Age: Miocene
Review: Deinotherium (Starlux)
Once again I find myself returning to the origins of dinosaur figurines, Starlux, to look at another animal reproduced long before other companies got to it. This time, it’s Deinotherium, the terrible beast! A relative of modern elephants, this powerful probiscidian could grow to 13 ft tall and weigh as much as 11 tonnes (based on the largest species, D.
Review: Diatryma (Schleich)
The Vintage Schleich Diatryma is a nice little figure to have! It is brightly coloured (although I know of monochrome ones being out there) and looks as if it is smiling at you. Looking at this figure, one can’t believe it was a more or less aggressive Eocene omnivore, lurking for prey in the Messel woods, not even avoiding small horses.
Review: Diatryma and Phorusrhacos (Starlux)
A few months ago I stumbled upon pictures of several dinosaur figures made by the French company Starlux while I was reading through the “Recent Acquisitions” thread in the DTF. I looked up this company and found that they had made a great array of dinosaurs as well as some very obscure and rarely depicted prehistoric animals.
Review: Dromornis (Yowies Lost Kingdom)
Travelling through the wonderful world of Oz (as the Aussies tend to call their country) one sure plans some things before starting. I deceided to cramp a few toy figures into a box to take on the chance to shoot some of them in their “natural environment” – at least kind of, Australia sure changed a fair bit since most of the represented animals went extinct.
Review: Elasmotherium (Deluxe by CollectA)
Review: Evolution of Humanity (Tama-Kyu)
Review and images by bmathison1972; edited by Suspsy
Prehistoric and primitive hominids are not rare in the animal toy market, but evolutionary sets of them are. The first, and probably the most popular, was called Evolution of Man, produced by Bullyland in 1999. The set featured Dryopithecus, Australopithecus, and four species of Homo: H.
Review: Giant Wonambi (Lost Kingdoms Series A by Yowie)
I love picking up rare species on the toy market, especially where they are part of groups that are rarely made. As mentioned previously, snakes are incredibly rare on the toy shelves, likely because they don’t vary too much so don’t sell well. Thankfully, Yowie comes in to the rescue, giving us the Giant Wonambi, a constrictor from the Pleistocene of Australia, the first fossil snake found in Australia.
Review: Ginkgo (Deluxe 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.
Review: Gomphotherium (CollectA)
The family Proboscidea has a long and very diverse history. The group is perhaps most famous for their trunks and tusks, with some growing to astounding shapes and sizes. Today, only one family from this once mighty group remains: Elephantidae, consisting of only three species.
Review: Gryposuchus (Jurassic World Epic Evolution, Wild Roar by Mattel)
Now here’s something unprecedented from Mattel. No, not a prehistoric pseudosuchian most people have never heard of. Mattel likes those, and this is that too. What makes this one unique is that it represents an animal that lived during the Cenozoic. The era immediately following the Mesozoic and the one in which we’re currently living.
Review: Hipparion (Jurassic Hunters by Geoworld)
Ancient horses really don’t get much love in the toy market. Aside from Starlux and Bullyland, no one has added to the herd of prehistoric equinids. That is until Geoworld brought out their rendition of Hipparion, one of the most successful horses ever, lasting 22 million years and covering almost every continent, before dying off in the Mid-Pleistocene, possibly being out competed by the modern horse.