Classification: Hominid

Australopithecus (Paranthropus) boisei (Kaiyodo Dinotales Series 2)

4.8 (5 votes)

Toys and figurines representing early hominins and human evolution in general are rare in this hobby. The few that do exist by the likes of Safari, Bullyland, and CollectA are usually poorly sculpted and poorly researched, either looking like caveman stereotypes or generic upright monkeys. If anyone was to tackle this significant group of animals and do it the right way it would of course have to be Kaiyodo and their Dinotales line of collectible prehistoric figurines.

Cave Bear (Playmobil)

4 (5 votes)

Two brave hunters are stalking one of the mightiest of beasts: the cave bear. They are armed with their best stone weapons, but will those be enough against the bear’s great strength, teeth, and claws?

The Playmobil cave bear(Ursus spelaeus) measures about 10.5 cm long and is medium brown in colour with black eyes, a red tongue, and white teeth.

Deinonychus and Velociraptors (Playmobil)

2.6 (7 votes)

The Velociraptor pack has come across an unguarded nest of eggs. But a hungry Deinonychus has also found the nest, and he’s not in the mood to share!

The Playmobil Deinonychus is a small figure, standing only up to 9 cm tall and measuring 14 cm long. That said, it is probably the scariest-looking dinosaur in the line.

Evolution of Man (Safariology by Safari Ltd)

4.8 (9 votes)

Review and Photographs by Quentin Brendel (aka Pachyrhinosaurus), edited by Suspsy
The main theme of Safari Ltd’s Safariology line is education. The line includes life cycle sets, fossil replicas, a solar system model, and other items to encourage children to learn more about nature. Perhaps the most important teaching tool in the Safariology line is the “Evolution of Man” set, especially since, depending on the region, this important lesson might unfortunately be omitted from school curriculums.

Explorer with Dinos (1.2.3 by Playmobil)

3.5 (4 votes)

Playmobil’s 1.2.3 line is the equivalent of Lego’s Duplo line: simpler, safer versions of their main products aimed at toddlers. When I saw that there was a dinosaur-themed set among the 2018 releases, I knew that I had to get it for my son. As I write this, he’s still far too little to understand the first thing about prehistory, but he certainly enjoys banging the toys together or sucking on them.

Gigantopithecus (Disney’s A Jungle Book by Just Play)

4 (2 votes)

Review and images by bmathison1972, edited by Suspsy

In 1967, Disney released a feature-length animated movie of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book series. One of the most iconic characters from that film was the singing and dancing orangutan, King Louie. Interestingly, Louie never appeared in any of Kipling’s original works.

Leaps in Evolution (Kaiyodo)

4.9 (9 votes)

Review and photographs by Tim Sosa
From July-October 2015, the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo hosted an exhibit called “Leaps in Evolution: Tracing the Path of Vertebrate Evolution.” To commemorate the exhibit, Kaiyodo made a set of five vending machine capsule figures, most representing a stage in the evolution of vertebrates.

Mammoth Skeleton Tent with Cavemen (Playmobil)

4.8 (5 votes)

As storm clouds gather overhead, a trio of human hunters work quickly to finish erecting their shelter. Fortunately, the mammoth that they recently killed and butchered has provided far more than just food. Its large, sturdy bones form an effective structure while its thick fur hide acts as a waterproof covering.

Neanderthal (Starlux)

4.3 (4 votes)

Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy
Time and new discoveries are incredible for changing ideas and concepts in every field of science and nature. Such is the way with the genus Homo, of which we humans are now the only living members. Our closest cousins, the Neanderthals, are an example of this change.

Neanderthal vs. Denisovan vs. Homo Sapiens Set 1 (Linear-A)

4 (4 votes)

The last million years has seen the rise of one of the most successful mammals of all time: humans, now the last of the genus Homo. It wasn’t so long ago that this wasn’t the case, as 50,000 years ago humans shared the world with at least 3 other Homo species.

Neanderthals (CollectA)

2.8 (5 votes)

Review and photos by Takama, edited by Suspsy
When I first joined this community, I fell in love with the company known as CollectA due to their abundance of species that no other company had made before. At the time, their models were only starting to become the gems they are today.

Pithecanthropus (= Homo erectus erectus) (Starlux)

4.5 (4 votes)

Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Plesiosauria
Once more, I find myself going through the Starlux repertoire of hominids. In this case, another nomen dubium, Pithecanthropus, the Java man. Now known as Homo erectus erectus (a subspecies of H. erectus), it is an example of the early expansion of hominids, spreading throughout Africa and Asia.

Prehistoric Life Toob (Safari Ltd)

3.9 (9 votes)

Safari Ltd has released several new tubes in 2010, or Toobs, to be funky but grammatically incorrect, each of which contains a selection of prehistoric critters. But before we pour these new toobs out for review, let’s take a look at one of the existing toob sets. We previously rummaged through the Feathered Dinosaurs Toob here, so now we’ll cast our eyes over the 2005 ‘Prehistoric Life Toob’.

Sabre-Toothed Cats (Playmobil)

3.5 (4 votes)

For ages, the sabre-toothed cats have been the top predators in their ecosystem. But now humans have appeared on the scene, and what they lack in brute strength, they make up for in cunning and intelligence!

Rounding out Playmobil’s prehistoric megafauna is this the menacing pair of sabre-tooths, clearly belonging to the Smilodon genus.

Triceratops (Playmobil)

4.5 (6 votes)

A Triceratops and her baby are munching on yummy plants. Suddenly the mother senses that something is wrong. Quickly she leads her baby to safety as the nearby volcano begins to rumble!

Playmobil’s version of the número uno ceratopsid measures 23 cm long and stands 9 cm tall at the hips.