Metridiochoerus (Jurassic Hunters by Geoworld)

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Review and photos by Takama, edited by amargasaurus cazaui and Suspsy

Out of all the prehistoric creatures that could have been made by modern toy companies, I assume a Metridiochoerus is not something you might expect. Metridiochoerus was basically a type of warthog that lived in Africa during the late Pleistocene, and it competed for the same niche as its modern cousin Phacochoerus, the common warthog. In the end, it was the Phacochoerus that lived on while Metridiochoerus became extinct. There was not much difference between Metridiochoerus and its modern day rival, as they both had the same number of tusks and they were close to the same size. The fact that any company would decide to make one of these pigs could be a real shocker, but since Geoworld mostly does prehistoric creatures, I can’t say I’m too surprised.

Since Metridiochoerus was basically another warthog, you would not expect them to screw it up too bad anatomy-wise. The face is definitely that of a warthog, and the tusks are faithfully recreated as they are pointed upwards like in the fossils. Unfortunately, the face is too big and the legs are too short (keep in mind, I’m comparing this to a modern warthog since I can not find any skeletals of this particular pig). The colors are rather drab and boring, but being a mammal, I don’t see it looking any better. The face, feet, and mane are painted brown while the body is painted tan.

There’s not much else to be said about this prehistoric figure. It looks like a generic warthog, and I’m sure kids would buy it and use it as a modern warthog. For collectors of obscure prehistoric creatures, this one could go on your list as it’s the only model of this species on the current market. It is available on Ebay, and it should sell for $9.00 or less, otherwise you’re paying too much. For an even cheaper price, you can get it at DeJankins, but keep in mind that these Geoworld mammals sell like hotcakes on there.