Qianzhousaurus (PNSO)

Like its close relative Alioramus, Qianzhousaurus was relatively small for a tyrannosaurid, measuring only around six metres long and weighing an estimated 757 kg. It is also one of the strangest-looking members of its family due to its very narrow, elongated snout. Such gracile anatomy meant that Qianzhousaurus lacked the brutal bite strength of its fellow Asians Tarbosaurus and Zhuchengtyrannus, not to mention its North American sovereign Tyrannosaurus rex. Instead, it may have pursued smaller, swifter game like the many oviraptorids that shared its realm in China.

PNSO previously released a very nice miniature Qianzhousaurus named Trike in 2019; now meet the much larger and much more imposing A-Shu! He is posed in a realistic walking stance with his left foot forward, right foot extended back, tail held high and swaying to the right, and head turned sharply to look to the right. Presumably, A-Shu is on the hunt for prey, perhaps even sneaking up on some unsuspecting herbivore. A-Shu measures slightly over 9 cm tall at the head and 24 cm in length. While he stands up very well on his own (thus far), PNSO has included a clear support rod similar to the one that came with the most recent incarnation of Wilson. Probably a good idea in the long run.

A-Shu’s main colour is a very pale blue with a pinkish underbelly and medium brown stripes. His feet and hands are painted over with dark grey and tipped with dull grey claws. A-Shu’s muzzle and brow are adorned with brownish-orange and his beady eyes are light orange surrounded by dark brown. Glossy salmon and light pink are used for the inside of his mouth and his teeth are off-white. There are also airbrushed dark grey markings on A-Shu’s head that give him an even more intimidating appearance. Overall, this is a fairly vivid colour scheme by PNSO’s standards, and quite a plausible one as well.

Unlike Trike, A-Shu is entirely devoid of integument. Instead, his skin is covered in fine round scales of varying size, even on the soles of his feet. The largest scales are to be found on his upper jaw near the tip of his snout. His hands and feet are covered in rows of overlapping scales, which have long been a mainstay in theropod depictions. There are also plenty of (but not too many) wrinkles, most noticeably on his neck and flanks. And despite being much smaller and slimmer than Wilson, A-Shu is still one powerful-looking tyrannosaur. His neck is thick, his rib cage swells like a barrel, and his legs are bulging with muscles. It would not be difficult to envision a beefy therizinosaur like Nanshiungosaurus falling victim to this ‘Pinocchio Rex.’

Like many of PNSO’s Mesozoic meat eaters, A-Shu features an articulated lower jaw that can either shut completely or open wide to about a 40 degree angle. And unlike last year’s Wild Safari figure, this Qianzhousaurus lacks lips. Personally, I am fully in favour of lips on theropods, but I acknowledge that it’s a topic of ongoing debate and the absence of lips doesn’t turn me off from a figure. The inside of A-Shu’s mouth is meticulously detailed, including visible nostril cavities on the palate. The many teeth lining the jaws are notably sharp, as are the curved claws on the hands and feet. A-Shu definitely feels more like a figure for older collectors than a toy to be played with by children.

Although no remains of Qianzhousaurus‘ arms have been discovered yet, it is reasonable to assume that they were very small and terminated in only two fingers just like on other tyrannosaurids. A-Shu certainly reflects this; indeed, his arms may well end up proving to be a little too small. More importantly, his skull is quite unmistakable, with a long and narrow snout, a row of triangular bumps on top of the premaxilla, and a pair of large triangular ridges in front of the eyes.

A-Shu the Qianzhousaurus represents yet another triumph for PNSO. Superb sculpting detail, nice colouration, fearsome appearance, fun chomping action, and careful attention to accuracy. A must-have for any tyrannosaur collection in my book!