Anchiornis (Luffy) (Age of the Dinosaurs by PNSO)

Anchiornis huxleyi was only described a decade ago and yet has gone on to become one of the most well understood dinosaur species in recent memory. Hundreds of exceptionally well preserved fossils of this late Jurassic paravian have been found in the bone beds of Liaoning, China. These fossils are so well preserved that they give us one of the best representations of what a dinosaur actually looked like, right down to the color of its plumage. What’s more is that Anchiornis was 10 million years older than Archaeopteryx, giving it the distinction of being the oldest known feathered animal.

Despite its significance Anchiornis was a very bird-like dinosaur and as such has not gained much by way of popularity. It wasn’t large, about 13-16 inches long, and doesn’t generate the kind of excitement that say, a Tyrannosaurus or Stegosaurus might. There aren’t too many figures out there of it and aside from a small model by Takara Tomy this one by PNSO is the only one I’m aware of.

The PNSO Anchiornis is small, in keeping with the rest of the line, but at 3” long and 2” tall it’s not as small as many of PNSO’s older figures, and still commands some attention on a crowded shelf. I was somewhat surprised by how large it was upon receiving it. It stands in a fairly neutral pose, head cocked towards the right and the wings tucked in. A lot of feathered dinosaur collectables try to show off the wings, they’re usually open in full display or stretched out in what usually ends up looking like an awkward position, such is the case with the PNSO Archaeopteryx for example. I find postures like this more natural and realistic so for me it’s refreshing to see a modest little figure like this, just standing there, relaxed.

The detail work is excellent and the overall appearance very realistic. This figure looks like a bird, as it should, with a lot of floofy feathering that obscures its underlying anatomy. This is scientifically accurate as Anchiornis is known to have had an extensive covering of shaggy feathers, even the legs are feathered.

Although classifying Anchiornis has proven to be a tricky process it is closely related to the troodontidae and dromaeosauridae families. Like members of those families Anchiornis had a recurved claw on the second toe that’s present in this figure. Also present are the small finger claws poking out of the wings. The figure stands on a roughly textured base that is unfortunately the same color as the animal’s toes.

The coloration of this figure closely matches the colors of this creature in life, something that rarely needs to be addressed in toy dinosaur reviews. By examining color bearing melanosomes distributed across the body of fossilized specimens, scientists were able to work out that Anchiornis had coloration and patterning not too dissimilar to the extant pileated woodpecker. The PNSO Anchiornis is predominantly gray, with a rufous crest on the head, and white barring on the arm and leg feathers. It’s not an exact match to what the studies suggest, the yellow snout for example, but it’s certainly close enough.

The PNSO is a superb little figure; scientifically sound and meticulously detailed. In keeping what we know about this well studied dinosaur the PNSO Anchiornis might be one of the most accurate dinosaur figures ever produced. This figure is currently going for $5.57 on Amazon and at that price it’s a must have. Get it while you can, your collection won’t be complete without it!