The late Cretaceous tyrannosauroid, Dryptosaurus, is a historically significant genus that due to the fragmentary nature of its preserved material has been largely forgotten and ignored. Dryptosaurus aquilunguis was one of the first theropods ever discovered and the first theropod discovered in the Americas. Originally named Laelaps by Edward Drinker Cope in 1866, Othniel Charles Marsh would rename the genus Dryptosaurus in 1877, upon discovering that the name Laelaps was already being used for a species of mite.
Author: Gwangi
My name is Arthur but I go by Gwangi on the blogs and forums, as homage to the old dinosaur and monster movies I love so much. In addition to writing about and collecting toy animals (extinct and extant) I also share my home with a variety of living animals, mostly reptiles but a little bit of everything. I have a lifelong interest in all things nature and natural history and most of my hobbies can be linked to those things in some way. I currently live in Maryland with my wife and daughters. In addition to writing on here I also write magazine articles, typically about local wildlife and aquarium fishes.All reviews by this author
Gastonia (Schleich)
3.9 (54 votes)
Before we begin the review, I would like to extend my gratitude towards Happy Hen Toys for sending this figure along as a review sample. Happy Hen Toys is a U.S. distributor of figures by Safari, Papo, CollectA, Schleich, and other similar companies. In the case of CollectA they’re often the only place that sells their products at a reasonable price within the United States.
Diabloceratops (Jurassic World Dino Trackers, Wild Roar by Mattel)
2.8 (58 votes)
It’s time for our annual review of a large Mattel ceratopsian. Every year since 2018 Mattel has released one of these and they always end up being among my favorite toys from Mattel. This year it’s a Diabloceratops, part of Mattel’s Dino Trackers line. What are Dino Trackers? Beats me!
Albertosaurus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)
4.7 (93 votes)
Seventy-one million years ago what is now Alberta, Canada, would have been located next to the Western Interior Seaway with various coastal habitats including swamps, marshes, tidal flats, lagoons, and estuaries. Familiar faces would have swum the aquatic ecosystems, including gar, bowfin, and sturgeon that are all present in North America’s freshwater habitats today.
Majungasaurus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)
4.7 (52 votes)
Before we begin the review, I would like to extend my gratitude towards Safari Ltd. for kindly sending along this figure as a review sample. The figure itself is not yet available but will be shortly and I hope my review helps you decide if this figure is a good fit for your collection.
Dilophosaurus (Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary, Pop! Movies by Funko)
1.9 (21 votes)
With this year being the 30-year anniversary of the release of Jurassic Park, I thought it was well past time (5 years to be exact) that I reviewed this figure that was released for the 25th anniversary of the film. It’s the Dilophosaurus Pop! by Funko. Although many Jurassic Park/World Funko figures now exist they don’t have a strong presence on the DTB.
Cooperoceras (Prehistoric World by CollectA)
4.9 (16 votes)
Over the last 3 years CollectA has produced FIVE extinct cephalopods spanning the geologic ages between the Ordovician and the Cretaceous. A magnificent achievement that appears to have come to an end, for alas, no cephalopod has been announced for 2023. But do not despair, with figures of Koolasuchus and Anomalocaris on the horizon CollectA is continuing their streak of releasing the most diverse and interesting assortment of prehistoric critters of any mainstream company.
Smok (Deluxe Prehistoric Collection by CollectA)
4.5 (14 votes)
As a person of Polish decent with a love for Triassic fauna I was elated to see that CollectA was producing a figure of Smok wawelski, a Triassic archosaur found near Lisowice village in Poland. And hot on the heels of their excellent Lisowicia too, another Triassic animal from the same fossil site.
Genyodectes (Jurassic World: Dominion, Extreme Damage by Mattel)
2.8 (17 votes)
Genyodectes serus (Greek for “late jaw bite”) is a genus of theropod belonging to the Ceratosauridae family and lived in South America during the early Cretaceous. It is only known from an incomplete snout described by Sir Arthur Woodward in 1901. Genyodectes was the second dinosaur ever discovered in South America and despite its fragmentary nature, would remain the most complete theropod known from South America until the 1970’s.
Wiwaxia (Paleozoic Pals)
4.4 (12 votes)
In life, Wiwaxia was covered in spines and scales that would have made it about as cuddly as a sea urchin, an animal it resembled but was not related to. Good thing then that Paleozoic Pals made this plush Wiwaxia to snuggle with instead.
Wiwaxia lived during the early and middle Cambrian which is famously known as the period in which life got weird, giving us many well-known and bizarre creatures like Ophabinia, Anomalocaris, Hallucigenia, and trilobites.
Edmontosaurus (Jurassic World, Basic 12” Figures by Mattel)
2.8 (11 votes)
The Basic line of Mattel Jurassic World figures is a line of budget friendly toys that are trimmed down in virtually every aspect. They don’t have any action features, the articulation is exceptionally limited, and the paintjobs are typically simplified. So far, they don’t have a presence on the Dinosaur Toy Blog, but today we’re looking at one of the line’s standout figures, the Edmontosaurus, new for 2022.
Dreadnoughtus (Jurassic World: Dominion by Mattel)
4.2 (18 votes)
Dreadnoughtus schrani was a species of titanosaur that lived during the late Cretaceous in what is now Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It was discovered in 2005 in the Cerro Fortaleza Formation by Kenneth Lacovara and described in 2014. The name Dreadnoughtus translates to “fears nothing,” and what an apt name it is.
Ampelosaurus (Jurassic World: Dominion, Massive Action by Mattel)
3.8 (17 votes)
Confession time. I like ugly sauropods. In fact, my favorite sauropod is widely regarded as one of the ugliest, Camarasaurus. And I’m one of the few collectors that likes the Schleich Barapasaurus, which I reviewed for the blog upon its release. Most folks like their sauropods elegant and graceful, and so do I, but I also like the big ugly bruisers, the kind that know how to throw their bulk around and smash a theropod or two.
Ceratosaurus (Hammond Collection by Mattel)
3.8 (18 votes)
Gripe all you want about Jurassic Park 3 but we must give credit where credit is due. The movie featured a diverse assortment of dinosaurs with arguably the best color schemes in the franchise. Gone were the dull grays and browns of the first two films, JP3 went wild like a kid with a coloring book and the movie was better for it, though not by much.
Gallimimus (Hammond Collection by Mattel)
3 (13 votes)
Flocking off toy shelves and into our hearts and homes, it’s the Hammond Collection Galli-Galli-Gallimimus. As part of the Hammond Collection this figure boasts 13 points of articulation and an increased level of paint and fine detail not seen with the Mattel mainline toys. As such, it should be the best Jurassic Park Gallimimus action figure ever produced but let’s take a closer look and see if it achieves the level of prestige that it aims for.