February, 2015 | Everything Dinosaur Blog

13 02, 2015

Dinosaur Fan Makes Everything Dinosaur Unboxing Video

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:58:46+00:00February 13th, 2015|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur videos, Main Page|0 Comments

Matthew the Dinosaur King – Unboxing Video

At Everything Dinosaur we get the chance to view all the amazing pictures and videos sent into us or posted up on line by our customers. We are really impressed by all the hard work involved, for example, we noticed that Matthew, a keen fan of prehistoric animal models had posted up a video of him unboxing the new Safari Ltd models and two of the new for 2015 replicas from Schleich. In this short, (5 minute) video, Matthew unpacks the Carnegie Collectibles Velociraptor along with the four new Wild Safari Dinos prehistoric animals – Nasutoceratops, Sauropelta, Archaeopteryx and the amazing Yutyrannus. We were really impressed with the comments Matthew makes about these new dinosaur models.

Dinosaur Fan Makes Everything Dinosaur Unboxing Video

Picture credit: Matthew the Dinosaur King

New Prehistoric Animal Models

In addition, to the new Safari Ltd models, Matthew discusses the first of the new for 2015 Schleich World of History replicas, namely the beautiful Kentrosaurus and the colourful Anhanguera pterosaur, complete with articulated lower jaw. We know just how eager model collectors are when it comes to getting their hands on new prehistoric animal models, over the next few weeks or so our warehouse is going to be very busy with all the new stock deliveries. We are excited too.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of Safari Ltd replicas: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Figures and Models.

A Pleasure to See Unboxing Videos

A spokesperson from the UK based company commented:

“It is always a pleasure to view unboxing videos and to hear from our customers in general. We know how keenly model collectors anticipate new additions to ranges, so we work as hard as we can to get them into stock as quickly as possible.”

Everything Dinosaur Unboxing Video

Our congratulations to Matthew and we look forward to viewing his individual model reviews (as hinted in the video). One thing for sure, viewers can see how well packaged our parcels are, lots of bubble wrap on show and a strong box for sending out the items. We have been busy on a number of other projects this week, including sorting out the new Schleich replicas and models that are due out in the summer of 2015, we think that Matthew will probably want to make another unboxing video when the second batch of Schleich replicas become available later this year.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s current Schleich models: World of History Prehistoric Animal Models.

We know that Matthew and many of our other customers around the world have posted up videos and reviews, we do try and catch up with them all, give a “like”, provide a positive comment, give a Google thumbs up and so on. Everything Dinosaur is always delighted to see such reviews and videos posted up by our customers.

Well done Matthew.

12 02, 2015

Everything Dinosaur Team Members Answer Questions About Dinosaurs

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:56:23+00:00February 12th, 2015|General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Everything Dinosaur Team Members Answer Questions About Dinosaurs

Encouraging Year 2 and Year 3 with Questions About Dinosaurs

Such was the enthusiasm for the dinosaur term topic with Year 2 and Year 3 pupils that we found ourselves holding an impromptu question and answer session with the classes after each or our dinosaur themed workshops had finished. We were amazed by the questions the children came up with and we did our best to answer them all.

We advised the teaching team to continue the questioning activity after we had left the school. A washing line can be hung up in the classroom with clothes pegs on it. When the children want to ask a question about a dinosaur, simply get them to write it out and then pin it onto the “question washing line”. This is a fun and very visual way for children to compile a list of questions about prehistoric animals as part of a dinosaur themed term topic, but this technique can be applied to any term topic being undertaken by the teaching team.

Prehistoric Animal and Dinosaur Themed Questions Asked

What was the biggest dinosaur?
How do fossils form?
Where did Triceratops live?
Who named all the dinosaurs?
When did the dinosaurs die out?
Why did the dinosaurs become extinct?

These were just some of the amazing questions the children asked us. The ones that we did not get round to, we promised we would provide answers if the children emailed them to us via the school email address, (an extension activity agreed with the teacher to help encourage the children with their ICT projects).

Questions About Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals

All about dinosaurs. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Questions About Dinosaurs

A spokesperson for the teaching team at Everything Dinosaur thanked the children for their questions and stated:

“We will try our very best to answer all the questions that were provided by the children. We might even get round to answering the queries provided by the teaching team too!”

Everything Dinosaur stocks a wide range of educational, dinosaur themed toys, gifts and games. To see the range available: Everything Dinosaur Toys and Gifts.

12 02, 2015

A Review of the Schleich Anhanguera Replica

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:54:19+00:00February 12th, 2015|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products, Product Reviews|1 Comment

Everything Dinosaur Reviews the Schleich Anhanguera Pterosaur Model

This is a review of the new Schleich Anhanguera pterosaur model and what a wonderful flying reptile model it is too.

Anhanguera is a member of the Ornithocheiridae family of pterosaurs, a group of flying reptiles that seem particularly well-adapted to long-distance soaring. Most of the fossils of ornithocheirids are associated with marine environments and their fossils have been found on every continent with the exception of Antarctica.

New For 2015 The Schleich Anhanguera Pterosaur Model

The colourful Schleich Anhanguera pterosaur model.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Anhanguera

Anhanguera is very typical of the family and a number of species are known. The most complete Anhanguera fossils have been found in Brazil in the famous Santana Formation of Lower Cretaceous strata. Although, fragmentary flying reptiles ascribed to Anhanguera have also been found in England.

The English fossil material comes mostly from the Cambridge Greensand Formation, and consists of just scraps, very worn segments, usually more robust parts of the skeleton such as the jaw tips. These are the fossilised remains of pterosaurs that died far out to sea. Skeletons were broken up by scavengers and wave action before coming to rest on the seabed, to get further scavenged and disassociated. These remains were gradually buried and preserved as fossils only for them to be eroded out of these rocks by ancient storms and re-deposited in what are much younger sedimentary rocks.

Brazilian Fossils Improve Our Understanding

It is thanks to the Brazilian fossil material that we have such a good understanding of Anhanguera and this Schleich replica does rather a good job of depicting what this flying reptile probably looked like.

The head and the jaws are very large and the forelimbs are proportionately much bigger and more robust than the hind limbs. The neck is thick, indicating that this a strong and muscular part of the body and evidence of a tufty, hair-like integumental covering of pycnofibres, the fuzzy coat of the Pterosauria, has been skilfully recreated in the model.

The wings are very stiff and help the Schleich Anhanguera to stand in what is probably not a very realistic pose, the hands were in all likelihood rested on the ground with the wing finger elevated, not pointed down, but this posture is a compromise between allowing the model to stand unaided and a flying position.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s World of History (Schleich) model range: Schleich World of History Models.

Schleich Anhanguera Replica

The elongated fourth wing finger tended to support a much bigger portion of the actual wing, about 60% of the entire wing length. The wings of Anhanguera were longer than seen in this replica and they were more elegant. Wingspans of around four to five metres are associated with the larger species in the Anhanguera genus. This was a wonderfully efficient long distance flyer, soaring on thermal currents that carried it effortlessly over the early Atlantic Ocean. Think of Anhanguera as a Early Cretaceous equivalent of today’s Albatross or Frigate Bird.

The design team at Schleich have done a particularly good job with the skull and jaws. It is very well painted and you have those two crests on the jaw tips, one on the upper jaw and a slightly smaller one on the bottom jaw. It is the size and shape of the crests that help scientists to determine different types of ornithocheirid. We are really impressed with the modelling and painting around the eyes and the nostrils are well defined as well as being clearly visible.

The Beautiful Schleich Anhanguera Replica

The “Toothy Grin” of a pterosaur!

How Anhanguera Fed

How Anhanguera fed nobody knows. Perhaps it was a skim feeder, flying along with its beak in the water to catch fish at the surface, with those crests on the jaws helping acting as stabilisers. Maybe it floated and seized fish swimming just below the surface, or perhaps it plunged into the water and pursued fish in a way similar to today’s Gannets and Shearwaters, no one really knows, what is certain, is that this is an excellent pterosaur replica and a welcome addition to the Schleich model range.

To read an Everything Dinosaur blog post from 2011 on research into the Ornithocheiridae: Getting to Grips with a Pterosaur Family.

11 02, 2015

Fossil Hunting Down Under

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:51:32+00:00February 11th, 2015|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Geology, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Local Fossil Hunters Get the Chance to Work with Professionals

On Sunday 22nd February amateur fossil hunters will get the chance to visit one of the state of Victoria’s most important fossil sites and get advice from leading palaeontologists. Museum Victoria is holding a special event at the historic Beaumaris Bay fossil site. The sandstone cliffs preserve evidence of marine fauna from Australia’s prehistoric past. Many types of shark teeth have been discovered along with the fossilised bones of a number of marine vertebrates.

The day will involve talks from professional fossil hunters Dr Erich Fitzgerald (Museum Victoria), Professor Tim Flannery and Professor John Buckeridge of RMIT University (Melbourne). Local amateur fossil hunters will also have the chance to have their finds identified by these experts.

Fossil Hunting Down Under

Commenting on the special, interactive day dedicated to fossil collecting, Dr Erich Fitzgerald (Senior Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology, Museum Victoria) stated:

“There is simply no better place to find fossils in Melbourne than Beaumaris. They have helped us paint a rich portrait of what Victoria was like millions of years ago. The abundance of fossils of large marine animals, especially sharks and whales, suggests that between 6 and 5 million years ago the coastal waters of Victoria were far richer in nutrients than they are today.”

But fossil hunting is not just for professional scientists, as most professional scientists are happy to admit. Fossils are being eroded out of the sandstone cliffs all the time and if it was not for the dedicated community of local fossil hunters, many potentially significant finds could be severely abraided by wave action or lost all together before a professional palaeontologist got the chance to explore the area.

Dr Fitzgerald Leading the Fossil Hunting Efforts

Dr Fitzgerald leading the fossil discoveries.

Five million year old giant bird fossil fossil held by Dr Fitzgerald.

Picture credit: Museum Victoria / Photographer: Jon Augier

Discovering New Fossils

Dr Fitzgerald added:

“In Museum Victoria’s collection there are thousands of stunning fossils from Beaumaris, many collected by enthusiastic members of the public with a keen interest in palaeontology. The public can provide an extremely valuable insight from their fossil discoveries, which would potentially not have been uncovered otherwise.”

Back in 2012, Everything Dinosaur reported on the discovery of a fossilised leg bone found in the Beaumaris Bay area that was identified as belonging to a new genus of “toothed” marine bird.

To read more about this discovery: Giant “Toothed” Birds Once Soared over Southern Australia.

With such a huge country to explore, Everything Dinosaur has predicted on numerous occasions that this continent will provide palaeontologists with a number of new fossil discoveries, even new types of dinosaur. Members of the public who participate in sensible, careful fossil hunting and who are sensitive to the environment and wish to work within the fossil hunting code can make a huge contribution to the Earth sciences.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the support of Museum Victoria in the preparation of this article.

11 02, 2015

Dinosaur Themed Measuring Idea (EYFS)

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:49:24+00:00February 11th, 2015|Early Years Foundation Reception|Comments Off on Dinosaur Themed Measuring Idea (EYFS)

Comparing Our Bodies to Dinosaurs – Dinosaur Footprint Measuring Exercise

Whilst on a dinosaur workshop visit to a school in West Yorkshire (Bamford Academy), our fossil expert was given the opportunity to see some of the term topic work undertaken by children in Foundation Stage Two. Artwork and posters on display in and around the classroom indicated that the teaching team had created an imaginative and challenging scheme of work for the children. There was lots of evidence of children exploring the properties of materials, use of numbers and comparing our bodies to the bodies of other animals, including dinosaurs.

A giant footprint (Tyrannosaurus rex) had been made and the children measured the size of this footprint by placing their shoes into the footprint to see how many pairs of shoes would be required to fill it.

A Novel Dinosaur Footprint Measuring Exercise

Measuring and comparing. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Bamford Academy/Everything Dinosaur

A Dinosaur Footprint Measuring Exercise

The footprint shape is not quite how a large theropod dinosaur’s footprint would have actually looked like. We were able to supply some drawings of real dinosaur footprint impressions from our collection, this helped form an extension, measuring activity as part of our dinosaur workshop visit. Our fossil expert also had to alter some of the text that the teachers had put up, but this did not detract from this excellent and novel teaching idea.

The Foundation Stage Two class thoroughly enjoyed their dinosaur workshop. They enthusiastically took part in the physical activities and one of the teaching assistants stated:

“The fossils were very exciting to touch and hold and the movements and actions made the programme more tactile for Early Years.”

Everything Dinosaur stocks an extensive range of dinosaur themed toys and games including replicas of iconic fossil animals. To view the range available from Everything Dinosaur: Learning – Dinosaur Toys and Games.

10 02, 2015

Bamford Academy Foundation Stage Study Dinosaurs

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:45:52+00:00February 10th, 2015|Educational Activities, Main Page, Teaching|0 Comments

Chicks and Ducklings Learn All About Dinosaurs

For children in the Chicks and Ducklings classes at Bamford Academy, this term has been a very busy one as they have been learning all about dinosaurs, fossils and life in prehistoric times. There were lots of colourful dinosaur themed artwork on display in the classroom and the budding young palaeontologists had looked at dinosaur eggs and pinned up many different types of prehistoric animals on the classroom’s “WOW” wall.

Class 1 and 2 Have Discovered That There Were Many Different Types of Prehistoric Animal

Lots of different extinct animals on display.

Picture credit: Bamford Academy/Everything Dinosaur

Foundation Stage Study Dinosaurs

Everything Dinosaur’s fossil expert who visited the school was shown where the volcanoes were in the picture and another very knowledgeable child pointed out that dinosaurs laid eggs. During the tactile dinosaur workshop we looked at describing words for dinosaurs and fossils. Real fossils feel cold and hard and some fossils can be really heavy. When it came to considering appropriate describing words for a jawbone from a Triceratops, the children came up with words like “large” and “massive”, it took three of us to carry the jaw round to show the class, our expert was reliably informed that the teeth of Triceratops feel rough!

The children were keen to take part and we had lots of describing words volunteered, one little girl, stated that the tooth of “Tyrannosaurus rex was gigantic!”

Lots of Evidence on Display of Activities to Develop Vocabularies

Lots of describing words for dinosaurs on display.

Picture credit: Bamford Academy/Everything Dinosaur

Comparing Our Bodies to the Bodies of Dinosaurs

A key theme of the teaching topic had been comparing our bodies to those of dinosaurs. The enthusiastic teaching team had come up with a very creative way of demonstrating how big T. rex was. A drawing of the three-toed print of a Tyrannosaurus rex was made and the children counted how many pairs of their shoes would it take to fill up the footprint. The feet of some dinosaurs were very big and it was wonderful to see such a thoughtful method used to demonstrate just how large some dinosaurs were.

Working out the Size and Scale of Some Dinosaurs

Measuring and comparing.

Picture credit: Bamford Academy/Everything Dinosaur

Some dinosaurs really did make enormous footprints. The very biggest dinosaurs made footprints so large that if the track was filled with water a member of Chicks or Ducklings class could have had a bath in it?

Getting to Grip with Dinosaur Footprints

Comparing different types of dinosaur footprint.

Theropod print compared to an ornithopod print.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture above shows one of Everything Dinosaur’s teaching aids showing two different types of dinosaur track.

Herbivores and Carnivores

We looked at plant-eaters as well as meat-eaters and the children were keen to demonstrate their knowledge as to what Triceratops and other dinosaurs ate. It is a pity that we did not have any Stegosaurus fossils to show the children as there was a lovely, friendly Stegosaurus painted on one of the walls outside the classroom area. The teaching team had encouraged the children to decorate the plates that ran along this dinosaur’s back and the children had also measured how long this dinosaur was by comparing it to the size of their own hands.

Measuring a Stegosaurus

How many hands?

Picture credit: Bamford Academy/Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaurs as a term topic has certainly proved to be very popular with the children and it was clear that a very effective, creative and challenging scheme of work for this topic had been prepared by the teaching team.

Everything Dinosaur stocks a wide range of educational, dinosaur themed toys and games including replicas of iconic prehistoric animals. To see what is available: Everything Dinosaur Educational Toys, Games and Gifts.

9 02, 2015

Australia’s Extinction Rate Higher than Most Other Continents

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:42:43+00:00February 9th, 2015|Animal News Stories, Main Page|0 Comments

Many Native Mammal Species on the Brink of Extinction

A survey on Australia’s native mammal species due to be published this week will reveal that Australia is losing its mammal species at a faster rate than almost anywhere else in the world. Much of the native fauna of Australia is unique and the introduction of cats and foxes is having an dramatic toll on small mammal species. As most of these mammals are shy and nocturnal, people are simply not aware that many species are threatened.

In a scientific report prepared by Charles Darwin University (Northern Territory) the research team state that since 1788, the year of the founding of the first European colony on the continent, 11% of the 273 native, terrestrial mammals had become extinct. The report suggests that 21% are threatened with a further 15% near threatened.

The Thylacine – A Famous Australian Extinction

A Thylacine (bottom right), is included in the Australian mammals part of the gallery (Senckenberg Museum).

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Extinction Rate

Lead author of the study, conservation biologist John Woinarski declared:

“No other country has had such a high rate and number of mammal extinctions over this period, and the number we report for Australia is substantially higher than previous estimates.”

Cats are regarded as the number one problem. Nobody knows for sure how many feral cats there are in Australia, but some estimates put it at around 23 million. That’s one cat for every person in the country. Foxes introduced for hunting, have also had an impact on native wildlife. However, land management and agricultural practices may also be playing a role in the decline of many native species.

Fires either natural or deliberately started are also having a dramatic effect on the small mammal population.

Dr Woinarski explained:

“Now we are seeing much more extensive and hot fires and that’s having an impact as well. It’s not as serious a factor as predation by feral cats, which we think is the number one factor. But the two factors aren’t independent. It seems the impact of feral cats is far worse in extensively burnt areas, simply because many of those native land mammals species don’t have enough refuge left.”

Native Mammals Under Threat

In time, some of Australia’s most famous inhabitants might become extinct, animals like the Koala and many types of Wallaby.

The Charles Darwin University has been prominent in recent years, undertaking a number of significant and highly influential environmental research projects to assess the health of the country’s native flora and fauna. The Brush-Tailed-Rabbit-Rat (Conilurus penicillatus), is one such mammal that has declined in numbers over the years. Its small size and secretive nature has meant that the reduction in population has gone unnoticed by most Australians.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Hopefully, this new study will help to highlight the plight of many of Australia’s shy, nocturnal small mammals. Tough choices may have to be made with regards to controlling feral cat populations and reducing the number of foxes if the decline in native species is to be halted.”

The Cane Toad

Intriguingly, Everything Dinosaur team members are not aware of any mention of the Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) and this amphibians impact on native mammal populations. Introduced from Hawaii in the mid 1930s, the Cane Toad is poisonous and has no natural enemies in Australia. The Cane Toads not only compete for food and resources with native species, but they also eat large numbers of insects, including pollinators, frogs, small lizards and occasionally small mammals. As these animals are poisonous throughout their life cycle, many Australian species have declined as a result of being poisoned the Western Quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii) is particularly threatened.

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

8 02, 2015

Safari Ltd Prehistoric Animals Now in Stock

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:38:30+00:00February 8th, 2015|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur Adds Safari Ltd Prehistoric Animals (2015)

It has been a very busy few days for team members at Everything Dinosaur. No sooner have we added the first of the new Schleich models for 2015 to our web store, then the Safari Ltd stock arrives. Everything Dinosaur will be stocking all five of the new Safari Ltd replicas, including the 1:10 scale feathered Velociraptor model which is the only new Carnegie Collectibles dinosaur model for this year (Carnegie Collectibles Velociraptor). Joining the very colourful Velociraptor will be four new replicas in the not-to-scale Wild Safari Dinos series, namely Archaeopteryx, Sauropelta, Nasutoceratops and a magnificent feathered Yutyrannus.

In Stock at Everything Dinosaur – New Prehistoric Animal Models from Safari Ltd

Now available from Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view these new models and the rest of the Safari Ltd range stocked by Everything Dinosaur: Safari Ltd. Wild Safari Prehistoric World Figures.

Safari Ltd Prehistoric Animals

Each of these new additions to our huge range of prehistoric animal models will be supplied with a fact sheet. All our fact sheets are painstakingly researched and written by our own dinosaur experts, these fact sheets even include a scale drawing showing the size of that particular prehistoric animal. The Archaeopteryx has plumage that reflects recent research into the potential colour of “ancient wing’s” feathers.

To read an article related to the colour of Archaeopteryx: Archaeopteryx – Back in Black.

The Sauropelta model, represents one of the better known of the nodosaurids. The long tail is very well crafted as is the bony armour and spikes. At around eight metres in length, it would have been a very brave pack of Deinonychus that would have wanted to tackle one of these “living tanks”.

Nasutoceratops

The Nasutoceratops, (the new horned dinosaur model), was actually smaller than Sauropelta. Its fossils are also associated with the western United States (southern Utah) but it actually lived much later in the Cretaceous. To read an article about the discovery of Nasutoceratops: Say Hello to “Large Nose Horned Face.” It was a heavy, stocky herbivore, quite at home in the tropical habitat of the landmass known as Laramidia (Campanian faunal stage).

Last but not least, there is a replica of the Chinese feathered tyrannosaur known as Yutyrannus (Y. huali). This must be one of the most eagerly anticipated dinosaur models for a very long time, a feathered tyrannosaurid.

The Wild Safari Dinos Yutyrannus Dinosaur Model

Available from Everything Dinosaur in 2015.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Safari Ltd

A Shaggy Coat of Feathers

The shaggy coat of feathers are very well depicted on this dinosaur model. To read an article about the naming and describing of this tyrannosaur from northern China: One Tonne Basal Tyrannosauroid.

A couple of months ago, we made a short video paying tribute to the new models being introduced in 2015 by Safari Ltd. The video is our homage to the new Safari Ltd models (video is 37 seconds in length).

Paying Tribute to the New for 2015 Prehistoric Animal Models

Video credit: Everything Dinosaur

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“It is great to have these new prehistoric animal models from Safari Ltd to our model range. Everything Dinosaur now stocks over one hundred different models from Safari Ltd and we look forward to adding even more replicas and figures in the coming years”.

For dinosaur models and prehistoric animal figures: Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animal Models.

7 02, 2015

The Prehistoric Animals of Jurassic World – Mosasaurus

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:33:32+00:00February 7th, 2015|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Movie Reviews and Movie News|3 Comments

The Mighty Mosasaurus – A Little Too Mighty!

With around 120 days or so until the premier of the long-awaited film, “Jurassic World”, the fourth in the “Jurassic Park” franchise, we thought that it would be a bit of fun to comment on the various prehistoric animals and other critters that are likely to feature in this movie. In this occasional series, we shall take a look at the rather eclectic range of cloned creatures that inhabit the theme park based on the tear drop shaped island Isla Nublar.

First up, one of the attractions at the centre of the Jurassic World theme park, and a new addition to the catalogue of prehistoric animals featured in the franchise, is Mosasaurus.

Mosasaurus Feeding on a Shark

Come and see the mosasaur.

Picture credit: Jurassic World/Universal Studios

Jurassic World Mosasaurus

Clearly, with a nod towards the Killer Whales seen at the Sea World theme parks, InGen part of Masrani Global, have added giant marine reptiles to their genetic portfolio. Quite how they have managed to get hold of the DNA of a Mosasaurus remains a bit of a mystery, but hey ho, it’s only pretend.

The tank housing the Mosasaurus (a female), contains 11,000,000 litres of presumably sea water, since the majority of mosasaurs were marine animals. That is the equivalent of 2.4 million imperial gallons, an impressively sized aquarium, but around half the size of the existing Killer Whale pool at San Diego Sea World. Sea World has received a lot of criticism over the size of their Orca aquaria and recently it was announced that plans were in place to build a much bigger habitat at San Diego.

Enriching the Environment

The plans include a number of ideas to enrich the Killer Whale’s environment, the larger brained cetaceans would require much greater stimulation than the mosasaurs with their close phylogenetic affinity to snakes and lizards.

That’s right, mosasaurs belong to the Order Squamata (snakes and lizards), Mosasaurus was named and described back in 1822 following the scientific study of fossils found in a chalk quarry near Maastricht, Holland. A number of species of Mosasaurus have been described and scientists believe that the Mosasauridae evolved from land-dwelling lizards sometime in the Late Cretaceous (estimated to have evolved around ninety million years ago). They thrived for twenty-five million years with a number of species becoming apex marine predators, the largest of which could have exceeded eighteen metres in length.

Extinct at the End of the Cretaceous

This group died out in the End Cretaceous extinction event that also saw the demise of the dinosaurs. As far as we at Everything Dinosaur know, the mosasaurs, as part of the taxonomic Superfamily Mosasauroidea, are the most recent Superfamily associated with the Order Squamata to have become extinct.

The Mosasaurus as Depicted on the Jurassic World Website

The Mosasaurus from Jurassic World.

Mosasaurus Feeding Show

In the information provided about the “Mosasaurus Feeding Show”, this creature is fed every two hours, that’s a lot considering that, like their living relatives the Monitor Lizards, these reptiles were probably cold-blooded and could have survived for long periods without eating much at all. The feeding time must be more like “snack time” for the Mosasaurus, although in the much viewed Jurassic World trailer, the Mosasaurus is depicted leaping out of the water to swallow whole what looks like a Great White Shark!

As for the size of the Mosasaurus in the movie, there has been a lot of comment about this already. The animal looks enormous in the trailer, but like a number of other marine reptiles, palaeontologists have got their shrink rays to work on the fossil material. Previous estimates for a number of marine reptiles have been re-sized downwards in recent years. In the picture in which Mosasaurus is seen leaping out of the water to feed on a shark, if we estimate the size of the shark at three metres long, then the Mosasaurus is easily upwards of twenty-five metres in length.

The Biggest Mosasaurs

So far as the fossil record goes, the biggest Mosasaurus could have reached lengths of a little over half this size. Other types of mosasaur, the likes of Hainosaurus may have been bigger, but even at thirteen metres a Mosasaurus would have been a frightening prospect.

Estimating the Sizes of Extinct and Extant Marine Predators

A “rough guide” to size.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture above provides an approximate size guide for a number of marine predators. Killer Whales range in size from 5-8 metres. Size estimates for Great White Sharks vary and the same can be said for Carcharodon megalodon* as well as the marine reptiles depicted. However, whichever way you look at it, the Mosasaurus as shown in the Jurassic World trailer is oversized. Perhaps those geneticists at InGen simply grew a bigger Mosasaurus who knows? Even on the Jurassic World promotional website size estimates for their attraction vary, there is one reference for fourteen metres in length, another for eighteen metres.

A Tail Fluke

A number of palaeontologists now contend that Mosasaurus had a tail fluke. The model makers CollectA created a modern interpretation of a Mosasaurus in 2014, with a tail fluke added. Safari Ltd have a beautiful Mosasaurus model in their Wild Safari Dinos range as well as a Tylosaurus replica in the company’s Carnegie Collectibles series.

To view the CollectA range of prehistoric animals including the Mosasaurus: CollectA Prehistoric World Models.

Comparing Different Mosasaur Models (including Tylosaurus replicas)

Comparing different models of mosasaurs.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture shows the CollectA 2014 Mosasaurus replica with its wonderful colouration and that tail fluke (top), the Wild Safari Dinos Mosasaurus model (middle) and the Carnegie Collectibles (bottom).

To view the range of Carnegie and Wild Safari Dinos models available from Everything Dinosaur: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Models.

We are not sure how big a role the Mosasaurus is going to play in the Jurassic World movie, but we are delighted to see the addition of marine reptiles to the film franchise. They are most welcome.

Carcharodon megalodon* – this prehistoric shark has been reclassified and is now referred to as Otodus megalodon.

Recently Nanmu Studio introduced a replica of the Mosasaurus from the movie franchise. The model has been called “Lord of the Abyss”.

Nanmu Studio Mosasaurus “Lord of the Abyss”.

To view the Nanmu Studio model range in stock: Nanmu Studio Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

6 02, 2015

Schleich Anhanguera in Stock at Everything Dinosaur

By Mike|2023-03-24T06:29:21+00:00February 6th, 2015|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Everything Dinosaur Products|0 Comments

Schleich Anhanguera Replica Available from Everything Dinosaur

The second of four new World of History prehistoric animal models scheduled to be introduced this year, the Schleich Anhanguera, is now in stock at Everything Dinosaur. A few years ago, Schleich added an Anhanguera replica to their smaller “dinosaurs” model range, now the German based manufacturer have added a replica of this South American pterosaur to their much larger World of History model range. Anhanguera was named and described thirty years ago (1985), and this new Schleich replica shows some marvellous details.

The Schleich Anhanguera Pterosaur Model

Schleich replicas are flying high.

Picture credit: Schleich

Anhanguera

Anhanguera was a member of the Ornithocheiridae family of pterosaurs. It had a large skull, a long neck, and a relatively small body. Its vertebrae are fused together, as are its ribs and sternum, (breast-bone). This anatomy forms a kind of box-like frame, which supported large flight muscles. Modern birds have a deep keel on their sternum, an area of attachment for their flight muscles, however, pterosaurs did not possess such an anatomical feature, as a result, it had been thought that the Pterosauria would have been poor fliers.

More recent studies, undertaken over the last thirty years or so, indicate that far from being poor aeronauts the pterosaurs were strong fliers, capable of complex aerial manoeuvres. The discovery of Anhanguera fossils and other flying reptiles from the now famous Santana Formation of Brazil, has helped palaeontologists to gain a much better understanding of the aerial abilities of these vertebrates, the first group of back-boned animals to develop powered flight.

An Accomplished Aeronaut

Scientists now know that the pterosaurs, had the largest neural system for processing balance information ever seen in an animal with a spine. Flying reptiles like Anhanguera, would have been accomplished fliers, able to effortlessly skim over the waves and plunge down into the surf to snatch fish from the water, it is very likely that Anhanguera was a piscivore. The fossils of Anhanguera santanae have proved that pterosaurs had an exceptionally well developed part of their brain that managed spatial awareness (the flocculus). It is the flocculus region of the brain that interprets balance information from various parts of the body and relays this information to the eyes.

In specimens of Anhanguera that were studied, nearly 8% of the entire body mass was represented by the flocculus. In contrast, with modern Aves (birds), the flocculus organ accounts for only one to two percent of body weight.

The Schleich World of History Anhanguera

Moveable lower jaw on figure.

Picture credit: Schleich

Schleich Anhanguera

To view the range of Schleich prehistoric animal models currently in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Schleich World of History Models.

It is interesting to consider that as the Atlantic became wider, pterosaurs like Anhanguera would have ranged over this embryonic ocean. Palaeontologists have also noted that the large wingspans of pterosaurs such as Anhanguera santanae at over four metres would have necessitated a large flocculus as there would have been a lot of sensory information from the wings which would have had to have been interpreted by the brain. It is likely that Ornithocheiridae pterosaurs like Anhanguera were very accomplished fliers indeed.

Flying reptile expert Mark Witton, in his excellent book “Pterosaurs”, depicted a graceful Anhanguera flying over a turbulent Cretaceous sea. The pterosaur was flying over an area of the world that would eventually become southern Britain. Anhanguera and other pterosaurs like it, very probably flew in what is now United Kingdom airspace.

To read a review of “Pterosaurs” by Mark Witton: Pterosaurs – A Book Review.