All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
14 01, 2018

JurassicCollectables Reviews Rebor “Gunn”

By | January 14th, 2018|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur videos, Main Page, Product Reviews|0 Comments

A Review of the 1:18 Scale Rebor “Raptor” Called “Gunn” by JurassicCollectables

Those talented people at JurassicCollectables have produced another Rebor “Raptor” review.  Following on from their very informative video review of the female Velociraptor “Rose”, JurassicCollectables has focused their attention on Rose’s partner, the formidable “Gunn”, a 1:18 scale replica representing a male in the Velociraptor pairing.

JurassicCollectables Reviews the Rebor 1:18 Scale Figure “Gunn”

Video credit: JurassicCollectables

Wonderful Painting and Amazing Detail

The narrator comments that the Rebor Velociraptor models, especially “Gunn” are very reminiscent of the Velociraptors depicted in the Jurassic Park III film, which came out in 2001.  The pose reminded the video presenter of the pouncing Velociraptor scene in which a pack of these dinosaurs try to grab a person who is hanging from a tree branch.  In the video, the beautiful paint scheme is discussed, and the narrator comments on the multiple washes and subtle tones that have been used to colour this replica.  Whilst the Rebor “Gunn” is being reviewed, viewers are given the chance to see “Gunn” and “Rose” together and what an attractive pair they make.

The JurassicCollectables presenter states that these two Velociraptors “compliment each other really well”.  He states that they are “gorgeous looking Raptors”.

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Red Feet – Is that Blood?

During this most informative and helpful video review, the narrator demonstrates that the underside of the feet of “Gunn” are coloured a reddish hue.  Rebor certainly make top quality replicas and the attention to detail is amazing.  When the model is turned upside down the underside of the feet with their intriguing colouration and fine texture are revealed.   The commentator implies that the colouration could have come about as the dinosaur has been standing in the blood and gore from a recent pack kill.  At Everything Dinosaur, we are unable to offer an explanation ourselves, but it does give us the opportunity to show the underside of the model revealing the exquisite detail.

The Colouration of the Feet and Beautiful Skin Texture of the Velociraptor Figure “Gunn”

The underside of the Rebor Velociraptor "Gunn".
The underside of the feet and the beautiful skin texture of Rebor “Gunn”.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Rebor Replicas and Jurassic Park III

The JurassicCollectables video review lasts a little over twelve minutes and it is great to see both Rebor “Gunn” and “Rose” shown together.  In addition, the video also compares the earlier Rebor “Winston” with their latest figure “Gunn”.  The narrator makes an excellent point about these Rebor figures working well with the classic “Jurassic Park” models.

The Rebor 1:18 Scale Velociraptor Replica “Gunn”

Rebor Velociraptor "Gunn".
The Rebor 1:18 scale Velociraptor model “Gunn”.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

JurassicCollectables has a fantastic YouTube channel.  It has lots and lots of brilliant dinosaur themed videos and product reviews and JurassicCollectables has just celebrated reaching the landmark of 60,000 subscribers.  Congratulations JurassicCollectables.  Visit JurassicCollectables on YouTube and subscribe: JurassicCollectables on YouTube.

Great for Dinosaur Dioramas

Rebor has produced several Velociraptor models over the last eighteen months or so.  The video review shows both “Gunn” and “Rose” compared to “off colour Alan”, as well as highlighting the hatching Velociraptor blind box series made by Rebor.  The narrator explains that these models with their different, contrasting poses would be great for use in dinosaur dioramas.  Fortunately, the JurassicCollectables YouTube channel includes video reviews of all the Rebor “Raptors”, so viewers can see the full range of these Rebor figures.

Rebor “Gunn” Features in a Video Review by JurassicCollectables

The Rebor Velociraptor figure "Gunn".
The Rebor 1:18 scale Velociraptor model “Gunn”.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To see the article we wrote about the JurassicCollectables video review of “Rose”: JurassicCollectables Reviews Rebor “Rose”.

To view the range of Rebor replicas including “Gunn” and “Rose” available from Everything Dinosaur: Rebor Prehistoric Animal Figures and Replicas.

14 01, 2018

Giant Burrowing Bat from the Miocene

By | January 14th, 2018|General Teaching, Key Stage 3/4|Comments Off on Giant Burrowing Bat from the Miocene

Giant Burrowing Bat from New Zealand

A team of scientists from the University of South Wales, in collaboration with colleagues from Queensland University, Duke University, Canterbury Museum, and co-workers from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the American Museum of Natural History, have identified a new species of giant, burrowing, Miocene bat.  Fossil bones and teeth of the extinct species, which was about three times the size of most extant non-fruit eating bats, were excavated from Miocene-aged deposits near to the town of St Bathans in central Otago (New Zealand, South Island).

An Artist’s Illustration of the New Species of Giant Burrowing Bat (Vulcanops jennyworthyae)

Vulcanops life reconstruction.
Vulcanops illustration.

Picture credit: Gavin Mouldey

Writing in the academic journal “Scientific Reports”, the scientists describe the new species, named Vulcanops jennyworthyae, as a cursorial species, as although they could fly, they were very confident on the forest floor, scurrying through the leaf litter searching for insects and other invertebrates.  Today, burrowing bats are only found now in New Zealand, but they once also lived in Australia.   It is thought that a lack of terrestrial predators in more isolated parts of the antipodes allowed bats to exploit a ground-dwelling niche without having to resort to the high energy requirements of constant flight.

A Giant Bat?

Described as a giant, might make readers think of some nightmarish beast, but with an estimated weight of just forty grammes, although larger than insectivorous bats around today, Vulcanops jennyworthyae weighed less than a golf ball.  It would have posed no danger to larger animals or people had they been around some 19 to 16 million years ago when Vulcanops roamed.  It is the first new bat species to be added to the list of New Zealand’s Chiroptera (bats) for more than 150 years.

The Miocene species has been named Vulcanops jennyworthyae, after team member Jenny Worthy who found the bat fossils and in recognition of her role in helping to reveal the unique St Bathans Miocene fauna, and after Vulcan, the mythological Roman god of volcanoes and fire.

It is likely that climate change leading to a period of general cooling and drying drove the overall loss in bat diversity in New Zealand, just two bat species today comprise the entire native land mammal fauna.  All other modern land mammals in New Zealand have been introduced by people within the last 800 years.

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