Olorotitan (PNSO)

Olorotitan arharensis meaning “Titanic/Giant Swan” was a genus of lambeosaurine hadrosaur from the Late Cretaceous of what we know today as the Far Eastern region of Russia.CollectA first introduced this hadrosaur to the toy world way back more than a decade ago when they were still known as Procon. I have to admit that prior to that, I wasn’t aware of it at all and was fascinated when I first saw the figure. Since then, Olorotitan has slowly gained fame at least in the paleo art and game world but oddly, there hasn’t been a good toy figure of it since the CollectA one, sure there were some odd ones here and there, but nothing spectacular.And so, this genus made it year-after-year on my wish and hopes dream list for I really like this dinosaur and wanting a good figure that would replace the CollectA one which I adore but is showing its age.

Well, that wait is finally over thanks to the prolific output of PNSO who this year has finally given us a truly amazing figure of this unique hadrosaur! Like many of their larger dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, there was a mini version of it but it was simply too small to even compete with the CollectA figure which was already small.PNSO is making up for lost time, releasing on average one figure a month, which is both a blessing and a curse (for the wallet).

After already releasing beautiful models of Lambeosaurus, Parasaurolophus, and Corythosaurus, I wasn’t expecting another hadrosaur to be joining this impressive herd anytime soon, but here we are, looking at this exquisite model of Ivan the Olorotitan.Olorotitan was one of the last non-avian dinosaurs before the extinction event. It roamed the region we know today as the Amur Region of Russia, a vast and harsh landscape. But back then, it was different with a milder climate.

The holotype specimen of Olorotitan was discovered in the late 1990’s and was formally named and described as a new species in 2003. The fossil skeleton was nearly complete giving scientist a real good picture of how it looked like. It was also the most complete dinosaur to be described from Russia, and was the most complete lambeosaurine skeleton to be found outside of western North America where most of the famous hadrosaurs are from.

Hadrosaurs are often overlooked especially those that don’t have impressive head ornamentations. When it came to hadrosaurs, the more outlandish and unique your head crest is, the more chances you have of attaining fame and name recognition. So, it’s no wonder that those species that had them are the ones that gets all the attention, and those that do not often get forgotten and spend time in obscurity.

Olorotitan have the unique features that is needed to stand out from the rest of the crowd.Like many lambeosaurines, it had a crest that is so uniquely shaped that would be hard to mistake it for another species and is very different from those of its North American relatives. This hollow crest rose up from the top and back of the skull and sweeps back before widening into a fan like shape (some say hatchet). In addition, Olorotitan also has the distinction of having an elongated neck having eighteen vertebrae instead of the maximum of fifteen seen in other hadrosaurs.

The head is sculpted beautifully with plenty of detail. The muscles on the face are well defined and the subtle skin folds add a sense of movement. The mouth and nostrils especially are nicely sculpted with lots of skin folds around them. The eyes are painted golden yellow which is very striking. The crest also shows plenty of subtle details and you can see how beautifully the transition from the top of the head to the crest, as well as the structure of the bones wrapped in skin. Even the crest itself have textures on it that is really nice.

When I first saw photos of the figure, there was concerns about a seam line on one side of the crest that looked very visible. But when I finally got the model, it took me a while to even find where this line was, it is very subtle and well obscured by the paint. I find it odd that there would be a seam line on one side but not the other, perhaps it is a mold defect and not really a seam line? Either way, it’s a relief to know that you wouldn’t even notice it if you were not aware it existed.

The long neck is stretched out as if the animal is reaching for something above it or simply looking up. There are plenty of details that suggest strong muscles and tendons as well as skin folds in the areas where you would expect to see them adding some sense of tension. The scales are small, as they should be, and covers the entire body with some random ones that are slightly larger in size.

The first trio of hadrosaurs from PNSO are all posed in a quadruped stance, but this one is different. It is posed biped, a modern take on the classic kangaroo pose we have grown up seeing in many early hadrosaur models. It is a nice dynamic pose that has a sense of elegance that fits the model perfectly. The long neck as mentioned is stretched out with a slight curve to one side, it connects to the body and form a fluid curve as the model is posed balancing on its back legs.

The upper part of the front legs is tucked close to the chest while the lower hangs in the air. And yes, the front toes are sculpted showing the mitten-like hooves. The body is broad and fully filled with muscles. Plenty of skin folds can be seen on the stomach area as well as the area between the back legs that gives some sense of tension as the animal moves and shifts it weight.The back legs are huge and powerful as they should be. The feet are sculpted nicely and proportioned to the body size; the model can stand solely on these feet but tends to be not as stable and will tilt back until the tip of the tail touches the ground. Like the theropods, this model comes with a clear plastic rod to add support and help keep the model stable.

The powerful and muscular tail has a thick base and slowly tapers as it reaches the tip. It slightly curves to one side before the tip slowly point downwards which also act as a third point of ground contact that stabilizes the figure. The musculature of the tail captures the power and rigidity that the tail is believed to have. On the back, we see spines that starts at the base of the skull and runs the entire length of the model. these spines vary in sizes, starting small on the head and neck growing the size as it reaches the back, then slowly gets smaller again as it moves down towards the tail. The spines are sculpted individually and there is even variation in how long they are.

The color at first glance may seem drab, but like many of PNSO models, it’s all in the subtlety. The base color looks to be smokey gray with some dark brown mixed in, this color is what we see on the head and majority of the body. On the stomach area we see a lighter color, a yellowish/brownish-white tone, mixed in and blends nicely with the darker colors. At the base of the tail, the darker colors fades and transitions into the same light brownish white, this color dominates the tail. The darker colors break into irregular bands that forms rings on the tail that is very pleasing.

On top of the dark color, it looks like a subtle purple wash was applied that really ties all the various hues together resulting in a very unique color that changes as you move the figure around a light source. We saw this unique purple hue in the promo photos and it was exciting to see it fully realized in the final mass-produced models.

The crest is where the brightest color is used, in this case a rich pumpkin orange that provides a nice pop of color that contrast with the dark body. This is adorned with dark stripes that really makes the crest stand out as it should since it is believed to also served as a display.

Olorotitan was a large animal with size estimate between 26-39′ feet long. PNSO’s model is scaled at 1:35 like many of their models. Obviously at this size and scale, it was based on a smaller individual and not the maximum size which is fine.As a comparison, it is closest in size to the Lambeosaurus than either the Parasaurolophus or Corythosaurus.

Olorotitan lived in a lush environment that hosted a diverse assemblage of animals including two other lambeosaurines : the Parasaurolophus-like Charonosaurus and Amurosaurus and possibly the hadrosaur Kerberosaurus. It seems that as other lambeosaurine hadrosaurids disappeared from North America, those in Asia like Olorotitan flourished all the way till the mass extinction. Many believed that there was a dramatic climate differences between these two regions with Asia maintaining suitable habitat for these hadrosaurs to continue to flourish when others in different parts of the world went extinct. 

PNSO”s Olorotitan is an exciting and exquisite model that surely ranks as one of the best hadrosaur ever made. It displays beautifully with the other hadrosaurs from PNSO and makes for one unforgettable sight that is unrivaled. I highly recommend this figure to anyone looking for an eye-catching piece or just to expand your hadrosaur herd. I’m excited to see what other hadrosaurs PNSO would produce in the future.

That concludes our review of PNSO’s Ivan the Olorotitan, hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading. Until the next review, stay safe and healthy. Cheers!