Ceratosaurus Dinosaur Model Under the Spotlight

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.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s extensive range of dinosaur models: Wild Safari Dinos and Prehistoric Animal Models.

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.