The American mastodon, Mammut americanum, is one of the very best-known prehistoric mammals. Many complete skeletons have been found throughout the North American continent, from this one-tusked male at the Royal Ontario Museum to this female and calf from the La Brea Tar Pits of California.
Author: Suspsy
Suspsy has lived in Canada all his life. One day when he was in kindergarten, his teacher did a lesson on dinosaurs and put up some giant cutouts on the wall. Suspsy immediately began pretending to be a Tyrannosaurus rex at playtime, and continued to do so for many subsequent playtimes. Since then, he has acquired two degrees, worked many different jobs, travelled to many fantastic locations, fallen in love, gotten married, and settled down to raise a family, but his passion for dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals has never waned.All reviews by this author
Review: Woolly Mammoth (“Winston” by Jellycat)
4.2 (9 votes)
Jellycat is a highly successful maker of delightfully soft and cuddly plush animals that are especially appealing to babies and toddlers. Most of these critters consist of the usual cuties: puppies, kittens, bunnies, monkeys, etc, but there are also a number of prehistoric characters. These include Maximus Mammoth, who looks fairly realistic as far as plush prehistoric probiscideans go, and Winston Woolly Mammoth, who boasts a decidedly more unique appearance.
Review: Ornitholestes (Mini)(Chap Mei)
Review: Scaphonyx AKA Hyperodapedon (Kid Galaxy by Xidi)
3 (8 votes)
Dinosaurs and other archosaurs were but one of a number of fascinating groups of animals that existed during the Triassic Period. Another such group consisted of the rhynchosaurs. These herbivorous reptiles had stocky, lizard-like bodies and powerful jaws that functioned much like scissors. One of the largest was Hyperodapedon, at over a metre in length.
Review: Ophthalmosaurus (Mini)(Chap Mei)
4.3 (10 votes)
Ophthalmosaurus is one of the more recognizable ichthyosaurs thanks to its enormous eyes, which, at approximately 23 cm in diameter, rivalled those of the much larger Temnodontosaurus. Such peepers would have ideal for hunting squid in the depths of the Jurassic seas, or spotting dangerous predators such as Liopleurodon.
Review: Prehistoric Mammal Skulls (Toob by Safari Ltd.)
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.
Review: Ankylosaurus (Mini)(Chap Mei)
1.8 (16 votes)
The various Ankylosaurus toys that have been reviewed here on the DTB over the years range from the truly superb to the decidedly subpar. But the one I’ve got to review today may well be the most hideous of them all.
This here is the Mini Ankylosaurus from Chap Mei.
Review: Corythosaurus (CollectA)
2.6 (16 votes)
Thanks to its distinctive rounded crest that resembles a helmet when viewed from the side, Corythosaurus is one of the most recognizable hadrosaurids. It’s also one of the best-known, with multiple complete skeletons, more than twenty fossil skulls, and mounted specimens in museums throughout North America.
Review: Plesiosaurus (Mini)(Chap Mei)
3.2 (9 votes)
As its name suggests, Plesiosaurus was the very first plesiosaur ever to be discovered, in England back in 1823 by the legendary fossil hunter Mary Anning. At around 3.5 metres in length, it was a relatively small sea reptile, a far cry from later relatives such as Elasmosaurus and Thalassomedon.
Review: Giganotosaurus (Small)(Schleich)
1.8 (17 votes)
Giganotosaurus is one of the largest known theropods, exceeding even Tyrannosaurus rex in body length, though not in mass. Its razor-sharp teeth were superbly adapted for slicing through the leathery hides of the rebacchisaurs and titanosaurs that lived alongside it in Cretaceous South America.
Review: Triceratops Baby (Mini)(Chap Mei)
1.7 (14 votes)
In addition to their Standard and Electronic Deluxe figures, Chap Mei also produces miniature-sized prehistoric beasts of highly dubious accuracy. Let’s take a closer look at what is billed as a baby Triceratops.
From nose to tail tip, this toy measures about 10.5 cm long.
Review: Saichania (Small)(Schleich)
3.3 (12 votes)
Saichania, meaning “the beautiful one” in Mongolian, derives its name from the magnificent state of preservation the type specimen was found in. Like Ankylosaurus and Euoplocephalus, it was covered in heavy armour and bore a large club at the end of its tail. But whereas its North American relatives inhabited lush forests and floodplains, Saichania was adapted for the harsh life of the desert.