Since PNSO found its way back to business, they keep on exciting the dinosaur collector community. I’d dare say each and every of their prehistoric models finds a warm welcome amongst our blog and beyond.
As a collector, 2019 is a harsh year, there’s just so many worthy models to obtain, but ressources need to be spread out. With what I have today in stock for review, it was a “no brainer” in any case, let’s see if you share my opinion.
The Peking Natural Science Organisation has a custom to give each of their prehistoric models a character name, in this case, it is “Bieber the Stegosaurus“. Now, I did not obtain this model for its name, in any case none of my models has a personal name and if, “Bieber” would have been one of my least choices. That being said, the thyreophoran reptile model behind that name is worth a look.
To my knowledge it is the first Stegosaurus PNSO released, though they have some close relatives in their portfolio already. While the is no short supply on Stegosaurus in the toy world, a serious collector can be hard pressed to get hands on a “perfect” restoration of the enigmatic species. Safari’s last version received great appreciation, but I could not warm myself to the sculpt to be honest, so I stuck to my latest Schleich version for the time. Then, without any advance notice PNSO released “Bieber”. On first sight it was the perfect match for my Bullyland/Rebor pair and after being ordered with Aliexpress it reached me in a stunningly fast two weeks from China.
What surprised me when I got the figure out of its box was the size and there the missed opportunity on the model – it is comparably tiny. Measured in direct line from the tip of the snout to the tip of the spike it is just 18.5 cm long, while “Sede the Ankylosaurus” (which goes for the same price) is around 4 cm longer and doubles the weight. So, you guess it, PNSO did not produce them for scale. That being said, the Stegosaurus fits perfectly with my “ultimate” Allosaurus as you can see on the photos below (in fact a customized Vitae Chilantaisaurus), a nice coincidence, even if those arch enemies may not have fought each other on the regular basis that dinosaur media may make us think.
Size aside, the PNSO Stegosaurus is pure eye candy. As small as it is, it comes with lots of details and a striking coloration. The colors and patterns may not be too creative (when you know some Stegosaurus models, you may have seen similar colors now and then) but they are vibrant, well done and work perfectly to enhance the presumed function of the plates and the overal appearance. 17 to 22 plates are suggested to be the right number of plates for the species, 17 plates are staggered here in two rows, aligned as close together as possible. The thagomizer spikes protrude horizontally from the tail and curve upwards ever so slightly. The legs are comparably thin and look more like elegant pillars made for walking, rather than the immobile thick stems Stegosaurus is often showed with. The folds, skins and scutes are intricately sculpted, even the throat armor is faintly visible. What I like most on the figure is the narrow and appropriately tiny head on a comparably long neck and the broad hips, fitting for a herbivore that size.
Despite its popularity and long back discovery, Stegosaurus’ ecology is still poorly understood. The tiny head with the small mouth and the strange teeth not made for grinding, suggest it fed mainly on low and soft browse as sprout and young leaves. This diet would contain enough energy to support such a big animal, but would it bring in direct competition with juvenile sauropods of which there were plenty of species in Stegosaurus‘ environment….
The pose is casual, showing the animal in a slow ambling walk, tail held high and swinging calmly from one side to another, the head turned slightly to the left. For me this is the most accurate and enjoyable Stegosaurus market on the market at this time. A tad bit bigger size would have been nice, but that aside, this just perfect, even as a true toy, as the plastic is quite soft and seems very durable and safe.
PS: Please excuse the poor photo quality, am still in the means of moving/renovating, so only mobile’s camera is available.
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Am I the only one living in a world where the Sophie specimen exists? (https://www.deviantart.com/scotthartman/art/Roofed-reptile-overhaul-75933986)?
I think it’s safe to say this figure is far from the most accurate around. Its proportions are instantly a bit dated with the extreme hunch back and large disparity in length between the hind legs and forelimbs. Still bootiful though. Gonna’ have to get this dude at some point.
The Sophie specimen is nice, but it’s a small individual and there are definitely proportional differences between it and known proportions of other specimens. Not only that, but unknown elements of Sophie and other recent Stegosaurus mounts were filled in not using other Stegosaurus, but Hesperosaurus. For example, Yale is going to give its new Stegosaurus mount shorter hind legs because Hesperosaurus and Sophie have shorter hind legs… despite the fact that the legs of their specimen are already complete! The leg disparity is real in that specimen, but they want to homogenize it because people think long hind legs and the resultant arched back look “old”. Sometimes the old version was actually right.
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Md65L_yy8xQ/V54PGyKLCPI/AAAAAAAA3QY/16LKE8Guds0DEX843g9stNicPjRwAjuNACLcB/s1600/stegosaurus_comparison.png
I was fairly certain that most people qualified to way in on the topic agree that the bodies of most previous specimens were crushed and warped out of proper proportion in various ways. I guess it’s currently just safest just to say ‘we don’t know’ seeing as the proportions of Sophie and essentially all previous Stegosaurus specimens contradict each other respectively, though I have to admit I find the Sophie material and Hesperosaurus-related phylogenetic bracketing a tad more convincing than the older more poorly preserved remains.
It’s not necessarily a matter of crushing and distortion, just difference. The plates for example of the holotype are not crushed, they just look different. Take a look at the brand new holotype reconstruction at the Smithsonian and compare that to Sophie mount.
I really do like this model. I feel the proportions of the excellent safari 2019 spoiled me. Just wish the plates colors where more blended like the box art (we all know pnso promotional images vs in hand is night and day). The plates just look like guitar pics to me. Excellent review!!!
Another well written and illustrated review. I thought that this would be larger on initially hearing about it as there is an image of someone holding a Museum Series sized version of this sculpt. Hopefully further down the track, as the release of the Sinops shows that PNSO are not averse to releasing the same animal in different sizes. Now that would be impressive!
I beleive that this Stegosaurus IS 1:35 Scale, and that All of the So Called “1:35 Scale” Museum models are actually in the 1:30 range or bigger. For instance, there is absolutly NO WAY that the Amargasaurus is in 1:35 Scale.
The small size is a bonus for me, since at 18cm that puts it at about 1:40 scale (for Stegosaurus stenops, which this is based on the tail plates) and will look correct with all my 1:40 figurines.
Lanthanotus I congratulate you for your article is very good and the photos are luxury. In relation to the PNSO stegosaurus it is pretty but small. I wish that one day PNSO makes a stegosaurus of a large size of PVC at 1:35 scale, however it is a beautiful figure.
If the length of this model is 18cm as described, the figure is currently 1:35 scale. The holotype of S. stenops is 6-7m long. Larger sizes are based on S. ungulatus which would have longer hind legs and spine-like tail plates.
Great review! I’m still waiting on mine, but I am quickly loving this figure.
It’s striking and beautiful to look at.
I’m like you, I can’t warm up to the new Safari’s version, it’s just so bland to me.
Thank goodness we have this one.
Well done! Can’t wait for mine to arrive. And yes, “Bieber” has a bad association, but I can think of even worse.
Also, I think your photos look just fine. 🙂