Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy
By now, we are all aware of the reputation of the Geoworld Jurassic hunters line: cheaply made figures, full of inaccuracies despite (false) claims of palaeontological approval and shameless plagiarism of palaeoartists. However, I wanted to investigate these figures personally, so I got a figure from each of the first three ‘expeditions’ and see what they were like.
Age: Eocene
Review: Entelodon (Mojö Fun)
4.8 (6 votes)
Despite their appearance and popular designation as “Hell” or “terminator” pigs the group scientifically knows as the entelodontidae are now thought to have been more closely related to whales and hippopotamuses. Regardless of their taxonomic affinity there is no denying the superficial resemblance the entelodonts have to pigs, and one has to wonder if they had a similar temperament to pigs and hippopotamuses as well.
Review: Entelodont (AAA)
4 (9 votes)
Admittedly, there were lovelier animals to have walked the earth in prehistoric times than entelodonts, omnivorous beasts that were two metres tall and four metres long. Entelodonts were especially abundant in what are now Mongolia, China and Northern America and strolled through the landscape searching for any kind of food in the Eocene epoch – mainly probably carrion.
Review: Gastornis (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)
4.9 (13 votes)
Perhaps surprisingly for an animal that was a staple of popular books on prehistoric life for decades (and made an appearance in Walking With Beasts), models of Gastornis are a little thin on the ground. Happily, Safari have stepped forward with this very decent effort – the first toy “Diatryma” in years.
Review: Ginkgo (Deluxe by CollectA)
4.9 (9 votes)
What’s a nice prehistoric animal figure without the appropriate background? Right, so let’s have a look at another plant offering by CollectA…
While being a recent species, Ginkgo biloba already existed long before any human had the brilliant idea to develop writing or another kind of reliable method to record dates or stories for generations to come and so setting the foundation for our modern understanding of history and therefore the time before.
While being a recent species, Ginkgo biloba already existed long before any human had the brilliant idea to develop writing or another kind of reliable method to record dates or stories for generations to come and so setting the foundation for our modern understanding of history and therefore the time before.
Review: Hyaenodon (AAA)
3.5 (8 votes)
Review and photos by Mihnea (Wildheart)
Existing for approximately 26 million years, Hyaenodonts were some of the largest predators of the Late Eocene and Early Miocene epochs. Their name comes from the sharp hyena-like teeth used to tear apart possible prey. The skulls of these animals were huge and well equipped for hunting, but their brains were quite small, something typical in primitive carnivorous mammals.
Existing for approximately 26 million years, Hyaenodonts were some of the largest predators of the Late Eocene and Early Miocene epochs. Their name comes from the sharp hyena-like teeth used to tear apart possible prey. The skulls of these animals were huge and well equipped for hunting, but their brains were quite small, something typical in primitive carnivorous mammals.
Review: Hyaenodon (Mojö Fun)
4.8 (8 votes)
Hyaenodon was an interesting predatory animal that first evolved 42 million years ago and lived from the Late Eocene through to Early Miocene. The first thing to know about them is that they are not related to hyenas. In fact, they were a creodont, a long extinct group of mammals that did not survive the Miocene.
Review: Hyaenodon gigas(Wild Safari Prehistoric World by, Safari Ltd)
5 (9 votes)
For over 25 million years Hyaenodons hunted across Africa, Asia, North America and Europe. They were formidable predators that had oversized jaws. When hunting they would have probably ambush their prey with a quick rush, grab on to the head or neck with that impressive maw, and secure the kill.
Review: Medusa (Bullyland)
4.9 (8 votes)
Summer melts us here since weeks, so time for another wet review….
Today I want you to introduce you to one of those creatures everybody knows, but knows almost nothing about, a jellyfish. Jellyfish are a very very old group of animals, they date back to the famous Ediacarian, more than 600 mya.
Review: Megacerops (CollectA)
4.7 (13 votes)
Review and photos by Nathan Morris (AKA ‘Takama’), edited by Plesiosauria.
Megacerops was a large odd-toed ungulate that lived during the Late Eocene in North America. It is most commonly referred to by the synonymous name Brontotherium. Brontotherium means ‘thunder beast’, and its origins come from an old American legend that suggest that these beasts ran across the clouds, while causing thunder to roar with their footsteps.
Megacerops was a large odd-toed ungulate that lived during the Late Eocene in North America. It is most commonly referred to by the synonymous name Brontotherium. Brontotherium means ‘thunder beast’, and its origins come from an old American legend that suggest that these beasts ran across the clouds, while causing thunder to roar with their footsteps.
Review: Megacerops (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)
4.9 (20 votes)
Fighting for the ultimate prize, Lunk deals a heavy blow to his opponent’s flank in an attempt to end the battle. But the other male responds in turn, and Lunk experiences a sudden surge of pain as a couple of his ribs shatter. Beaten and exhausted, he lowers his head and slowly backs away, conceding defeat.
Review: Megachoerus AKA Archaeotherium (Tyco)
4 (4 votes)
Review and photos by Archinto, edited by Suspsy
Here we will be taking a look at a classic rendition of the prehistoric mammal Archaeotherium, as perceived by the Tyco company in 1990 for their awesome Dino-Riders toy line. This particular figure was released for the Ice Age sub-theme (under the subgenus Megachoerus), which also featured a motorized woolly mammoth as well as an articulated Smilodon and Megatherium.
Here we will be taking a look at a classic rendition of the prehistoric mammal Archaeotherium, as perceived by the Tyco company in 1990 for their awesome Dino-Riders toy line. This particular figure was released for the Ice Age sub-theme (under the subgenus Megachoerus), which also featured a motorized woolly mammoth as well as an articulated Smilodon and Megatherium.
Review: Moeritherium (Starlux)
3.9 (9 votes)
Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy
For many palaeontologists in my age group, the inspiration to become one came from watching the Jurassic Park movies and collecting the toy lines from them. I, on the other hand, became set on the idea from watching the Walking With .
For many palaeontologists in my age group, the inspiration to become one came from watching the Jurassic Park movies and collecting the toy lines from them. I, on the other hand, became set on the idea from watching the Walking With .
Review: Monanthesia and Cycadeoidea (CollectA)
5 (13 votes)
Review and photos by Lanthanotus, edited by Suspsy
Greens, stems, and leaves, but no teeth, no blood, no gore . . . no wonder plants seldom provide more than background for movies or our dinosaur collections. Day of the Triffids (1962) is the classic plant horror film par excellence, where seemingly harmless plants attack and kill humans and charge to take over world domination within days (for those of you that can’t stand classic B-movies or modern semi-quality TV adaptations of them, Splinter may be a more thrilling choice, though the antagonist is !SPOILER ALERT!
Greens, stems, and leaves, but no teeth, no blood, no gore . . . no wonder plants seldom provide more than background for movies or our dinosaur collections. Day of the Triffids (1962) is the classic plant horror film par excellence, where seemingly harmless plants attack and kill humans and charge to take over world domination within days (for those of you that can’t stand classic B-movies or modern semi-quality TV adaptations of them, Splinter may be a more thrilling choice, though the antagonist is !SPOILER ALERT!
Review: Pakicetus (Paleo-Creatures)
4.3 (8 votes)
Review and photographs by Loon, edited by Suspsy.
It may seem odd to think that whales are artiodactyls, or even-toed ungulates, the group of mammals that includes hippos, pigs, antelopes, deer, giraffes, sheep, goats, and cows. Obviously, modern whales don’t walk around on land, but, around 50 million years ago, their ancestors did.