Creative Beast hopes and dreams

[KrazyKaprosuchus]

It would be cool to have a falconer character, but with tiny Archaeopteryx or Microraptor or some small pterosaur figure.

I love this idea. Truthfully, I have no interest in the armor or the human characters, but I would buy human characters if they came with small accessory animals, like the ones that came with Primeval action figures, except presumably more accurate.

Yes this idea is great. There could even be other typical characters, like a "k-9" unit with a "dog" on a leash or something. There are many possibilities for human figures and accessory animals.

[Sim]

@Sim I really like what you're picking here for colorations for these possible species. Also yeah I totally want to see Herrerasaurus and Eoraptor in this line eventually too. More Triassic period animals would be good to see too. Longisquama, Drepanosaurus, Desmatosuchus, Postosuchus, Shringasaurus, Sharovipteryx, etc.

Thanks @Faelrin I'm pleased you like those colourations!   I would love it if any of the colourations I've suggested get used.  Another Triassic species I'd like for BotM is Coelophysis bauri.

[Sim]

Yesterday I tried making a post, but I'm not sure it posted correctly, so I'm making the post now.  Apologies if you see this twice!


These are some more extant animal colourations I'd like for BotM species, the extant reptiles are identified with their scientific name:

Zanabazar junior: Desert finch
  (Image source)

Scaphognathus crassirostris: Burrowing owl
  (Image source)

Rhamphorhynchus muensteri: Short-billed gull
  (Image source)

Plateosaurus trossingensis: Python natalensis
  (Image source)

Lufengosaurus huenei: Corallus caninus
  (Image source)

Coelophysis bauri: Brown quail
  (Image source)


I think I might have made a mistake in a previous post when I said Tianyuraptor's wing feathering isn't known.  The adult Tianyuraptor specimen appears to preserve the wing feathers.  In the image below the wing feathers of the adult Tianyuraptor appear to be above the back and pelvis.  They look like Zhenyuanlong's wings except the secondaries look even longer than those of the Zhenyuanlong specimen whose secondaries might be incompletely preserved.
  (Image source)

[GojiraGuy1954]

Hypuronector as a stealth drone

[Sim]

Hyperunector as a stealth drone

You appear to be the first person to say that word on the Internet, as I did a Google search for "Hyperunector " and got no results.  Could you clarify what you mean?

[GojiraGuy1954]

Hyperunector as a stealth drone

You appear to be the first person to say that word on the Internet, as I did a Google search for "Hyperunector " and got no results.  Could you clarify what you mean?

Witton did a Hypuronector

[Faelrin]

@Sim It appears @GojiraGuy1954 had a simple typo in the earlier post. Replace the e with u, and this pulls right up:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypuronector

I never even heard of this animal before. Well TIL, and now I want to see this get a figure, and it is also going to go into my Triassic oddball pile (alongside Drepanosaurus, Longisquama, Sharovipteryx, etc). Honestly this animal gives me the impression of if a katydid was a reptile.

[Sim]

Now that it's spelt correctly I do get Google results.  I didn't know of this animal, it's quite an interesting one.  But it was only 12cm long in life so I'm not sure how it could be incorporated into Beasts of the Mesozoic or Cyberzoic.  It would probably need a new scale, maybe even 1:1.  I also doubt Cyberzoic would include more than one scale.

Regarding pterosaurs in Beasts of the Mesozoic or Cyberzoic, I think the best way to handle them is putting wire in their wings like the original Wild Safari Pteranodon so they can be posed in flying, on the ground and swimming poses.  The head, lower jaw and neck could be articulated and same for the feet.

[Sim]

Some other species I'd like from Beasts of the Mesozoic are Torvosaurus tanneri, Styxosaurus snowii, Nothosaurus mirabilis, Beipiaosaurus, Austroraptor, Cymbospondylus petrinus, Cymbospondylus buchseri, Dakosaurus maximus, Dakosaurus andiniensis, Eudimorphodon, Plesiosuchus and Thalattosuchus.  I think Styxosaurus could share the flippers with Cymbospondylus petrinus as they are about the same size.  I also think Torvosaurus could share parts with the BotM/Cyberzoic Allosaurus, and the two Dakosaurus species could share everything except for the head.  I agree with earlier posts in this thread that metriorhynchids or nothosaurids from David would be great.


There's a few more extant animal colourations I'd like for BotM species:

Torvosaurus tanneri: Reticulated python
  (Image source)

Beipiaosaurus inexpectus: Polynesian starling
  (Image source)

[Sim]

I recently watched some videos on BotM figures and learnt that the two Triceratops figures have their colouration inspired by the lace monitor (Varanus varius).  That was the animal I suggested in this thread for the colouration of Daspletosaurus horneri.  So D. horneri can no longer use the lace monitor's colouration.

[Sim]

I've listed species I'd like throughout this thread.  For my own reference and for anyone else who's interested, I'm going to list all the species I'd like from BotM/Cyberzoic in this post, narrowing it down to the ones I very much want.  They will be listed from most wanted to least wanted.  Species under 2 metres I'd like in 1:6 scale, species over 2 metres I'd like in 1:18 scale.

Deinonychus antirrhopus
Baryonyx walkeri
Saurornithoides mongoliensis
Rhamphorhynchus muensteri
Styxosaurus snowii
Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis
Sinornithosaurus millenii
Torvosaurus tanneri
Scaphognathus crassirostris
Coelophysis bauri
Daspletosaurus horneri
Suchomimus tenerensis
Eoraptor lunensis
Plateosaurus trossingensis
Dilong paradoxus (repaint with duller colouration)
Borealopelta markmitchelli
Anchiceratops ornatus
Yangchuanosaurus shangyouensis
Beipiaosaurus inexpectus
Zanabazar junior

[Sim]

From what I remember, David has considered making the accessory pack species in 1:18 scale and said they wouldn't be articulated.  He hasn't decided whether to make them yet as far as I know.  To add to my previous post, I would very much like BotM versions of Microraptor and Buitreraptor in 1:18 scale.  And the species under two metres in my previous post I'd like in 1:18 scale too.  It would be so good to have all the BotM species in the same scale!

[Sim]

I'm making this post for two reasons.  First, I have to add Nothosaurus mirabilis to my list of very much wanted BotM species.  And same for a 1:18 Mononykus.


Second, I'd like to talk about the BotM "small raptor" species, especially the troodontids.  I have to start by sharing a recent development, which is that further study has determined Latenivenatrix is a junior synonym of Stenonychosaurus.  The details from the paper are on Wikipedia if one wants to learn more about it.  Before anyone thinks this makes Troodon valid again, I'll say that there's another paper naming a troodontid from "Troodon" remains that found Troodon isn't diagnostic - the paper that names Albertavenator.  If Latenivenatrix is actually Stenonychosaurus this increases the size of Stenonychosaurus by 1 metre, the animal is similar in size to Deinonychus either way.

@Faelrin wondered if the existing BotM 1:6 young Troodon/Stenonychosaurus can be used as a 1:18 adult, and I'd say yes - if treating it as an adult my calculations give me a scale of 1:15 if using the 2.5m estimate for "traditional" Stenonychosaurus, or 1:21 if using the 3.5m estimate for "Latenivenatrix".  So close enough to be explainable by individual variation, although eyeballing it it looks to me that it does seem to match 1:18 scale as an adult.

Moving on, I was reading about dinosaur vision and read how Stenonychosaurus had good binocular vision, better than that of tyrannosaurids such as Daspletosaurus and Gorgosaurus.  This made me wonder if the BotM young Troodon/Stenonychosaurus have enough binocular vision?  They are based on Scott Hartman's Troodon skeletal and while Scott's skeletals are usually reliable I think his Troodon skeletal is incorrect in not giving the animal enough binocular vision.  For comparison the head of Stenonychosaurus has been reconstructed in a dinosaur vison paper and it shows how much binocular vision the species has.  The paper is the second reference here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur_vision

To anyone who has the young Troodon/Stenonychosaurus figure, does it have the correct amount of binocular vision?  If not that could be one feature that could be improved on for a new BotM adult Stenonychosaurus figure.

Now going to all the BotM "small raptor" species: Mononykus, Buitreraptor, Microraptor and the troodontid, if made in 1:18 scale I think they would be the size of Safari toob figures.  I would love to have them like that, minus the troodontid as I don't want definitely immature age figures.  Stenonychosaurus as an adult would be similar in size to Deinonychus and I think it would be good to have a figure representing an adult.  It could share parts with Deinonychus as well as Zanabazar and Saurornithoides (all of which seem to have the same binocular vision as Stenonychosaurus).  Tianyuraptor too.  If David would make an adult Stenonychosaurus, I wonder what the best way to go about things would be?  Only make Mononykus, Buitreraptor and Microraptor in 1:18 scale for a "small raptor" pack, and make the larger troodontids and dromaeosaurids be sold individually?  If David makes a 1:18 adult Stenonychosaurus it could be articulated unike a juvenile 1:18 version.  It could also be more articulated than the 1:6 juvenile version, like the 1:18 Velociraptor, Dromaeosaurus and Linheraptor.

[Faelrin]

@Sim Thanks for tagging me about this. Glad to hear the 1:6 one could work and I was not aware Latenivenatrix might be merged or has been with Stenonychosaurus. Interesting info about Albertavenator as well.

I do in fact have the 1:6 "Troodon" or Stenonychosaurus as it was later marketed as, and haven't yet packed it up, so I'll try to take a look at this matter for you (edit: later tonight I mean). Off hand I don't recall the figure having much binocular vision though.

I would also definitely like 1:18 Mononykus, Microraptor, and Buitreraptor if feasible, even without or reduced articulation if its needed. But I would rather see the rest of the 1:6 raptors get that treatment first (particularly Acheroraptor and Zhenyuanlong for pairing with the other Hell Creek or Yixian formation figures).

[Flaffy]

I still wonder why David didn't go and edit the proportions of Dromaeosaurus before releasing the 1/18 version.

Skeletal: Ashley Patch
Artwork: Jed Taylor
Hopefully we'll see a Zhenyuanlong with proper proportions, as it was my most anticipated figure back during the raptor kickstarter.

[Faelrin]

Featherless Zhenyuanlong can't hurt you. Featherless Zhenyunalong isn't real.

Featherless Zhenyunalong: above

Okay that joking around aside, I agree with you @Flaffy. I really hope he can revisit the legs for the 1:18 Zhenyuanlong at least. I know that was a point of contention (or was it?) for many people regarding the figure back in 2016.

Edit: @Sim I think I'll get to the stuff regarding the Stenonychosaurus tomorrow morning instead. Sorry. I spent all day (only stopped right before 10pm) packing with a few breaks in between, and I'm' gonna spend the rest of the night working one of my Skyrim mods instead. I'll take care of that before I pack it up.

[Sim]

@Faelrin, the 1:18 resized dromaeosaurids are brilliant!  They work better with larger species than the 1:6 versions do, and being posable allows people to create scenes with more than one of them in different poses.  Also, they are small, accurate dromaeosaurid figures, there isn't anything else available like them.  You make a good point about how they would go well with other species from their formations.  I hope the planned ones sell well enough for the rest to be made.

@Flaffy, it did seem like David was going to change the proportions of the Dromaeosaurus.  Maybe he didn't because the Dromaeosaurus was fine.  Dromaeosaurus is known from a skull and little else so it's possible it was short-legged, especially if it is closely related to Saurornitholestes which is known to be short-legged.
I would be surprised if David released a 1:18 Zhenyuanlong without correcting its proportions though.  This is because its proportions are definitely incorrect and this attracted quite a bit of attention.  I think a 1:18 Zhenyuanlong would sell better if it had correct proportions.

[Faelrin]

@Sim I got an image of this little dude before I pack them up. I hope that helps.

[Sim]

Thanks @Faelrin!  It's impressively accurate to Scott Hartman's skeletal.  Compared to the reconstructions in the dinosaur vision paper its binocular vision matches that of Allosaurus.  According to the paper Stenonychosaurus had more binocular vision.  I think to be accurate to the animal when looking at the eyes from the front they should look like those of the BotM Velociraptor which has accurate binocular vision.  I don't think there's anything to feel bad about, it's faithful to its source material which one would think is reliable and it's easily the best troodontid figure (or figures rather since there's two versions of it).  I hope David will revisit troodontids in the future and make some with more binocular vision, they would be amazing!

Regarding the BotM hopes and dreams of... BotM fans, I made an interesting discovery.  I decided to type "Beasts of the Mesozoic" in three different Google search engines and then add each letter of the alphabet one at a time.  Then I saw what suggestions came up, which show what people have been searching for.  I did this to see if people have been searching for species not yet made or confirmed.  And the answer to that is yes!  This is what I found:
1. On Google, people have been searching for "beasts of the mesozoic deinonychus" and "beasts of the mesozoic spinosaurus".
2. On Google images people have been searching for BotM Deinonychus and BotM Spinosaurus but also "beasts of the mesozoic dakotaraptor".
3. On YouTube people have been searching for BotM Deinonychus and BotM Spinosaurus but also "beasts of the mesozoic giganotosaurus".
What I gather from this is that Spinosaurus and Deinonychus are the most wanted BotM species that aren't available or confirmed.  They have been searched for on three types of Google search engine.  Then below them there is Giganotosaurus and Dakotaraptor.  There isn't anything like this for Cyberzoic at this point in time.  I find it interesting to see what is popular among BotM fans.  Personally, Deinonychus is the species I'd most like to see in BotM!  I've shared this information with David as I thought he might find it interesting too.

[Flaffy]

@Sim Very interesting! No surprise with Spinosaurus or Giganotosaurus there considering the former's popularity and the latter's appearance in JWD. And with the development of Utahraptor & Achillobator, I'd say that a Deinonychus (and other commonly requested large dromaeosaurs) aren't too far off either!