Cohen’s Thingodonta/ Yalkaparidon (Lost Kingdoms Series A by Yowie)

There aren’t many animals in the world known by their scientific name as opposed to a common name, yet the palaeo world seems to only use them, unless they are particularly well known, like the Woolly Mammoth or T. rex. That’s why I love this particular model, of an animal named Yalkaparidon (from the Aboriginal word for boomerang, based on the animals molar shape), but referred to in the common lexicon as Cohen’s Thingadonta, which is a brilliant name. It was found in the Riversleigh formation (be prepared to hear that a lot, Yowie made many animals from this formation), and is known from skull material, specifically the teeth. Fortunately, that can tell a lot about a mammal, like this being and insectivore. Let’s see what Yowie made.

This is appropriately small, measuring 2.4″ long and 0.8″ high, the real animal only reaching four times this size, give or take. It’s an all over white, with a mix of light and brown, forming spots and stripes all over the body. Quite naturalistic I think, though it makes it tricky to photograph. It’s an intimidating pose, maybe staring down a competitor. There is a little wiggle to the tail and head, allowing it to bob up and down.

Accuracy is hard to gauge, as only the skull really exists for this, and that’s incomplete. The head matches the fossils well, and the rest, based off a mix of arboreal animals, coming up with something that could work in the natural world. Not terrible.

I do like Yowie for their ability to delve into the weird and wonderful of Australia’s past, with this figure being a fine example of that. It’s not uncommon on eBay, and I do think it’s worth it. Marsupials are not common on the toy market, so I think it is worth hunting this oddity from the Yowie collection.