A couple years ago I had the privilege of attending a presentation by paleontologist Dr. Scott Sampson at my local museum. The presentation was called “Dinosaurs of the Lost Continent” and concerned the recent discoveries being made in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. When the time came to discuss Kosmoceratops he proclaimed “Triceratops had three horns, but Kosmoceratops blows it out of the water with 15 horns.” It was clear from the presentation that he’s a fan of the genus and if you like a lot of horns on your dinosaur than this is certainly the one for you. Toy companies have also made note of the bizarre appearance of Kosmoceratops with models produced by CollectA, Kaiyodo, and now PNSO.
True to the actual specimen the PNSO Kosmoceratops does indeed have 15 horns (so does the CollectA and Kaiyodo) and is reasonably accurate elsewhere as well. The head looks long and narrow and the frill appropriately wide, but perhaps a little too tall. The parietal fenestrae are much larger on this toy than in the actual animal but that’s the only glaring inaccuracy I can see. The figure possesses the correct number of digits on both the hands and feet and in body mass is a little more filled out than the PNSO Einiosaurus. This was no doubt an extravagant animal and the toy conveys this well.
Although I’m a big fan of Einiosaurus (oddly enough, both these genera were described by Sampson) I find this model more attractive than the PNSO Einiosaurus. The frill has more color to it and the dynamic posture is well presented. The color scheme is similar to the Einiosaurus with a tan base color and darker brown spots along the body. The head is dark brown, and the openings in the frill are highlighted in orange. The horns are not individually painted however, and neither are the toe nails.
The toy is sculpted in an alert, striding posture. The head is tilted forward and looking leftward, the right arm lifted up as the animal moves forward. It’s similar to the Einiosaurus, but better executed I would say. They display great together, as they should.
The detail work on this small figurine is outstanding. Epoccipitals line the frill and smaller raised bumps are sculpted between the frill edge and the parietal fenestrae. Small scales are sculpted on the fenestrae as well but are absent elsewhere on the body, as you would expect at this size.
Despite excellent products from CollectA and Kaiyodo I find the PNSO Kosmoceratops a more realistic, and well-made model. This is a small, lively figurine of a very flamboyant dinosaur that should find a home on every collector’s shelf. The PNSO Kosmoceratops can be found on amazon.com.
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like a real one