Despite the progress we have made as a species, there is one fact we cannot change: extinction is forever. As a result of our hubris, many spectacular species have been wiped from the face of the earth. Takara have created quite an exquisite set, showing a selection of the species that have been lost of the centuries, each with a stand stating scientific names and year of extinction.
Classification: Bird
Review: Flexiraptor/Pengana (Lost Kingdoms Series A by Yowie)
4.3 (6 votes)
The Riversliegh formation in Queensland is a heritage site for good reason, it gives us a fascinating glimpse into the ancient past of Australia, full of magnificent marsupials and brilliant birds, plus a bunch of bats! The fossils show how Australia once was, full of rainforests and the animals inhabiting the area are amazing.
Review: Gastornis (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)
4.7 (17 votes)
Perhaps surprisingly for an animal that was a staple of popular books on prehistoric life for decades (and made an appearance in Walking With Beasts), models of Gastornis are a little thin on the ground. Happily, Safari have stepped forward with this very decent effort – the first toy “Diatryma” in years.
Review: Giant Moa (Lost Kingdoms Series A by Yowie)
3.7 (6 votes)
The largest bird today is the Ostrich, and this is owing to it’s flightlessness. The recent past, however, provided greater flightless giants. One such came from New Zealand, in the form of the South island Giant Moa, Diornis robustus, with females able to reach up to 11ft 10″ if they stretched up, being 6ft 6″ on a horizontal plane.
Review: Giant Moa (Signatu Studio)
4.9 (8 votes)
Back in 2015, after finishing my Palaeontology degree and wanting to keep a grip on news in that field, I discovered a toy site that seemed quite interesting. Several months later, I bit the bullet and posted my first review. The rest is history, and now I have reached a major milestone, my 100th review!
Review: Giant Penguin/ Anthropornis (Lost Kingdoms Series A by Yowie)
4.3 (4 votes)
Since their discovery in the Antarctic and other parts of the southern hemisphere, penguins are seen as rather adorable creatures. In the past, there were many large examples of this family, with even a subfamily featuring these giant examples. Here, we see a figure of one such species, Anthropornis.
Review: Great Auk (Forgotten Friends Series A by Yowie)
3 (3 votes)
The tragedy of the Great Auk is a tale that covers much of the globe. These sea birds lived across the Atlantic, catching fish and having large flocks across islands throughout the Atlantic. They were killed for down in pillows, the bills for Native American charms and for fuel and food for sailors.
Review: Hawaiian ‘O’ o (Forgotten Friends Series A by Yowie)
3.5 (4 votes)
As a volcanic island chain, Hawaii is not known for it’s ancient fossil fauna, but it has a selection of modern extinct species. The ‘O’ o (or Moho, based on the scientific name) were a group of birds that were native to Hawaii, now all extinct, the last being recent enough to have recordings of it’s mating call (worth hearing, though prepare to be moved to tears).
Review: Hesperornis (Primeval by Character Options)
4.3 (8 votes)
Hesperornis is an extinct genus of flightless aquatic birds that lived during the late Cretaceous. Fossils have been found in Kansas and Canada. The first fossils had been dug out by Othniel C. Marsh himself during the famous “Bone Wars”. Hesperornis, a lesser-known discovery from that era, could reach 1,5m or even a little more in length.
Review: Kelenken (Deluxe model by CollectA)
4.7 (21 votes)
This year’s new Collecta figures represent a huge leap forward from their rather ugly forebears, and one of the most handsome in the lineup is this sizeable model of the phorusrhacid ‘terror bird’ Kelenken guillermoi, released as part of the ‘Deluxe’ range. It’s a real treat for anyone who’s recently developed a fascination with these sadly extinct enormous carnivorous avians (as I have).
Review: Kelenken (Paleomaster)
3.8 (4 votes)
Review and Photos by Dinodinkies. Edited by Plesiosauria.
Kelenken is an extinct bird belonging to the Phorusrhacidae Family. It lived in the Miocene and was discovered in Argentinia, where it caused terror to the animals living there. The bird was probably 3m high, which makes it the largest terrorbird.
Kelenken is an extinct bird belonging to the Phorusrhacidae Family. It lived in the Miocene and was discovered in Argentinia, where it caused terror to the animals living there. The bird was probably 3m high, which makes it the largest terrorbird.
Review: Mesozoic Creatures (Tamiya)
4.6 (5 votes)
Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy
When it comes to makers of model sets, the Japanese company Tamiya should be familiar to most. From planes to light infantry, they have created a wide range of products. One of those lines, however, consists of dinosaur models.
When it comes to makers of model sets, the Japanese company Tamiya should be familiar to most. From planes to light infantry, they have created a wide range of products. One of those lines, however, consists of dinosaur models.