Trachodon (Edmontosaurus) (Marx)

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Trachodon is, or was, a genus of hadrosaurid described by Leidy in 1856 for which the only material known was a mix of teeth from both hadrosaurids and ceratopsians. That’s not much to go by and Trachodon is now considered nomen dubium. During its day however, Trachodon was a household name and the classic “duck-billed” dinosaur of pop culture. This is because Trachodon was also the name once applied to Edmontosaurus annectens. Many reconstructions of Edmontosaurus were once labeled as being Trachodon, including the mounted specimens at the American Museum of Natural History and Charles R. Knight’s painting of that same pair from 1909.

Rudolph Zallinger also painted Edmontosaurus/Trachodon in his mural for the Yale Peabody Museum, and like other Marx toys the Marx Trachodon is based directly on that depiction. The Marx Trachodon was originally released in 1955, part of Marx’s second wave of toys and Medium Mold Group PL-750. A slightly altered Trachodon was later released in 1959 as part of the Revised Mold Group PL-977. The differences between them are minor and include changes to the posture. You can read more about them at dinosaur-toys-collectors-guide.com where both versions are directly compared. The one we’re looking at today is part of the Revised Mold Group.

Scientists once took the “duck-billed” moniker for these dinosaurs quite seriously, to the point that these animals were once thought to have lived like ducks too. Edmontosaurus (or Trachodon, Anatotitan, etc.) were often depicted as semi-aquatic animals, feeding on soft aquatic vegetation, and fleeing to the water when threatened. This is in sharp contrast to how we view these animals today, as primarily quadrupedal, herd dwelling animals, with a complex battery of teeth for feeding on a range of terrestrial plants. Although E. annectens has a long, low skull, it doesn’t actually look much like a duckbill, effectively killing the term that’s unfortunately still in use today.

The revised Marx Trachodon stands 2.75” tall and measures 6” from snout to tail, the original 1955 Trachodon is slightly larger. Like Zallinger’s depiction it has a bipedal, tail dragging posture. The left leg is stepping forward from the right and the right forearm is reaching out in front of the figure, while the left just dangles there. The name Trachodon is printed on the left side of the tail and a length of 30’ is printed on the right. E. annectens is now thought to have reached a length of 40-50’.

The bill of the Marx Trachodon is broad, flat, and smooth, with a slight bulge down the center, between the nostrils. The classic duckbill. The detail work on the figure is minimal and mostly consists of pitting along the body. Vertical striations are etched down along the spine and tail. Three toes are present on each foot and the hands are basically featureless mitts.

Like Marx toys in general the Trachodon has been copied to death, but if you’ve only ever seen those copies than you would be wrong to judge the original toy harshly. A lot of finer detail is lost on those copies. The original Trachodon is an elegant and finely sculpted toy, albeit a bit underwhelming in terms of unique charm or personality.

Like the other Marx toys this was the first dinosaur toy of its kind, giving it historical significance in our hobby. Marx produced 4 ornithopods in total: the Trachodon, Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus, and Hadrosaurus. The Marx Trachodon can be found on eBay for about $10-20 USD but you’ll get a better value if you purchase it in a lot.