Age: Miocene

Review: Prehistoric Mammal Skulls (Toob by Safari Ltd.)

Genus: Arsinoitherium, Australopithecus, Coelodonta, Daeodon, Embolotherium, Mammut, Smilodon, Uintatherium, Woolly rhinoceros Brand: Safari Ltd. Classification: Cat, Elephant, Hominid, Mammal Age: Eocene, Miocene, Oligocene, Pleistocene, Pliocene Type: Set, Skeletal, Tube

4.7 (9 votes)

Prehistoric skulls, be they those of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, sea monsters, mammals, amphibians, or any other beasts, are always things of beauty and intrigue. Let us take a look at this interesting variety of mammal skulls from Safari Ltd. There are eight in total, all coloured medium brown with a pale brown wash, and all with their names printed on the undersides.

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Review: Livyatan (Mega Abissi by Diramix)

Genus: Livyatan Brand: Diramix, Mega Abissi Classification: Mammal, Whale Age: Miocene Type: Figurine

2.8 (4 votes)

If you’ve ever wanted to build a diorama with your megalodon toys, you’ve probably noticed that there aren’t many other Miocene sea monster toys to pair them up with, although luckily plenty of the fish, turtles, and invertebrates alive then were very similar to modern ones.

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Review: Deinotherium (Mojö Fun)

Genus: Deinotherium Brand: Mojö Fun Classification: Elephant, Mammal Age: Miocene, Pleistocene, Pliocene Type: Figurine

4.4 (14 votes)

The name Deinotherium means “terrible beast,” and this powerful pachyderm must have seemed like one to our early hominid ancestors who lived alongside it in Africa during the Pleistocene epoch. Standing around 4 metres tall and weighing anywhere from 10 to 13 tons, it was possibly the third largest proboscidean of all time after the 24-ton Asian straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon namadicus (the largest land mammal of all time!) and the 15-ton mastodon Mammut borsoni.

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Review: Diatryma and Phorusrhacos (Starlux)

Genus: Diatryma, Gastornis, Phorusrhacos Brand: Starlux Classification: Bird Age: Eocene, Miocene, Paleocene Type: Figurine, Oldies

4.3 (9 votes)

Review and photos by Lanthanotus, edited by Suspsy
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.

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Review: Anchitherium (Bullyland)

Genus: Anchitherium Brand: Bullyland Classification: Mammal Age: Miocene Type: Figurine

3.6 (10 votes)

Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy
Horses have played a great roll in the history of mankind since the end of the ice ages. One of the last few large mammals alive from that time, they are found all across the world in various forms.

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Review: Deinotherium (Starlux)

Genus: Deinotherium Brand: Starlux Classification: Elephant, Mammal Age: Miocene, Pleistocene, Pliocene Type: Figurine, Oldies

3.7 (11 votes)

Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy
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!

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Review: Monanthesia and Cycadeoidea (CollectA)

Genus: Cycadeoidea, Monanthesia Brand: CollectA Classification: Plant Age: Carboniferous, Cretaceous, Eocene, Jurassic, Miocene, Oligocene, Paleocene, Permian, Pleistocene, Pliocene, Triassic Type: Figurine

5 (14 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!

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Review: Williamsonia (CollectA)

Genus: Williamsonia Brand: CollectA Classification: Plant Age: Cretaceous, Eocene, Jurassic, Miocene, Oligocene, Paleocene, Pleistocene, Pliocene, Triassic Type: Figurine

5 (15 votes)

Thought I’d take a stab at reviewing a prehistoric plant for the first time. Let’s take a look at Williamsonia, a member of the order of Bennettitales, or cycadeoids. Bennettitales were an order of seed plants that first arose during the Triassic and then flourished all the way until the end of the Cretaceous.

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Review: Prehistoric Landscapes Cycad by Safari Ltd.

Genus: Cycad Brand: Safari Ltd. Classification: Plant Age: Carboniferous, Cretaceous, Eocene, Jurassic, Miocene, Oligocene, Paleocene, Permian, Pleistocene, Pliocene, Triassic Type: Figurine

4.9 (11 votes)

Review and photographs by Lanthanotus, edited by Suspsy
Here comes another (unfortunately retired) one of the prehistoric plants produced by Safari Ltd, the other two being reviewed here. I did not include it in the first review as my usual retailer didn’t have it in stock anymore and it took some time to find one for a reasonable price.

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Review: Prehistoric Plants (Safari Ltd)

Genus: Agathis, Araucaria, Tree fern Brand: Safari Ltd. Classification: Plant Age: Cretaceous, Eocene, Jurassic, Miocene, Oligocene, Paleocene, Pleistocene, Pliocene, Triassic Type: Figurine

4.9 (10 votes)

Review and photographs by Lanthanotus, edited by Suspsy
Plants and trees may not be a collector’s first choice of models to collect, and not only because there’s so few around. In general, humans feel more attracted to animals than towards plants despite the fact that we could still live well without keeping or even breeding (and feeding on) animals, but not without plants.

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Review: Moropus (CollectA)

Genus: Moropus Brand: CollectA Classification: Mammal Age: Miocene Type: Figurine

4.9 (16 votes)

Chalicotheres were an unusual family of ungulates related to the similarly extinct brontotheres as well as extant horses, rhinos, and tapirs. At over 8 feet tall, Moropus was one of the largest chalicotheres. Unlike its smaller relatives, it appears to have walked on its palms as opposed to its knuckles.

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Review: Daeodon (CollectA)

Genus: Daeodon Brand: CollectA Classification: Mammal Age: Miocene, Oligocene Type: Figurine

4.8 (17 votes)

The carcass is days old, decaying, and beset with insects, but that means nothing to the marauder. He seizes the prize in his monstrous jaws and crunches down decisively. Bone fragments, crushed marrow, rancid meat, and still-wiggling maggots all disappear down his throat.

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