Pteraspis (Dino Tales Series 2 by Kaiyodo)

The Pteraspis was an Early Devonian fish and it’s quite representative among heterostracans (primitive armoured fishes with no lateral fins as we know them and with no internal bone) as it defines the group of pteraspids. These had a more dynamic body plan, other early fishes, (like Sacabambaspis) are less fish-like. Pteraspids have already a forked tail that must have made them quite hydrodynamic, while the large chunks of armour protected them from the attack of predators (there were limits though, one must have in mind that there were really big threats back then, I have in mind the Sibbick image where a Pterygotus is chasing a group of Pteraspis). Undoubtedly this guys was a peaceful algae and plankton grazer, the mouth was barely large enough for the fish to filter properly. It’s been speculated that it lived near the surface in the midst of clouds of food. But all good things have to end, after the first big radiation, agnathans stopped being succesful and were rapidly outmanoeuvered by other fishes.

As a huge fan of prehistoric fishes, I truly treasure this unusual figure. There are not many heterostracan figures out there (the Starlux Drepanaspis comes to mind). It took me a while to find it, so if you see it, catch it, it’s obviously an uncommon choice and it’s marvelously detailed. The most representative things about Pteraspis: one, the large spiny projection growing on the back, and two, the large rostrum with also a long projection. Both are present on this representation, although perhaps both are larger than a conservative estimate would suggest. The rostrum is a little pointier than it should be. The main colour is brown orange, which is the color of the resin it’s made out of. The bone plaques are covered with a pearl-like iridescence and have a pattern of spots and stripes. The spine and the rostrum become clearer (the base is semiopaque). The posterior part of the body, covered in beautifully detailed scales, is delineated by a black stripe and is decorated by tiny black and yellowish spots. The entry of the mouth is represented by a pinkish zone where the rostrum spine begins. Kaiyodo did an amazing job and there are more details if one looks closely. The shape of the tail (the lower lobe being more prominent than the upper one), the smaller spines, the bony protuberances of the dorsal shield and the tiny (albeit unpainted, which makes them almost invisible) eyes are there but what astonishes me is that on both shields we can see the rings that represent the growth stages of the animal (these markings are very typical on pteraspid fossils).

As always, the details put to shame many larger series (sadly, that includes other Kaiyodo lines, such as Dinoland). It’s very small (roughly 8 cm) but I can’t think of a better figure.

Second Dinosaur Toy Forum Diorama Contest

We are happy to announce that the Second Dinosaur Toy Forum Diorama Contest, sponsored by Fauna Casts, is now open! And this year there are prizes too!

last year’s winning diorama by Bokisaurus

basic guidelines:

-Entry is free.

-All member of the Dinosaur Toy Forum, including staff, are invited to participate. Non-members wishing to participate are invited to register to the forum, this is free.

-There are no categories. Your diorama has to be about prehistoric organisms (chalicotheres, stethacanthids, Triceratops, whatever– as long as it is prehistoric!).

-Each entry should be submitted as a jpg file and must be accompanied by a creative title.

-The deadline is June 15th 2009! (entries received after 00.00 hours GMT June 16th will be invalid) (That gives you plenty of time to make either a jungle-y diorama or a ice age diorama.)

-One diorama entry per member.

-Your diorama entry should be sent to Cordylus via PM (private message) on the Dinosaur Toy Forum.

-If you have entered a diorama, you can’t send another to replace the first one!

-Dioramas have to be new (never made before).

-You have to be the maker of the diorama. Stealing somebody else’s diorama will result in disqualification.

-Photoshop is allowed, but the original photograph(s) must be your own.

-Winners will be decided by a poll open to all forum members, entries will remain anonymous until the winners are announced.

Prizes!

This year there will be prizes for first, second and third place winners, courtesy of our kind sponsor Fauna Casts (by Dinonikes). There will be a Tyrannosaurus, a Dilophosaurus (see photos below), and a yet to be announced third figure! First place winner will get first choice, second place will get second choice and third place will get third choice. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Dinonikes. All three winners and the three runners up will also be featured in a special ‘Winning Dioramas’ blog entry.

The prizes…

The relevant discussion thread for comments and questions about the contest can be found here. Good luck and we look forward to seeing your dioramas!

Arsinoitherium (Prehistoric Life Collection by Safari Ltd)

Arsinoitherium was a large paenungulate mammal which lived roughly 30 million years ago during the late Eocene and early Oligocene epochs in Northeastern Africa. These animals would have superficially resembled modern rhinoceroses but were in fact more closely related to elephants. Unlike those of a rhinoceros, the massive horns of Arsinoitherium were comprised of solid bone. Arsinoitherium could reach over 10 feet in length and adults would have been largely immune to predation. The name means “Arsinoe Beast”, for the Egyptian queen whose palace was located near where the holotype was discovered.

 

Safari has produced some of the most accurate and some of the more obscure prehistoric genera in recent years and their Arsinoitherium, released in 2005, is no exception. There are no other versions to compare it to, as this is the only Arsinoitherium replica released by any company that I’m aware of, but it does a good job of setting the bar. The figure is a little under 5 inches long and is within reason to be considered 1:40 scale, which is always good to see. The figure is predominantly gray, the same shade all over. However, the skin is highlighted with pinkish red, especially around the head, in such a way that it gives the skin a sort of raw, lifelike look, almost like a hippopotamus. It gives the figure a very unique and natural feel, and I have never seen this level of detail in a mammal figure. Another detail I noticed is that the pink paint inside the nostrils has a glossy look to simulate moisture (snot) inside, and it looks great. The skin is coarse and very wrinkly with a lot of detail. No part of this figure is smooth. The animal is posed dynamically in mid-charge with its mouth open in a bellow.

This figure is very accurate and the skull is almost flawless. It is perfectly shaped and the sculptors remembered to include the two smaller ossicles behind the horns. The main horns are correctly proportioned to the rest of the skull and slightly curve up as they should. The elephantine feet each have the correct number of five digits, but I think the feet themselves are a little bit too wide and chunky. The limbs are a little short but they work fine. I should point out that the info on the tag states that the horns were hollow and were used as resonating chambers, but this is absolutely wrong because they were NOT hollow. To conclude, this is another cheap yet high quality, accurate reproduction by Safari of a genus few people besides paleontologists would recognize. I highly recommend it. Just don’t take the tag seriously.

Stegosaurus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd)

Review and photographs by ‘Tetonbabydoll’

The first impression one might get when they see this Stegosaurus figure is its small size. The figure measures 6 inches long and 3.5 inches high at the tip of the highest plate. It is roughly the size of the original Carnegie and Battat stegosaurs. It was released in 2008 as part of Safari Ltd’s ‘Wild Safari’ line, which is ever-growing in quantity and quality.

Even though it is not large, it is still quite striking, at first glance this is due to the coloration chosen. The main body is painted a red along the top half, and a tan on the bottom. The two main colors divide the body about in half. They are separated with a dark brown line going down the body in a waving pattern. The tan belly is dry brushed with a lighter sandy color, and the red fades into a dark brown on the top. This brown color bleeds directly up into the bottom part of the plates, which in turn fade back into red, and then tan at the tips, thus mirroring the body’s coloring. This is also done with the tail spikes, though the red is left out. The head is red, accented and shaded with dark brown. The mouth interior is bright pink, the eyes bright yellow with round black pupils. The toes are picked out in dark brown. This color pattern seems garish and bright at first glance, yet somehow it all works.

As for the sculpt itself, this has to be my favorite Stegosaurus toy ever. It is nearly perfectly proportioned, and the animal is posed mid-stride, with its left front foot raised up off the ground. The tail is held high up and straight, with only a slight side to side s-shape. I personally feel that the tail may be just a bit on the short side. The plates number 25 and are arranged in an alternating double row. They are nice and large in proportion to the body. The tail spikes are long and project up and outwards in a ‘v’ shape. There is a great deal of muscle detailing visible in the legs and body, and the faint impression of the ribs can be seen.There are some nice folds of skin on the belly and joints. The main skin texture is comprised of many finely engraved criss- crossing wrinkles. A similar texture is also used on the plates. The details are crisp and well defined.

The head of this figure is one of its most astounding features. It is tiny. And I mean really, really tiny. This is one of the only mass produced toys I know of that correctly portrays just how small this animal’s head really was. It is perched at the end of a long, slender neck that is slightly raised. The mouth is open as if the animal is bellowing. Despite its tiny size, there is a fairly good amount of detail engraved into the head, and again it is crisp and well executed. There are cheeks, jaw muscles and orbital bones visible. It is all well shaded and detailed. The tiny eyes are perfectly painted. The beak is well defined and detailed, down to the little nostrils. Many companies may well have skimped on detail and quality on a head this small, but not Wild Safari. Every aspect of this toy is incredibly well done.

Many members of the Dinosaur Toy Forum know me as the guy who repaints everything, even Battats, so i guess the best praise I can offer about this figure is that it is one of only three figures, out a collection of 140, that has not, and will not be, repainted. There is really no need. I could change the color, make it different, but I could not make it look better. And, with that wonderful head, I truly doubt I could even match what Wild Safari has accomplished.

My rating would have to be a 10/10.

The WS Stegosaurus is available here for just $4.64