Chilesaurus (Paleo-Creatures by Jesus Toledo)

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Review by Rajvinder ‘IrritatorRaji’ Phull, photographs by Ceratopsian, edited by Suspsy

In 2004, the rib and vertebrae of an unknown dinosaur were discovered in Chile by a seven-year old by the name of Diego Suárez. However, little did Suárez know that he had kickstarted a fascinating chain of events that, in 13 years, would rock the world of palaeontology to its very core. I remember when it blew up on social media, being dubbed the “dinosaur find of the century,” a “discovery of the missing link,” and “the vegetarian Frankenstein.” It was the animal that “changed everything we knew about dinosaur evolution.”

By now, you’re probably wondering what on earth is so special about Chilesaurus. You’d probably think that, for such a groundbreaking discovery, it looks a little . . . underwhelming. No horns, no fangs, no giant claws, so what gives? Well, it was the animal’s bizarre mix of anatomical features that caught the attention of so many. The hips of an ornithischian, the body proportions of a theropod, the neck of a sauropod, little arms, a small head, and leaf-shaped teeth. Chilesaurus, a primitive ornithischian, seems to have been caught during a transitional stage, evolving from theropod to ornithischian. All this seems to suggest that two dinosaur groups, previously believed to be as distant from each other as you could have possibly imagined, may have actually been closely related.

With all this in mind, it was so pleasant to see a model of the revolutionary Chilesaurus become available for purchase so soon after news of the animal’s significance broke. Sculpted by the ever-talented Jesús Toledo (AKA Jetoar), it’s finally time to take a look at this intriguing model.

This 1:35 scale model comes in at about 10.1 cm (4 inches) long, so it is definitely one of Paleo-Creatures’ smaller models. The tiny size is somewhat fitting for Chilesaurus as, while the animal is estimated to be around 3 meters long, the holotype was a small individual, measuring in at only half that length. Either way, Chilesaurus was by no means a large nor threatening dinosaur, so it does seem rather fitting that its resin recreation be as equally small and winsome.

The model avoids having any balancing issues by being sculpted onto a thin, yet sturdy base. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of bases and I do try to avoid them whenever possible. However, having a base means that no anatomy needs to distorted or horrendously morphed in order to force the figure to stand. So in the end, we have a dinosaur figure that stands perfectly horizontal without having oversized feet, a need to rest on a hand, or a broken tripod tail. A decent compromise.

The pose on this figure is marvellous. It’s always refreshing to see dinosaur models assuming neutral poses, especially since this is how a dinosaur would have behaved normally. Dinosaur model creators sometimes feel the need to have the most lively and dynamically posed figures on the market, but often fail to see the beauty in just letting their dinosaurs be . . . well, dinosaurs. Walking around, keeping alert, but at peace with their surroundings. That’s what dinosaurs were for the most part and in that respect, this Chilesaurus feels more alive than most figures like it currently on the market.

For the size and scale of the model, the quality of the sculpt is good, but it admittedly does lack in some parts. Some smaller details you might not have expected to see on a model so small, such as nostrils, a mouth, and claws, do make an appearance, and each of these tiny details has been sculpted with care. There are no visible scales, but that’s to be expected on a model so small, for if you shrunk a real dinosaur down to a few inches long, you likely wouldn’t be able to see its scales either. The model does showcase a variety of wrinkles, especially in the neck, and some defined musculature. Texture-wise, the figure does unfortunately lack a little, especially around the torso where the wrinkles are at their most shallow.

The sculpt on the base is of very good quality. The base resembles that of an open plain, with sparse vegetation and rocks scattered throughout. The colours chosen for the base are also quite muted and subdued, which I think is a great choice. Chilesaurus is the star of this piece, so it makes perfect sense that the base should not outshine the dinosaur. Despite my dislike for dinosaur models with an affixed base, the high quality yet simple design of the base certainly makes it more tolerable than most other figures with affixed bases. On the underside of the base, one can expect to find white text detailing the name of the dinosaur, the scale of the model, and the name of the company, all written against a matte black background.

The colours chosen for the model are rather basic and simplistic, but that’s far from a bad thing. The body is coloured with a moderate yellow green and features some olive-coloured stripes that span the neck, body, and tail. The underside of the animal is painted a pale gold, the claws are a rather simple grey, and the eyes are a bright yellow with black pupils. All of these colours combine to create a dinosaur with an incredibly natural colour scheme, perfect for camouflaging against the lush Jurassic flora. Despite my appreciation for the chosen colours, I can understand why some may dislike them. One could consider the colour scheme a bit too basic or bland, which is understandable considering how other dinosaur model manufacturers proudly boast wild yet appealing colours for their herbivores whilst still receiving a positive reception. Such were the cases for PNSO’s Ouranosaurus, Kaiyodo’s DinoTales Brachiosaurus, Safari’s Stegosaurus, and many other herbivorous dinosaur models. However, all of these models have, in varying degrees, sacrificed realism in exchange for visual appeal. As someone who loves seeing dinosaurs represented accurately, I’m happy to see that Paleo-Creatures has made no such sacrifice.

In terms of faults, there’s not really too much I can talk about without crossing into nitpick territory. The model is very scientifically sound, faithfully showcasing all the wonky anatomy that makes Chilesaurus such a fascinating animal. The shrink-wrapping is practically non-existent. My only gripe is that the scapula sticks out a little too much, but that really isn’t all that noticeable. The correct number of digits are present and all the proportions are correct. This little herbivore is rightfully given a body somewhat reminiscent of a theropod.

The only faults with the model itself are rather minor and could probably be easily ignored. As mentioned previously, the skin detail lacks in some areas. The fingers are rather blunt and stubby and are probably the weakest aspect of the model. Also, as each model is individually hand-painted, no two models are ever going to look exactly alike. I would interpret two models with minor variations as just two different individuals of the same species, but for those who value uniformity, I can understand why this would be off-putting.

So what’s my final verdict? This is a great recreation of Chilesaurus that, while definitely flawed, certainly does this landmark dinosaur justice. This model is available in a set of two for $25. A good deal considering that you’re purchasing two hand-made, hand-painted, scientifically accurate models of an incredibly interesting dinosaur. Small figures definitely aren’t to everyone’s tastes, but if Paleo-Creatures’ Chilesaurus even remotely captures your interest then I’d highly recommend purchasing the set and welcoming these beautifully weird dinosaurs into your collection.