The best figure of every species, according to Halichoeres

[Psittacoraptor]

@Halichoeres I don't have anything to add, but I wanted to say I enjoy your posts about prehistoric plants. It's nice to see a variety of organisms here.

[Kapitaenosavrvs]

One of the most interesting and diverse Collections here for me. Thanks for the Questions and Answers in this Thread aswell, everyone. It is not just great fun to read, it is also educational. Thanks again :)

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for stopping by, everyone! I've updated the reference list on page 1.

So a healthy mix of interest then. The only comment people make when they see my collection is "Oh cool... dinosaurs."

I'm loving all the plants you're accumulating. It must be at this point one of the most extensive collections on the forum. I'm really hoping for an Araucaria and some tree ferns from Collecta next year.

I am lucky to have a very peculiar friend group, an advantage of living in a city with a dozen universities in it.

I'm not sure who has the most extensive prehistoric plant collection! I might be in the running, but I doubt the competition is very fierce. Like you, I'd like some more from some modern companies, and CollectA is probably the best bet as the only company that devotes a substantial fraction of its bandwidth to non-dinosaurs.

The only comment I've ever gotten--because it's the only person I've invited to my house--was "you've got a problem"

@SBell lol but also, you've only ever had one visitor? That's amazing in its own right--do you dislike company?

@Halichoeres One that's an amazing fish display. Love the bases too. Two, I appreciate seeing more of these little(?) plant metal things. Lots of interesting flora I'm getting introduced to for the first time. Three, I may have asked this before, but who made that adorable Psittacosaurus family? I had no idea there were so many figures for Cycadeoidea out there though. I wonder why?

Thank you! My guess is the combination of 1) Cyaceoidea being known from really good specimens enabling a whole-plant reconstruction, and 2) its being found in Europe, made it more likely to be attempted. The Psittacosaurus is by Kaiyodo for the 2004 Dino Expo. I've seen people call it Capcom, but I think Capcom only made Expo figures in 2009 and 2010, and they were a softer plastic.

@Halichoeres I don't have anything to add, but I wanted to say I enjoy your posts about prehistoric plants. It's nice to see a variety of organisms here.

Thank you very much!

One of the most interesting and diverse Collections here for me. Thanks for the Questions and Answers in this Thread aswell, everyone. It is not just great fun to read, it is also educational. Thanks again

And thank you! I learn a lot just by maintaining this thread, for example about fern systematics. Their diversity is really pretty bewildering!

[SBell]

The only comment I've ever gotten--because it's the only person I've invited to my house--was "you've got a problem"

@SBell lol but also, you've only ever had one visitor? That's amazing in its own right--do you dislike company?

Just not many people I'd invite in.
And I don't count family.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

It is nice to see some prehistoric flora even if they are 2 dimensional. Most of them still look really good anyway.

[Halichoeres]

It is nice to see some prehistoric flora even if they are 2 dimensional. Most of them still look really good anyway.

Yeah, I think plants actually work okay in 2d, although naturally I'd prefer they had a Z axis.


This year I've really been hankering for some Triassic figures, but they've been hard to come by.


I tried to make a crude bar graph of which releases from important figure companies were from which period (excluding pop culture stuff). The Cretaceous bar is twice as wide as the other bars and it's still by far the tallest. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining--there have been some really cool releases lately, and this year there are two high-quality fish, which counts as a good year in that category. But I get the feeling that, on the whole, companies aren't really aware that there are periods other than the Cretaceous (occasionally they seem to recall the existence of the Jurassic).

Anyway, here's what I resorted to in order to sate my jones for the Triassic:


Schleich Herrerasaurus (McDonald's Happy Meal version)
Scale: 1:12 - 1:20, once you adjust for the disproportionate tail
Released: 2020
Upper Triassic
I only learned of this figure's existence when erstwhile forum member Stolpergeist reviewed it for the blog. I'd considered the original Schleich Herrerasaurus, but it was too large for my purposes, and the seams on the separately-molded head and jaw were really unsightly. This one persuaded me due to the absence of the articulation and the better scale match with my existing figures. Its tail is too short and it has other flaws, but it's the best toy Herrerasaurus I know. The Dawn of the Dinosaurs resin (definitely not a toy) Frenguellisaurus is still a bit nicer, so I'll probably hang on to that one too for now.


Chasing Hyperodapedon. Other comparison photos on request.

On another note, since my last update this thread appears to have surpassed 200,000 views. I'm not sure views actually mean anything, but thanks anyway to everyone who visits!

[SBell]

You left out the figures from O @Oammararak and her Life game! That can skew the results!

Although, looking at that--I'm surprised at myself with how few I will be adding to my collection...I already have the Helicoprion and Kaprosuchus. I will absolutely get the Xiphactinus (duh) and Doedicurus. I'd get the DH Irritator, or even a cheap knock off, just for the lungfish, but otherwise I find myself completely unmotivated by dinosaurs anymore.

[SenSx]

oh wow  thank you so much for letting me know of that Schleich Herrerasaurus that exists at a lower scale.
I owned the bigger one, and I like it despite its flaws and the monstrous look, but it was just too large to fit in my collection, I think I'll pick that one despite not being 1/35, still better than the Collecta Herrerasaurus...   

I'm also interested in The Dawn of the Dinosaurs resins (especially the Herrerasaurus and Saurosuchus), but I have no idea where to get them, and if it is even possible now.

Congrats for your collection, I think I've watched it many times, like many other collection topics here, it's just pleasure for the eye and intellect for free.

Thanks

[Sim]

I was using your list in the first post to find a photo of a figure and I noticed you've listed Jinyunpelta as being by PNSO instead of Vitae.  Also, I really hope someone makes a better Herrerasaurus figure.

[Faelrin]

@Sim Me too. Really sad it's been neglected so much on the toy market (ditto with its recently described relative Gnathovorax). One of the more well known Triassic period dinosaurs too (in terms of remains, and pop culture as well).

[Sim]

Thanks for the visits and the kind words, everyone!

While we're talking about Lambeosaurus, I always hear people pronounce it lam-bee-o-SAUR-us, but it's named after Lawrence Lambe, an anglophone Canadian who would have pronounced his name "lam" with a single syllable and a silent B. Why don't we call this animal "lam-o-SAUR-us?"

cuz it's now a Latinized word, so pronounce it as you would in Latin. 

Well, all I can say to that is 'harrumph.' (I also pronounce the genus Fuchsia true to the original German, but that's mostly because of how it sounds in English.)

So which is the correct way to pronounce Lambeosaurus?  After reading what @Halichoeres wrote I've been pronouncing it "lam-o-saur-us" because it seems wrong to change the human name that forms part of the dinosaur's name, but what B @bmathison1972 wrote also makes sense.

[RobinGoodfellow]

A latin name should be pronounced in latin form..
Just click on  left loudspeaker on Google Translate:

https://translate.google.it/?hl=it&tab=wT&sl=la&tl=en&text=lambeosaurus&op=translate

I'm Italian and I can say that Google' latin pronounce is correct.

[Sim]

Thanks @RobinGoodfellow.  So with an english accent I guess it's pronounced "lam-bee-o-saur-us".  And the species part lambei is pronounced "lam-bay".

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

I've never even considered the possi for if pronouncing Lambeosaurus lambei any wya other than lam-bee-o-saw-rus lam-bay. That is how I've always pronounced it.

I was wondering whether you had a Herrerasaurus in your collection. As the Schleich and CollectA are the only options really, and neither look that nice to me, I have currently kept my collection Herrerrasaurus-free. I was hoping that when you bought one or the other that I'd be able to see whether that will help sway me but it hasn't.  I will pro6stay Herrerasaurus-free a little longer.

[SBell]

I've never even considered the possi for if pronouncing Lambeosaurus lambei any wya other than lam-bee-o-saw-rus lam-bay. That is how I've always pronounced it.

I was wondering whether you had a Herrerasaurus in your collection. As the Schleich and CollectA are the only options really, and neither look that nice to me, I have currently kept my collection Herrerrasaurus-free. I was hoping that when you bought one or the other that I'd be able to see whether that will help sway me but it hasn't.  I will pro6stay Herrerasaurus-free a little longer.

In the words of Yoda... there is another.

The Dawn of the Dinosaur series from Japan, featuring a number of Argentinian Triassic animals, includes a small capsule and larger resin Frenguellisaurus. Which is synonymous with Herrerasaurus.
Of course, they were hard to find at the time (11 years ago?) and it's probably harder now.
There are also Shapeways options I believe

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

You left out the figures from O @Oammararak and her Life game! That can skew the results!

Although, looking at that--I'm surprised at myself with how few I will be adding to my collection...I already have the Helicoprion and Kaprosuchus. I will absolutely get the Xiphactinus (duh) and Doedicurus. I'd get the DH Irritator, or even a cheap knock off, just for the lungfish, but otherwise I find myself completely unmotivated by dinosaurs anymore.

That's true. They're kind of an unconventional product, though. I also didn't include things like resins or 3d prints. I know she was having trouble with some of the casts, so I'm also not sure they all exist in physical form. And finally, I ordered the painted set, and painting them is a big job, so I'm not at all sure I'll receive mine this year.

Like you, I find it a lot easier to get excited about non-dinosaurs, although perhaps unlike you, I can still get pretty stoked for a good feathered maniraptoran, a sauropodomorph, or any of the smaller ornithischians.

oh wow  thank you so much for letting me know of that Schleich Herrerasaurus that exists at a lower scale.
I owned the bigger one, and I like it despite its flaws and the monstrous look, but it was just too large to fit in my collection, I think I'll pick that one despite not being 1/35, still better than the Collecta Herrerasaurus...   

I'm also interested in The Dawn of the Dinosaurs resins (especially the Herrerasaurus and Saurosuchus), but I have no idea where to get them, and if it is even possible now.

Congrats for your collection, I think I've watched it many times, like many other collection topics here, it's just pleasure for the eye and intellect for free.

Thanks

@SenSx thanks for the kind words! The Dawn of the Dinosaurs figures are pretty difficult to find, I got quite lucky with trades and auction lots. However, the "Frenguellisaurus" resin is probably the least difficult. As for the Schleich, it's about 6 cm high at the hip, about 9.3 cm from head-sacrum, with a tail about 9.5 cm long. I hope that helps! Let me know if a comparison photo would be helpful.

I was using your list in the first post to find a photo of a figure and I noticed you've listed Jinyunpelta as being by PNSO instead of Vitae.  Also, I really hope someone makes a better Herrerasaurus figure.

Thanks for the heads up! With over 700 entries, there are bound to be some typos, so I'm grateful to be alerted.

@Sim Me too. Really sad it's been neglected so much on the toy market (ditto with its recently described relative Gnathovorax). One of the more well known Triassic period dinosaurs too (in terms of remains, and pop culture as well).

Yeah, I'd love to see a really nice version of either genus.

Thanks @RobinGoodfellow.  So with an english accent I guess it's pronounced "lam-bee-o-saur-us".  And the species part lambei is pronounced "lam-bay".

I'd say bmathison1972 and RobinGoodFellow are right in this example, because of the vintage of the name. When Lambeosaurus was named, there was a strong convention toward really latinizing everything. I think that convention is weaker now for all sorts of reasons like greater global participation in science and greater sensitivity to cultural heritage, and I'm not sure we'd pronounce the name the same way if it were erected today.

I've never even considered the possi for if pronouncing Lambeosaurus lambei any wya other than lam-bee-o-saw-rus lam-bay. That is how I've always pronounced it.

I was wondering whether you had a Herrerasaurus in your collection. As the Schleich and CollectA are the only options really, and neither look that nice to me, I have currently kept my collection Herrerrasaurus-free. I was hoping that when you bought one or the other that I'd be able to see whether that will help sway me but it hasn't.  I will pro6stay Herrerasaurus-free a little longer.

FWIW you can always check whether I have a taxon on the list in the first post (actually, it even includes things I don't own, like Dryptosaurus)! As @SBell alluded to, there is also this one:



which was sold as Frenguellisaurus ischigualastensis, which I think is generally regarded as just a large individual of Herrerasaurus. Interestingly, in the theropod book by Molina-Pérez et al., Frenguellisaurus is regarded as valid and distinct, although they acknowledge that some don't think so. Maybe they know something I don't.

[Halichoeres]

Gnathostomes of the Paleozoic! I'm posting larger versions of the photos than I used to, in case anybody wants to see them at a higher resolution without going to my Flickr account. Just click the yellow bar at the top of the photo.


PNSO Helicoprion
Scale: 1:20 - 1:30 based on the tooth whorl
Sculptor: Zhao Chuang or someone in his workshop
Released: 2021
Upper Carboniferous - Upper Permian
Eugeneodontids came in a couple of different flavors. Only tooth and head bits are known for helicoprionids in particular, although the related caseodontids have some good postcranial material. There's a good convincing model now of how the mouth might have worked, although there's a minor possibility that future discoveries could falsify it. That model suggests that this figure is a little flawed, as though it completely lacked labial cartilages and were missing part of the Meckel's cartilage. Its nares probably protrude too much. The head has some extraneous detail, but overall PNSO managed to avoid giving it the horrible wrinkles that afflict their original megalodon or their Ophthalmosaurus. The overall shape is pretty plausible for a pelagic predator of invertebrates. The paint job is iridescent, which is hard to photograph but looks cool in person. I'll have more to say on things like the pelvic fins in my upcoming review of the figure, but in general I'm really happy that PNSO made this, easily the most exciting release for me in 2021 so far. I hope it's wildly successful so that we'll see more along these lines. This figure replaces both my small Safari and large Diramix Helicoprion toys.


With a contemporary, although Orthacanthus was freshwater and so the only time they'd encounter each other is if a dead one washed out to sea. But I literally don't have anything else from the same time at a comparable scale.


Ordovis studio Cheirolepis
Scale: 1:2 for a large specimen
Sculptor: Yoshida Michikazu
Released: 2012?
Middle - Upper Devonian
This has been a long time coming. I first saw this model in photos of a 2019 exhibition in Japan, but by the time I inquired after one, they were sold out. In early 2020 Yoshida made some new casts, and one was finally ready for me in the spring, right when the pandemic hit. So it sat in the closet of an intermediary for more than a year, until mostly-normal shipping resumed to the United States. Absolutely worth the wait. Cheirolepis ("hand scale" for the shape of its scale articulations) was pretty large for a Devonian actinopterygian, and could have eaten some of the stem-sharks in its environment. The gape exceeded that of a good-sized largemouth bass.


With the Coccosteus from the same studio, and a few other Devonian animals at a similar scale (again, a mix of freshwater and marine).

[Faelrin]

Congrats on the new fish, both look like excellent additions (though I know the former is not without some faults). On a similar note I eagerly anticipate seeing the collection of the Life game miniatures adorn this thread some day.

[Flaffy]

Congrats on the Cheirolepis! A real beauty that one.

[SidB]

Strikingly handsome images and figures - they tempt me to try my hand at this subgenre of collecting, to take the plunge, so to speak.