bone bed.
A scientific paper which describes this new Utah discovery, a collaboration between Utah Geological Survey palaeontologists and dromaeosaurid expert Phil Senter of the University of North Carolina, was published this week in the scientific journal known as the Public Library of Science (PLoS One).
The two other sets of fossilised bones attributed to dromaeosaurs are most probably from new species as well. One of the fossils is that of a broken but distinctive skeleton of a raptor’s tail. Scientists used ultra violet light to scan the fossil matrix in the laboratory so that the bone material could be picked out more clearly.
The Fossilised Dinosaur Tail (Fossil Material and UV Scan)
UV light highlights dinosaur tail fossil.
Picture credit: PLoS One/Senter et al.
Both the fossilised tail and the other dromaeosaur material needs more study and the Utah Geological Survey plans additional excavation work.
Palaeontologists and field workers had also identified the partial remains of a sauropod dinosaur (long-necked dinosaur) at the same location. This too, may represent a new species, providing scientists with an intriguing insight into the fauna of the Early Cretaceous.
The scientific paper: “New Dromaeosaurids (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Utah, and the Evolution of the Dromaeosaurid Tail” by Phil Senter, James I. Kirkland, Donald D. De Blieux, Scott Madsen and Natalie Toth published in PLoS One.
Tarbosaurus bataar sold for £630,000 Despite Restraining Order
The tyrannosaurid skeleton, representing a animal known as Tarbosaurus bataar (also known as Tyrannosaurus bataar) has been sold at an auction in New York despite the best efforts of Mongolian officials to prevent the sale. The mounted skeleton, representing a nearly complete, sub-adult specimen was sold for the sum of $1,052,500 USD, a little more than the pre-auction estimate. The identity of the purchaser is not being publicised but it is believed to be a private individual.
The sale of the fossil material has attracted a great deal of controversy, as the specimen is believed to have been collected in the Gobi desert (Mongolia), a part of the world where the export and sale of such fossil material has been illegal for fifty years or so. A restraining order was organised through a Texas court, but despite protests from the judge concerned the auction went ahead.
Tyrannosaurid Skeleton
The auction took place on Sunday, despite the protests from the Mongolian president. Elbegdorj Tsakhia stated that the skeleton, unearthed in the Gobi Desert, came from Mongolia and that exporting fossils found in the country is illegal. Team members at Everything Dinosaur signed a petition to try to prevent the sale, but it looks like the specimen sale will now go ahead. Legal advisers for the auction house – Heritage Auctions, based in New York, stated that the sale did not break any U.S. laws, but the lawyers will not confirm the sale until it has been approved by a U.S. court and the matter regarding the restraining order is dealt with.
A Typical Tyrannosaur Skeleton
Controversial tyrannosaur auction.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We always feel a sense of loss when we see such fossil material auctioned off. Most public bodies are not able to compete with wealthy, private individuals and the sale of such rare fossils deprives the public from viewing these specimens as well as preventing scientists from being able to study them in most cases.”
The sale of this particular meat-eating dinosaur is controversial because doubts have been raised as to how this specimen could have left Mongolia when such activities have been banned for the best part of half a century. The auction house will make about 15% commission on the sale, and the seller will of course pocket the balance remaining. With a sale value in excess of £630,000, there are large sums of money involved.
Newly introduced into the eclectic Wild Safari Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life model series is this new interpretation of the Early Cretaceous, super-predator Acrocanthosaurus. Safari had introduced many years ago now, a model of this American dinosaur as part of their Carnegie Collectibles range, but this replica was retired about twelve months ago. This new, not-to-scale Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur model is an updated version, reflecting the latest scientific interpretation of this formidable carnivore.
Acrocanthosaurus, means “High-spined Lizard”. This dinosaur was named after the tall neural spines that ran along the animal’s backbone, the function of these spines, some of which measure nearly three times the height of the vertebrae from which they project, is not known although some palaeontologists have suggested that these spines supported a fleshy hump that allowed this reptile to store fat to enable it to get through seasons when food resources would have been scarce. This Wild Safari Dinos Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur model is certainly an excellent replica.
Being able to store food would have been an effective strategy for such a large predator, especially since some scientists who have studied dinosaur tracks found in Texas have proposed that this dinosaur may have lived and hunted in packs. Such a group of Acrocanthosaurus dinosaurs, perhaps half a dozen individuals would have needed substantial quantities of meat to keep themselves fit (assuming that these animals were warm-blooded).
Acrocanthosaurus Dinosaur Model
Known from just a handful of fossil specimens, representing four individuals, scientists have been unable to establish just how big this dinosaur (Acrocanthosaurus atokensis) was, but conservative estimates have given this animal’s length at around twelve metres, a hip height in excess of four metres and a body weight of around two tonnes.
An Illustration of Acrocanthosaurus (based on earlier Safari Ltd Replica
An illustration of Acrocanthosaurus.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The new model made by Safari Ltd, measures around twenty-two centimetres in length, with a head-height in excess of nine centimetres. Painted a light, brown colour for the most part, this model has a white underneath and a contrasting black band running from the top of the snout, across the back for the skull and down the backbone to the tip of the long tail. This replica has been posed with the tail extended out behind it, a change from the earlier Safari Ltd model of this dinosaur that had the end of the tail touching the ground.
The long, slightly narrow jaws and the broad muzzle of this meat-eating dinosaur are re-created in detail on this model. The head shows lots of care and attention to detail with the painting. The majority of the head is an off-white colour which contrasts well against the black band that runs along the top of the skull.
The Wild Safari Dinosaurs Acrocanthosaurus
Interesting colour scheme for a predatory dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The different colours on the head, reflect current scientific thinking that visual signals were very important to the Dinosauria. Such a striking appearance may have come about as the animals matured and became the dominant members of their pack. This replica with its deep, broad chest and strong forelimbs, each ending in three-clawed fingers depicts Acrocanthosaurus as a powerful, active hunter. No doubt this new interpretation will proved popular with dinosaur model collectors.
The design team at CollectA have created a number of dinosaur models over the years, they have been keen to show the diversity of the Dinosauria. However, they deserve praise for also introducing a number of marine reptile models into the CollectA series model range. The not-to-scale model of the marine reptile known as Dolichorhynchops is one of their latest additions to their already extensive prehistoric animal model range. Team members at Everything Dinosaur review the CollectA Dolichorhynchops model.
CollectA Dolichorhynchops Model
Dolichorhynchops was not a dinosaur but a marine reptile. A short-necked plesiosaur from the Late Cretaceous of North America which scientists believe ate fish and may have grown to lengths in excess of five metres long. The first, nearly complete specimen of Dolichorhnychops was found by George Sternberg, the teenage son of the famous American palaeontologist Charles Sternberg. The fossils were found in Kansas, USA, which during the Late Cretaceous formed part of a wide, shallow sea that divided North America in half.
This sea is known as the Western Interior Seaway. Two species of Dolichorhynchops (pronounced Dol-ee-koh-rin-kops) are known, this model may represent the species called D. osborni is the larger with an estimated maximum length of 5 metres. Dolichorhynchops was formally named and described by the American palaeontologist Samuel Wendell Williston in 1902.
The model from CollectA is an intriguing representation of the known fossil material. The replica has a large head, with long, narrow jaws lined with sharp teeth. The tip of the jaws are slightly kinked and the teeth a little larger, forming a rostrum effect. Scientists believe that the teeth at the front of the jaws were bigger as they helped this agile swimmer snap up fish as they swam nearby.
The CollectA Dolichorhynchops Marine Reptile Model
“Long Snout Face” – Dolichorhynchops.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The model has big eyes, (helping it to spot its prey), and nostrils that are positioned correctly towards the rear of the long jaws. The four, roughly equal-sized flippers are stiff and would have provided this marine reptile with its propulsion. The tail is stumpy and narrows to a point. It is good to see that the design team have given this reptile a long, flexible neck – ideal for swishing side-to-side through a shoal of fish.
The model measures approximately twelve centimetres in length, making it about 1:40 scale. It is nicely painted with a dark brown back and head, merging into a lighter, sandy coloured underbelly and flank.
There are not many models of this Late Cretaceous marine reptile available, it is pleasing to see that CollectA have added a model of a Dolichorhynchops marine reptile to their dinosaur model range.
