Ankylosaurus (Sede) (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)

The Chinese company PNSO only came onto the scene about three years ago but in that short amount of time, and despite a brief hiatus, they’ve delivered a vast array of jaw dropping collectables like nothing we’ve seen before. By and large the models produced thus far have fit into a few different size and price ranges but none of them really met in the middle. They were either big or had elaborate bases that increased their cost and took up space, or they were mini-sized ala Kaiyodo Dinotales. Recently, however, a range of collectables has appeared that’s neither too big, or too small, and quite affordable as well. This is what I’m personally calling the Goldilocks range of models, they’re just right! So far only three models are produced in this price and size range, they’re not in scale with each other but cost about $20. There’s a megalodon, Stegosaurus, and the Ankylosaurus that we’re looking at today. EDIT: Since this writing, two more figures in this size range have been released.

The first thing that was immediately noticeable to me so worth addressing first is the armor placement on this Ankylosaurus. By now we’re all familiar with the latest look for this popular armored dinosaur, it was reproduced for the older Carnegie model and more recently for the Safari Ankylosaurus, both were based on work done by Kenneth Carpenter in 2004. So while there is no denying that the PNSO Ankylosaurus looks fantastic, can it also be accurate with this vastly different armor placement?

Well as popular as it is we’ve never really had a great grasp of what Ankylosaurus looked like. For many years reconstructions of Ankylosaurus were heavily inspired by the similar Euplocephalus. And this is because the remains we have for Ankylosaurus are very disarticulated, presenting a puzzle of sorts that various paleontologists have tried to piece together. This is an ongoing process and a paper published in late 2017 by Jordan Mallon and Victoria Arbour proposes another armor arrangement for Ankylosaurus, one that differs from Carpenter’s. By the time this paper was released the Safari Ankylosaurus was already complete, the PNSO Ankylosaurus follows the 2017 paper. Does that make the Safari Ankylosaurus already obsolete? No, it just presents a different interpretation of the evidence. Either look could be accurate or inaccurate at this time.

Armor placement aside the model is faithfully accurate to what we know about Ankylosaurus. The bizarre, lateral nostril placement unique solely to Ankylosaurus is present, and an important if small detail to get right. The hips are appropriately wide as they should be when many models fail in this regard. And although we don’t have much limb material to go by for Ankylosaurus the model has 3 digits on each hindlimb and five on the forelimbs which is in keeping with what we know about other ankylosaurids. All in all, Sede is about as well researched and accurate as you could want her to be.

At 9” in length Sede is a much larger figure than I expected at her price point and going by the larger size estimate for Ankylosaurus would be 1/35 in scale. The fine detail work and paint job on this figure is fantastic. Every scute and tiny hornlet is meticulously painted with only a few misapplication issues on the smaller scutes on the tail. Fine pebbly scales are sculpted between each scute, the unarmored portions of the head, and the underside. Saggy folds of skin on the neck and torso convey the amount of weight this animal had to haul around.

Sede is presented in a pose that’s about as dynamic as you could hope an Ankylosaurus to be. She’s striding forward with the fingertips on her left forearm just barely touching the ground. Her tail is held high with a slight sweeping motion towards the left. Her head is cocked towards the left as well, perhaps eyeballing a tidbit of food or simply watching where she steps. Overall the figure is presented with a lot of character and an inquisitive nature you might not expect from an ankylosaur.

The colors applied are both attention grabbing but realistic. Sede is painted in mostly brown tones with some orange patches here and there; between a few scutes, along the unarmored flanks, the sides of the neck. The underside is a soft yellow color. The bony scutes are darker dorsally and lighten in tone as they move down along the sides.

The PNSO Ankylosaurus gets high marks all around. Using the latest scientific studies and combining them with their usual high level of craftsmanship PNSO has produced a figure unlike anything else currently available. That it’s the only Ankylosaurus available based on Mallon and Arbour’s paper makes Sede a one of a kind, at least for the moment, and a must have for ankylosaurid fans. On top of all that, this figure is affordable, space saving, and doesn’t cut any corners in achieving that. At the time of this writing Sede has been popping on and off of Amazon which is where I got her. Given PNSO’s production history and country of origin, this is a model best procured sooner than later.