New for 2020 Wild Safari Prehistoric Animal Models in Stock
The new for 2020 Wild Safari Prehistoric World prehistoric animal models are in stock at Everything Dinosaur. All nine of the new models are now available. The figures are Concavenator, Dilophosaurus, Deinonychus, Edmontosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus and Qianzhousaurus, six dinosaurs plus Shringasaurus, Sarcosuchus and the marine reptile Ichthyosaurus.
The New for 2020 Wild Safari Prehistoric World Models (All Nine) are in Stock at Everything Dinosaur
The new for 2020 Wild Safari Prehistoric World prehistoric animal models are in stock at Everything Dinosaur. What an amazing range! Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Safari Ltd has continued to build on its reputation for producing accurate prehistoric animal models and figures. This range reflects some of the latest scientific research and thinking. For example, joining this award-winning range, is a replica of the Late Cretaceous hadrosaur Edmontosaurus. Recent studies of fossil specimens from North America have led to palaeontologists postulating that this large ornithischian sported a soft comb-like crest on the top of its skull. The Edmontosaurus figure has been given such an adornment, all part of Safari Ltd’s drive to reflect actual research into the Dinosauria and other long-extinct creatures from the past.
The New for 2020 Wild Safari Prehistoric World Edmontosaurus Has a Soft Comb
A close-up view of the new Edmontosaurus dinosaur model with its soft comb-like crest. In this closer view of the model, the crest can be clearly seen, but not also the detail on the beak and the attention given to sculpting scales of different sizes and shape across the dinosaur’s body.
Detailed Prehistoric Animal Figures
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We are delighted to have all nine of the new for 2020 prehistoric animal models in stock. The range and the quality of these models demonstrates Safari Ltd’s commitment to model collecting. Everything Dinosaur has more than a hundred Safari Ltd figures available, in what is, a most impressive range of prehistoric animal and plant models.”
Safari Ltd are quick to introduce models and figures that reflect relatively recent fossil discoveries. Take for example, the excellent Shringasaurus model, it represents an extinct reptile (archosauromorph), that was only formally named and described in August 2017.
The Middle Triassic Horned Reptile of India – Shringasaurus
Wild Safari Prehistoric World Shringasaurus indicus model.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Everything Dinosaur Maintains Customer Service Standards
Many companies struggle to maintain their customer service standards over the festive period. The Christmas and New Year week in 2019 was particularly challenging with only Friday 27th December available to despatch orders that had been placed since the morning of the 24th December. With only the Friday (27th), available to send parcels out prior to the weekend, when most of the mail network shuts down, these parcels would not have made much progress until being inevitably delayed again due to the New Year holidays.
However, at Everything Dinosaur we are happy to report that we have maintained our 5-star customer service and continue to lead the way in terms of our standard of customer support.
Everything Dinosaur Maintains a 100% Customer Service Record (Feefo)
Everything Dinosaur service rating 100%. This standard of service was maintained over the Christmas and New Year period.Picture credit: Everthing Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Feefo Independent Customer Reviews
Let’s take a look at some of the reviews and comments recorded by the independent ratings company Feefo over the busy festive period.
A review received from Jennifer stated:
“I have used this shop numerous times and always have had a first class service and I have a very happy son with the dinosaurs he wanted.”
Aldo from the Philippines, provided the following feedback:
“Excellent customer service, very quick to reply on my queries, fast shipping!”
Danielle from the USA writing about the Rebor foetus replicas (T. rex and Velociraptor) stated:
“The embryo dinosaurs were awesome…..the coolest things! The delivery (to the U.S.) was fantastic….they got here superfast.”
Jacqui from Buckinghamshire, who had purchased a T. rex slap watch for her grandson wrote:
“Excellent service – the product arrived next day delivery”
Everything Dinosaur was a Recipient of Feefo’s Highest Award for Customer Service in 2019
Feefo awards top marks to Everything Dinosaur. A top customer service standard has been maintained throughout the busy holiday period by Everything Dinosaur. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Everything Dinosaur Maintains Standards
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We know how important it is to support customers during the busy holiday period. We were determined not to let our high standards slip and we are delighted to receive such positive feedback from our customers.”
Feefo will launch a new top standard of customer service this year. The Feefo Platinum Trusted Service award recognises those businesses that go above and beyond to provide a consistently high level of customer service all the time. This is the highest service recognition that Feefo has ever offered. Everything Dinosaur team members are quietly optimistic that they might be considered for this award, having stuck their collective necks out and made a prediction about this at the turn of the year.
The first of these awards are expected to be announced towards the end of January, not too long to wait for our team members.
Scientists writing in the journal of The Palaeontological Association have published a remarkable study on the properties of the skin of duck-billed dinosaurs. Analysis of fossilised hadrosaur skin, from the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (New Haven, Connecticut), suggests that the skin structure of these dinosaurs had more in common with living birds than with reptiles. In addition, the skin is much thinner when compared to large, terrestrial mammals of comparable size such as elephants and rhinos.
In a blow to palaeoartists who like to adorn their ornithischian illustrations with a multitude of colours, the scientists conclude from an analysis of potential preserved skin pigments that hadrosaurids were grey in colour.
Hadrosaurs Could Have Been Largely Grey in Colour Just Like Big Terrestrial Mammals Alive Today Such as Elephants
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Gryposaurus dinosaur model. The model’s colouration being largely grey may actually reflect the true colouration of duck-billed dinosaurs.
The picture (above) shows a Gryposaurus from the Wild Safari Prehistoric World series.
Scientists from Yale University, in collaboration with colleagues in Italy, investigated the chemical properties of a section of fossilised duck-billed dinosaur skin that had been preserved in three dimensions. The specimen (YPMPU 016969) was also subjected to detailed chemical mapping and microspectroscopy as well as scanning electron micrographs to establish the anatomical structure.
Two of the three layers associated with skin in tetrapods were identified, the outer layer (epidermis) and the dermis. The innermost layer, the subcutis, could not be identified in this study. The dinosaur’s scales on the skin surface are very well-preserved. They form an irregular, pebbly pattern with individual scales ranging in size from under one millimetre in diameter to much larger scales around 12 millimetres across.
Specimen Number YPMPU 016969 – The Fossilised Skin Studied
The skin preserved in YPMPU 016969 (A), three‐dimensional skin and (B), the fossil counterpart. Scale bar represents 2 cm.
Picture credit: Yale University
Three-dimensionally Preserved Pigment Bearing Bodies and Blood Vessels
The detailed analysis of the fossilised skin and the samples taken permitted the scientists to identify three-dimensionally preserved eumelanin‐bearing bodies. This enabled the researchers to propose that the dinosaur was mostly dark grey in colour, a skin colouration that reflects ecological parallels seen in today’s large, terrestrial animals such as elephants and rhinos. However, caution is urged when it comes to determining the colouration of these types of dinosaurs.
There might be a preservation bias in favour of pigment cells that produce darker skin tones, other pigments may not have been preserved. The section of fossil skin also permitted the researchers to trace blood vessels and dermal cells.
The Study Suggests That Large-bodied Hadrosaurids Were Similar in Colour to Today’s Large-bodied Terrestrial Mammals
A life reconstruction of a grey-coloured duck-billed dinosaur.
Picture credit: Yale University
Surprisingly Thin Skin
The skin was found to be much thinner than that of living mammals of similar size. The outer layer of skin is around 0.2 mm in thickness, whilst the dermis is estimated to have been up to 3 mm thick. Although, no measurements for the subcutis layer could be made, in living elephants the skin is around 10-15 mm thick and in extant rhinos a skin thickness (all three layers, epidermis, dermis and subcutis), of 25 mm is not uncommon.
The relative thickness of the epidermis and dermis in YPMPU 016969 resembles that in birds more closely than that of reptiles.
If the skin of these large, Cretaceous herbivores is so much thinner than previously thought, then how does it fossilise more readily than the integumentary coverings of other dinosaurs? After all, the most commonly preserved soft tissues associated with ornithischian dinosaurs are skin remains. The researchers postulate that the unusual layering and the microstructure of hadrosaur skin may play an important role in its fossilisation potential.
The scientific paper: “Three-dimensional soft tissue preservation revealed in the skin of a non-avian dinosaur” by Matteo Fabbri, Jasmina Wiemann, Fabio Manucci and Derek E. G. Briggs published in Palaeontology – the journal of The Palaeontological Association.
Whilst on a visit to a school to deliver a series of dinosaur and fossil themed workshops to lower Key Stage 2 classes, one of our team members at Everything Dinosaur was given the opportunity to view some of the work carried out by the Year six children as they studied Darwinism and natural selection as part of their curriculum.
Several of the children had collaborated on poster displays providing an outline of Darwin’s ground-breaking theory regarding how populations change due to the transfer of heritable traits from one generation to another. The posters included details of Darwin’s life such as his voyage on the Beagle, his work on the finches on the Galapagos Islands and of course, the publication of his book “The Origin of Species” and its consequences for academia and the wider world.
Gomphotherium
One part of the display focused on the evolution of the elephant family (Order Proboscidea) and our eagle-eyed team member spotted an image of the CollectA Deluxe 1:20 scale Gomphotherium model that had been used to help illustrate different genera of ancient elephants.
An Image of the CollectA Deluxe 1:20 Scale Gomphotherium Model Features in the Display
The CollectA Deluxe 1:20 scale Gomphotherium model features in a display on the evolution of elephants. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Many different types of prehistoric elephant were featured in the posters. For example, one of the earliest and most primitive members of the elephant family – Moeritherium was featured, along with Deinotheres and representatives of the Mammuthus genus.
The CollectA Deluxe Gomphotherium Model
The CollectA 1:20 scale Gomphotherium model.
Our team member suggested that Everything Dinosaur would be happy to assist the children with their studies by providing scale drawings of a number of proboscideans.
Animal-like Embryos Evolved Before the First Animals Appear in the Fossil Record
Catching up with our reading, examining university press releases and having a little time to review some scientific literature enabled team members at Everything Dinosaur to get to grips with this research. A new paper has been published in the journal “Current Biology” that sheds light on how the Animalia evolved. Researchers led by scientists from the University of Bristol and Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology (Nanjing, China), have discovered that animal-like embryos evolved long before the first animals appear in the fossil record.
The study centred around a multicellular organism found in 609-million-year-old-rocks in Guizhou Province. The organism is called Caveasphaera and it blurs the definition as to what is and what is not an animal. However, analysis of tiny embryonic fossils suggests that as Caveasphaera developed it went from a single-cell stage to a multi-cellular stage and that it developed distinct, specialist cells and tissues.
Remarkable Fossils Reveal Ancient Organism May Have Set the Blueprint for Animal Body Plans
Embryology of 609 million-year old Caveasphaera.
Picture credit: Philip Donoghue and Zongjun Yin
Fossil Record Reveals Animals Evolved from Single-celled Ancestors
Animals evolved from single-celled ancestors, subsequently, the Animalia diversified into thirty or forty body plans. How and when animal ancestors made this evolutionary transition from a microbial state into complex multicellular creatures has been discussed and debated for many years. The researchers, using sophisticated X-ray computer tomography, analysed tiny fossils from southern China and identified that a key step in this major step in the story of life on our planet occurred long before complex animals appear in the fossil record, in the fossilised embryos that resemble multicellular stages in the life cycle of single-celled relatives of animals.
X-ray Microscopy – Fossils on the Cellular Level
Analysis of the Ediacaran fossils preserved in the strata, revealed that the tiny 0.5 mm in diameter Caveasphaera material had been preserved all the way down to their component cells.
Co-author of the study paper, Kelly Vargas (Bristol University), commented:
“X-Ray tomographic microscopy works like a medical CT scanner, but allows us to see features that are less than a thousandth of a millimetre in size. We were able to sort the fossils into growth stages, reconstructing the embryology of Caveasphaera.”
Fellow co-author Zongjun Yin, (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology), added:
“Our results show that Caveasphaera sorted its cells during embryo development, in just the same way as living animals, including humans, but we have no evidence that these embryos developed into more complex organisms.”
Scanning Electron Microscope Image of Caveasphaera Showing Cell Division
A Caveasphaera embryo showing cellular structure and the growing tips where cells are dividing to increase their numbers.
Picture credit: Philip Donoghue and Zongjun Yin
A Life Cycle that Mirrors the Development of Animals
The researchers concluded that Caveasphaera had a life cycle very close to the life cycle of animals which alternate between single-celled and multicellular stages, however, Caveasphaera goes one step further, reorganising those cells during embryology. This is the earliest fossil evidence found to date that shows such development and the setting up of more complex distinct tissue layers and organs.
Whether the enigmatic, Caveasphaera is a member of the Animalia remains open to debate. It resembles the embryos of some starfish and corals but no adult forms are known as they may not have been easily fossilised.
Professor Philip Donoghue from the University of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences, stated:
“Caveasphaera shows features that look both like microbial relatives of animals and early embryo stages of primitive animals. We’re still searching for more fossils that may help us to decide. Either way, fossils of Caveasphaera tell us that animal-like embryonic development evolved long before the oldest definitive animals appear in the fossil record.”
Sequential Development of Caveasphaera Mirrors the Development Seen in the Animalia
Embryology of 609 million-year old Caveasphaera. Computer models based on X-ray tomographic microscopy of the fossils, showing the successive stages of development.
Picture credit: Philip Donoghue and Zongjun Yin
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a press release from Bristol University in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “The early Ediacaran Caveasphaera foreshadows the evolutionary origin of animal-like embryology” by Z. Yin, K. Vargas, J. Cunningham, S. Bengtson, M. Zhu, F. Marone and P. Donoghue published in Current Biology.
The original Papo Allosaurus dinosaur model, a staple of the Papo “Les Dinosaures” model range, has been withdrawn from production and retired. However, Everything Dinosaur still has stock of this popular theropod figure and a customer from Canada emailed us asking for more information about this particular Papo model and wanted to see some photographs of an Allosaurus prior to making a purchase.
Naturally, our dedicated, enthusiastic team members were happy to oblige.
Papo Allosaurus
Taking Pictures of a Papo Allosaurus Dinosaur Model (Original Colour Scheme)
The original Papo Allosaurus dinosaur model.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
This model is likely to become increasingly rare in the future, the Allosaurus has been retired by Papo, for confirmation about other prehistoric animal figures being withdrawn from the Papo range, take a look at Everything Dinosaur’s exclusive blog article here: Papo Prehistoric Animal Model Retirements in 2019.
This Model is Becoming Increasingly Rare (Papo Allosaurus in Original Colour Scheme)
The original Papo Allosaurus dinosaur model. Now out of production and retired.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Papo Allosaurus New Colour Variant
With the announcement that the original Allosaurus was being withdrawn, the French manufacturer was quick to introduce a replacement, a new colour version of this Late Jurassic, carnivorous dinosaur. This new figure is based on the same sculpt and it too has an articulated jaw, just like the original figure, but the colour scheme has been changed.
Introduced in 2019 – Papo Allosaurus New Colour Scheme
The Papo Allosaurus new colour scheme (2019).Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Commenting on the response to the Canadian customer’s request a spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur stated:
“We get a lot of prehistoric animal model collectors asking us about models that have been recently retired. We try our best to carry stock of as many different models and figures as possible. If a customer requests a photograph of a figure prior to purchase, then we are happy to do this for them. We select a model, take the photographs and email them over to the customer, if they are happy with the model, then we set it aside and when the order is placed we send out the figure.”
News of Papo Model Retirements
Recently, Everything Dinosaur provided information on Papo prehistoric animal figures that are being retired this year (2020), in total four Papo models are being withdrawn: Papo Model Retirements (2020).
Taking Photographs of a Papo Model for a Customer
The original Papo Allosaurus dinosaur model. Team members take pictures of the model from several angles, thus providing the customer with a really good view of their potential purchase.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
To view the range of Papo dinosaurs and prehistoric animal models, including the retired original Papo Allosaurus (whilst stocks last): Papo Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.
Newly Described Specimen of Miragaia longicollum helps to Decipher the Dacentrurinae
A fossil of a stegosaur discovered in 1959 on the coast of western Portugal has helped to decipher the taxonomic relationships of an obscure sub-family of armoured dinosaurs known from the Late Jurassic. The specimen number MG 4863 has been identified as an example of Miragaia longicollum, a stegosaur named and described in 2009 from fossils found some 6 miles (10 kilometres) further inland.
Amazing Stegosaur Fossil Specimen
MG 4863 has been described as a “Rosetta Stone” specimen, just as the discovery of the Rosetta Stone was vital in helping scholars to interpret and understand ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, these fossils, that had languished in storage for sixty years, can help palaeontologists to distinguish between different genera of closely related stegosaurs.
Laid Out in an Approximate Skeletal Reconstruction (MG 4863) – Newly Described Miragaia longicollum Specimen
Miragaia longicollum specimen (A) before preparation and (B) after preparation. Material is laid out in approximate articulation.
Picture credit: Costa and Mateus published in PLOS One
The picture (above), shows the fossil material associated with MG 4863 prior to preparation (September 2015) and after preparation (May 2017). The fossils have been positioned in an approximate skeletal layout, the box in (B) contains unidentified fossil fragments.
Miragaia longicollum
Although far from complete and lacking any evidence of a skull, these fossils, that had been stored in an unprepared state at the Alfragide campus of LNEG (Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, Portugal), consist of bones that were not part of the original holotype specimen for M. longicollum (specimen number ML 433). Thus, palaeontologists have more parts of the skeleton of Miragaia longicollum to study and this newly described specimen has helped to decipher the differences between Miragaia and the closely related Dacentrurus.
The Dacentrurinae Deciphered
The first armoured dinosaur to be scientifically described was Dacentrurus armatus (although it was originally named Omosaurus armatus by the famous English palaeontologist Richard Owen). It was named from a jumbled up set of bones preserved in a block discovered in a clay quarry in Wiltshire (southern England).
The fossilised bones mostly represent the back-end (posterior) portions of an armoured dinosaur. For a considerable period, stegosaur fossils from strata approximately the same age from the Iberian peninsula were referred to as Dacentrurus. When ML 433 was excavated all that changed and this part of Europe had its very own stegosaur Miragaia longicollum. However, the holotype (ML 433), represented the front end (anterior) of the animal, so direct comparisons between Dacentrurus and Miragaia were not possible.
Now that palaeontologists have more fossils of Miragaia to study, thanks to the Alfragide campus specimen, clear differences between these two taxa can be identified, which reinforces their validity. In addition, ML 4863 is the the most complete dinosaur described from Portugal and the most complete stegosaur described from the whole of Europe.
Comparing the Holotypes of Dacentrurus armatus and Miragaia longicollum with the Newly Described Miragaia Material (ML 4863)
Comparing Dacentrurus with Miragaia. Known fossil bones are shown in white.
Picture credit: Costa, Mateus et al published in PLOS One with additional annotation by Everything Dinosaur
Stegosaur Scientific Paper Published
Both the Miragaia holotype (ML 433) and this newly described specimen (MG 4863), are associated with the Upper Jurassic Lourinhã Formation. Writing in the on-line academic journal PLOS One, the researchers (Francisco Costa and Octávio Mateus), provide a revised diagnosis for both M. longicollum and D. armatus.
A Land Bridge Between Iberia and North America – Late Jurassic Faunal Interchange
Significantly, the scientists conclude that Miragaia was closely related to a Late Jurassic stegosaur named Alcovasaurus longispinus, which is known from hip bones and other fragmentary fossils associated with a Morrison Formation outcrop in Natrona County (Wyoming, USA). Not only does MG 4863 help to describe and define two European stegosaurs but it lends weight to the idea that there was an ephemeral land bridge between North America and Iberia that allowed faunal exchange.
A Scale Drawing of Miragaia longicollum
“Long-neck from Miragaia”. A scale drawing of M. longicollum.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Dacentrurus and Miragaia are represented in the CollectA model range.
We have two species of the carnivorous Late Jurassic dinosaur Torvosaurus identified, one from the western United States (T. tanneri) and one from Portugal (T. gurneyi) and now the idea of there being links between the Iberian landmass and North America is reinforced by the conclusion that Miragaia from Portugal and Alcovasaurus from Wyoming were closely related. Indeed, Alcovasaurus is so similar to Miragaia that the researchers propose that it should be assigned to the same genus and renamed Miragaia longispinus.
Rebor will be introducing four brand new, innovative figures this year which combine elements of science-fiction with the Dinosauria. The first of these figures “Broodlord”, the X-REX metallic variant will be available from Everything Dinosaur around the end of February and this model is available now for pre-order.
Rebor “Broodlord” X-REX Metallic Variant Figure Available to Pre-Order from Everything Dinosaur
The Rebor “Broodlord” X-REX metallic variant figure is available on pre-order from Everything Dinosaur.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Science Fiction Combined with Science – Ne Plus Ultra!
Those talented people at Rebor have combined the anatomies of a Tyrannosaurus rex with an alien xenomorph to create this stunning and magnificently detailed collector’s item. When Henry Fairfield Osborn described Tyrannosaurus rex in 1905, he justified the “tyrant lizard king” genus by stating:
“Tyrannosaurus, in reference to its size, which far exceeds that of any carnivorous land animal hitherto described”. The famous American palaeontologist added…
“This animal is in fact the ne plus ultra for the evolution of the large carnivorous dinosaurs, in brief it is entitled to the royal and high sounding group name which I have applied to it.”
“Ne plus ultra” reflects Osborn’s view that T. rex was the ultimate theropod dinosaur, the apex in carnivorous dinosaur evolution. It is true that more recent fossil discoveries have led palaeontologists to describe a number of gigantic and terrifying meat-eaters, but none have the popular appeal of the “tyrant lizard king”.
How fitting therefore for the design team at Rebor, to use a 1:35 scale Tyrannosaurus rex sculpt as the basis for this, the first of four fantasy figures that the company intends to introduce this year.
The Rebor “Broodlord” X-REX Metallic Variant
The Rebor Broodlord X-REX Metallic Variant (1:35 scale).
Rebor X-REX “Broodlord” (Metallic Variant)
Measuring around 43 cm from those monstrous, double jaws to the tip of that alien tail, this figure demonstrates stunning detail and the careful painting provides a demonic, wet-look to the model. It certainly is a remarkable cross-over between two popular genres. X-REX has a removable tongue, the arms can be rotated and placed in different poses and the tail is flexible, so it too can be posed in a variety of positions.
The Rebor X-REX “Broodlord” Figure
The Rebor Broodlord X-REX Metallic Variant (1:35 scale). The tongue can be removed, the arms repositioned and the flexible tail can be put into a variety of poses. Create your own unique fantasy diorama!
Pre-order Rebor “Broodlord” from Everything Dinosaur
The amazing Rebor Broodlord X-REX model (metallic variant) in 1:35 scale can be pre-ordered from Everything Dinosaur – purchase price £29.99 plus sales tax (if applicable) and postage.
No credit/debit card payment will be taken up front, no payment will be due until the product is in stock ready to ship. Customers who log into their personal account at Everything Dinosaur can view any pre-orders that they make. Naturally, pre-order products can be cancelled at any time. No deposit to pay, no fees up front, just the reassurance that the customer has been able to secure an amazing model, all backed and supported by the 5-star, award winning customer service of Everything Dinosaur.
For those customers who prefer to use PayPal, they will simply be sent an email reminder asking them to complete transaction payment when the model is in stock and ready for release.
Rebor “Broodlord” X-REX Expected Around the End of February 2020
The Rebor Broodlord X-REX Metallic Variant (1:35 scale).
Rebor “Broodlord” – A Wonderful Science Fiction/Fantasy Figure
A wonderful science fiction/fantasy model from Rebor, the Rebor Broodlord X-REX metallic variant. Customers can cancel pre-orders at any time before the payment falls due.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We have set up a pre-order function at Everything Dinosaur in response to requests from our customers. As model and figure collectors too, if our customers ask for something we try to deliver it. Our customers can now order products before they are available, but there is no fee to pay up front, no need for a deposit, payments will be made on release of the figure when it is ready to despatch from our warehouse. This is an additional service we are providing and with the imminent introduction of such an exciting Rebor figure as this X-REX, it seems a fitting time to roll this feature out.”
Everything Dinosaur team members are busy preparing for the arrival of new for 2020 prehistoric animal models from Safari Ltd. One of the new figures is a replica of the Middle Triassic, horned archosauromorph from India called Shringasaurus (Shringasaurus indicus). Plans are advanced as we prepare for the arrival of the models, team members are already compiling the fact sheets that are to be sent out with these new additions to our product portfolio.
Shringasaurus
For Shringasaurus, as with the vast majority of the prehistoric animal models we supply, a scale drawing has been commissioned, primarily for use with the fact sheet.
Everything Dinosaur’s Scale Drawing of the Horned, Middle Triassic Archosauromorph Shringasaurus
The archosauromorph reptile from the Middle Triassic of India – Shringasaurus indicus. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Tale of the Tape
The actual model measures approximately 16.5 centimetres in length. When Everything Dinosaur blogged about the formal naming and scientific description of this reptile back in the late summer of 2017* the length of this herbivore, based on the seven known specimens was estimated to have been around 3.5 to 4 metres. Taking an average, Everything Dinosaur team members prepared the scale drawing (see above). Although Safari Ltd do not publish a scale for these types of models, the new for 2020 Shringasaurus is in approximately 1:23 scale.
The New for 2020 Safari Ltd (Wild Safari Prehistoric World) Shringasaurus Model
The new for 2020 Wild Safari Prehistoric World Shringasaurus. Everything Dinosaur’s commissioned illustration for this prehistoric animal seems to have captured the detailing in the Safari Ltd model quite nicely.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Model collectors and dinosaur fans can expect all the new for 2020 Safari Ltd prehistoric animal replicas to be in stock at Everything Dinosaur in the near future.
A New Abelisaurid (Tralkasaurus cuyi) from Argentina
A team of scientists based in Argentina have described a new species of abelisaurid from the Huincul Formation in northern Patagonia. The new dinosaur is represented by a fragmentary skeleton consisting of caudal vertebrae (tail bones), a bone from the upper jaw (maxilla), a distorted pelvic girdle and sacral vertebrae. Although the fossils were found in a disarticulated state and quite widely scattered, it is likely that the bones represent a single, individual animal.
Tralkasaurus cuyi
With an estimated body length of around five metres and a hip height of approximately 1.5 metres, this newest member of the Abelisauridae, named Tralkasaurus cuyi, is much smaller than abelisaurs such as Carnotaurus sastrei, Abelisaurus comahuensis and Ekrixinatosaurus novasi.
Writing in the “Journal of South American Earth Sciences”, the researchers, which included Mauricio Cerroni, a PhD student at the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Buenos Aires (Argentina), conclude that Tralkasaurus probably occupied a different ecological niche compared to the much larger and heavier Late Cretaceous abelisaurids.
A Size Comparison Between Carnotaurus sastrei and Tralkasaurus cuyi
A size comparison between Tralkasaurus cuyi and Carnotaurus sastrei. Tralkasaurus very probably had a typical abelisaurid body plan, but its size suggests that it was a secondary predator, specialising in hunting other types of prey compared to the much larger carnivorous dinosaurs that it co-existed with.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A New “Thunder Lizard”
This new dinosaur was found at the Violante Farm site, in Río Negro province (northern Patagonia). The sandstones of the Huincul Formation has yielded a diverse range of theropods including the giant carcharodontosaurid Mapusaurus (M. roseae), which is estimated to have measured around 12 metres in length along with the at least 6-metre-long Gualicho (G. shinyae), tentatively described as a member of the Neovenatoridae family and two other abelisaurids Skorpiovenator (S. bustingorryi) and Ilokelesia (I. aguadagrandensis).
The genus name translates as “thunder lizard”, in the native Mapuche language.
Being much smaller than other abelisaurids such as Abelisaurus and Carnotaurus suggests that this new taxon probably occupied a different ecological niche within the ecosystem.
The scientific paper: “A new abelisaurid from the Huincul Formation (Cenomanian-Turonian; Upper Cretaceous) of Río Negro province, Argentina” by M. A. Cerroni, M. J. Motta, F. L. Agnolína, A. M. Aranciaga Rolando, F. Brissón Egli and F. E. Novas published in the Journal of South American Earth Sciences.
