The magnificent titan lumbers across the plains with the measured pace of a beast that knows he is in charge. Fully grown and in the prime of his life, he has little to fear from predators. As he approaches the crowded water hole, he sounds a warning and the smaller animals quickly give way. Satisfied, the titan lowers his head and takes a refreshing drink.
The Chinese titanosaur Daxiatitan, like most giant sauropods, is known only from partial skeletal remains: a number of vertebrae, including several from the neck, a shoulder blade, and a femur. That is enough, however, for paleontologists to estimate its length at around 30 metres. Accordingly, the 2015 CollectA Daxiatitan is one of the largest Standard-class dinosaur figures. It stands just over 20 cm tall and measures 28.5 cm long.
Bright green is the main colour on this figure, with black stripes, a pale green underside, dark brown claws, and bright yellow on the throat and the underside of the tail. The small head is black with yellow stripes, white teeth, red for the mouth interior, and tiny black eyes.
The Daxiatitan has all the key features of a titanic titanosaur: an extremely small head atop an extremely long neck, a big, chunky body, and an impressive tail (though paling in comparison to those of diplodocids). The feet are of appropriate size and have the right number of claws. Although it has been speculated by some experts that later titanosaurs like Argentinosaurus lacked thumb claws completely, it seems reasonable to assume Daxiatitan had them.
The tiny head has been well sculpted and the nostrils are positioned close to the end of the snout as opposed to the forehead. A small row of plates runs down the entire length of the spine. The skin has been sculpted with a varying pebbled texture as opposed to elephantine wrinkles.
Most interestingly, there are a number of osteoderms on this sauropod. The ones on the neck and tail are fairly small while the ones on the back are quite large. Osteoderms have been discovered on a number of titanosaurs, from the relatively diminutive Ampelosaurus to the humongous Alamosaurus. So as with the thumb claws, it is within the realm of possibility that Daxiatitan had osteoderms in its skin.
Well-sculpted, attractively painted, and reasonably accurate (as best as one can tell from incomplete fossil remains), the Daxiatitan stands as proof of CollectA’s continuing evolution as a toy company.
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[…] measures 22 cm long. This makes it one of the largest toys in the Standard-size range, although the 2015 Daxiatitan is noticeably bigger. It is sculpted with its head and neck raised to maximum height and its mouth […]
However, I see some inaccuracy in the head, perhaps because of the excessive coloration.
By the way congratulate the author is an accurate and excellent review of the product.
It’s impossible to say with any certainty how accurate the head is. Titanosaur skulls are a varying lot. I think it looks within reason.
I give you absolutely right, I just wanted to say that although it is an improvement compared to the daxiatitan argentinosaurus has a head coloration excessive and unnatural, in my humble opinion.
In everything you say I agree, it is a representation of more than reasonable Titanosaurus.