Mathison Museum of Natural History - Prehistoric Edition

[bmathison1972]

It's been a while since the random number generator landed on something appropriate for the DTF, but here we are:

Species: †Anomalocaris canadensis Whiteaves, 1892

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Favorite Co. Ltd.
Series: Prehistoric Life - Soft Model
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Body length (exclusive of appendages) 14.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: The model is removable from its base. In 2021, it was re-released with a new paint job (green). Favorite made at least two other sizes of this species, a 'mini' model in their Cambrian Creatures collection (2016) and a larger vinyl model (2014). This figure is structurally accurate for the time it was made, hence it lacks head sclerites. The the oral cone is generic and indistinguishable from other anomalocaridids. A related species from China, A. saron has been described with a pair of long caudal filaments, but it is currently unknown if A. canadensis possessed these structures as well.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early to mid-Cambrian of present-day Canada
Habitat: Marine, demersal
Diet: Presumably marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Anomalocaris canadensis was first described in 1892 based on its anterior appendage, which was perceived to be the body of a phyllopod crustacean! Various other partial anomalocaridid structures have been described as jellyfish, sea cucumbers, and polychaete worms. It wasn't until 1979 that the original structure the animal was described from was recognized as the feeding appendage of a larger arthropod.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Groenlandaspis sp.

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Lost Kingdoms Series A
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Body length 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.1-1:14 (scale species-dependent)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being an original Australian Yowie, assembly is required. I am not sure how many other figures of this genus exist; Groenlandaspis is not made as frequently as its cousin, Dunkleosteus terrelli. COG Ltd. made one, and a large 3D-printed model is available by Paleozoo.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Devonian, worldwide
Habitat: Presumably benthic along the coastal margins of freshwater lakes and rivers
Diet: Presumably freshwater invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [Prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Based on the structure of its jaw, Groenlandaspis was believed to have been a benthic predator of freshwater invertebrates. The presence of tooth plates in the form of infragnathals and supergnathals suggested it was adapted for crushing hard-shelled invertebrates, such as mollusks and crustaceans.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Diplodocus carnegii Hatcher, 1901

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 60 cm for a scale of roughly 1:40-1:45
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: The scale above is calculated based on a length of 24-27 meters. This is a fairly accurate figure for when it was released. It looks like there are five claws on the rear left foot and four on the right rear foot(should only be three each), but I think the painter just got carried away; the sculpt itself appears to have only three claws.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) of present-day western North America
Habitat: Open woodlands, forest edges, meadows, swampy lowlands
Diet: Plants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [Prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Diplodocus is known for its very long tail, with upwards of around 80 caudal vertebrae. It has been suggested that the long tail may have been used for defensive purposes, functioning essentially as a whip, whether for physical contact or to simply make threatening noises. It has also been suggested that the long tail is used as counterbalance for the long neck (or the long neck is counterbalance for the defensive tail!).

[SidB]

This is (was) a very nice non-Watsonian release, one of several from this epoch that Doug wasn't commissioned to do, but that were decent scuplts non the less. I'm glad that I got one to display alongside the older classic Forest Rogers' Carnegie figure. It's blue color scheme really makes it a stand-out on the shelf - thanks for this post B @bmathison1972 .

[bmathison1972]

Thank you SidB.  I held off a while before getting this Diplodocus, but once I had it in-hand I knew I made a good choice. The color is probably not natural, but I also like it. And it does stand out on the sauropod shelf LOL

[Halichoeres]

I like all the angiosperm leaves with the Groenlandaspis, ha ha. (But seriously, good luck finding a diorama like that with age-appropriate plants/sessile organisms.)

[bmathison1972]

I like all the angiosperm leaves with the Groenlandaspis, ha ha. (But seriously, good luck finding a diorama like that with age-appropriate plants/sessile organisms.)

hahahaha; unfortunately, I don't think any of my dioramas are appropriate for pre-Cenozoic fauna.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Uintatherium anceps (Marsh, 1871)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Figure length 12.0 cm. Height at shoulder 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:24
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There are only two recent standard-sized figures of this species, this one and a version by CollectA that was released a year earlier. The CollectA one is a little more dynamic and flashy, but I feel this Safari figure probably better captures what the animal may have looked like.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early to Middle Eocene of present-day western North America
Habitat: Forest edges, marshes, plains
Diet: Plants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Uintatherium anceps was sexually dimorphic; only males possessed the three rows of knobs on the dorsal surface of the head. This is an indication they were probably used as weapons for fighting off rival males or sexual display for attracting females. Another sign of sexual dimorphism is the enlarged canine teeth, which are longer in males than females.

[Shonisaurus]

Honestly, it rivals in genius equally with that of the Collecta company, it is a figure very well achieved by Safari, it surpasses other versions of said prehistoric mammal made by other companies such as Play Visions.

[Strepsodus]

Do you have a Ceratosaurus in your collection? If so what figure?

[bmathison1972]

Do you have a Ceratosaurus in your collection? If so what figure?

S @Strepsodus - I have the 2012 Wild Safari Ceratosaurus.

[Strepsodus]

Thank you, I just got mine and it's a great figure.

[bmathison1972]

Thank you, I just got mine and it's a great figure.

Wild Safari theropods are my favorite 

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Mixopterus kiaeri Størmer, 1934

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Ancient Fossils TOOB
Year of Production: 2009
Size/Scale: Fossil matrix 5.5 cm tall. Body length (excluding appendages) 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:14
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Safari marketed this figure at the genus level, but the species-level identification is mine, as it appears to have been inspired by a fossil of M. kiaeri housed in the Moscow Paleontological Museum. I decided to photograph this for my Museum as it might look in any other museum, rather than in a habitat-style diorama which wouldn't look as good for a fossilized animal.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Silurian of present-day Norway
Habitat: Freshwater lakes
Diet: Presumably freshwater invertebrates, possibly fish or other aquatic chordates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A (prehistoric)
Miscellaneous Notes: Ichnofossils attributed to the ichnogenus Merostomichnites in Norway are now believed to belong to M. kiaeri.

[Halichoeres]

So it's unique at the species level? Does that mean you think the Oumcraft version is a different Mixopterus species?

[bmathison1972]

So it's unique at the species level? Does that mean you think the Oumcraft version is a different Mixopterus species?

I wasn't familiar with the Oumcraft one as I don't collect game pieces. Not sure what species it is intended to be (I just took a look at your collection thread and saw it; looks fairly stylized). When determining uniqueness I am bound to miss something, but honestly I wouldn't factor game pieces into it (just like I wouldn't factor in porcelain figures, feves, etc.).

[bmathison1972]

It's been a while since the random number generator landed on something for the DTF, but here we are:

Species: †Daspletosaurus torosus Russell, 1970

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 25.0 cm for a scale of 1:32-1:36
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I was excited for the release of this figure. Apex-predator theropods are probably my least favorite group of dinosaurs, but Doug Watson's theropods are my favorite! The only other relatively recent releases of 'standard-sized' figures of this genus I am aware of are those by CollectA (2013), which has an unlikely color scheme and proportional issues (although it is a resting pose, which is rare for dinosaur figures), and Geoworld (release date and availability unknown to me). It looks as though an articulated model by Creative Beast Studio (Beasts of the Mesozoic) is slated to come out in late 2023 (dinosaur specialists can confirm or correct this prediction).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of present-day western North America (Laramidia)
Habitat: Coastal plains, lowland forests, swamps
Diet: Other animals, particularly ornithischian dinosaurs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Daspletosaurus torosus coexisted with Gorgosaurus, one of the few examples of more than one tyrannosaur genus coexisting. There have been several theories as to how two apex tyrannosaur predators would coexist. One theory suggests that the two genera favored different prey, with Gorgosaurus specializing on hadrosaurs and Daspletosaurus specializing on ceratopsians; however, examination of gut contents of at least one Daspletosaurus fossil shows they also fed on hadrosaurs. Another theory is that the genera were generally separated geographically, with Daspletosaurus more abundant in the southern part of Laramidia and Gorgosaurus more abundant in the norther part.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Kettneraspis clavata (Chatterton, 1971)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Lost Kingdoms Series A
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Body length (minus appendages) 3.8 cm for a scale of roughly 2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Australian Yowies, assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Devonian of present-day Australia
Habitat: Marine, benthic
Diet: Predator and/or scavenger on marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty researching information on this species. Kettneraspis is apparently polyphyletic and this species might actually belong to a different genus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis (Hooley, 1925)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Prehistoric Life
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Body length 16 cm for a scale of approximately 1:43
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: CollectA specifically marketed this toy as being in a drinking posture, but it could easily be browsing or tending to young as well.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) of present-day Europe
Habitat: Woodlands, floodplains
Diet: Ferns, horsetails, early angiosperms
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: It is generally believed that iguanodontids were facultative bipeds, and primarily move using four limbs but are capable of walking on just their hind legs. In 2008 it was suggested that M. atherfieldensis was primarily bipedal however, only walking on all fours when moving slowly, such as when browsing.

[SidB]

A really good model, for sure and the color pattern is striking, if on the simple side. I'd get this one re-painted to give it a much more natural look, like the PNSO Iguanodon. Good to see the innovative departure from standard poses.