Mathison Museum of Natural History - Prehistoric Edition

[Fembrogon]

I think the skull is a bit janky on this one, but it's still the nicest rendition of the genus on the market.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Cryolophosaurus ellioti Hammer & Hickerson, 1994

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Figure length approximately 20.0 cm. Using skull as a metric (n=approx. 2.0 cm), scale comes to roughly 1:32
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Cryolophosaurus has been getting some attention in recent years (whether for better or worse), with others by Papo (2017), Schleich (2020), and a 'mini' version by PNSO (2016). Today's by Safari is probably one of the best (but I am biased towards Safari's theropods); other good ones are the original by Safari in the Carnegie Collection (2010) and Battat (2014).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian) of present-day Antarctica
Habitat: Coniferous woodlands, river valleys and other riparian areas
Diet: Predator on smaller animals; occasionally carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Cryolophosaurus ellioti is probably best known for its cranial crest, which was probably used for intraspecific communication, such as announcing sexual status or for territorial display. It's been suggested Cryolophosaurus may have been social, since display features such as this are common in gregarious animals.

[Halichoeres]

This color scheme, if you described it to me verbally, would sound like it wouldn't work, but somehow it does. It's a fine figure.

[bmathison1972]

This color scheme, if you described it to me verbally, would sound like it wouldn't work, but somehow it does. It's a fine figure.

I actually really like the color on this one.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Funisia dorothea Droser & Gehling, 2008

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Paleozoo
Series: Ediacaran Biota
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Individual animals on average 5.5-6.5 cm tall, for a scale of approximately 1:5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Paleozoo models are 3D-printed. They can be fragile and I've had breakage of more than one of their models in the past during shipping (including todays; but it was easily rectified with glue).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Ediacaran of present-day Australia
Habitat: Marine; benthic in sandy areas
Diet: Unknown; possibly filter-feeding of drifting plankton or nutrients derived from symbiotic microorganisms
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Funisia dorothea is believed to be one of the oldest known animals that engaged in sexual reproduction.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Gastornis gigantea (Cope, 1876)
Common name(s): terror bird

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Figure height approximately 7.0 cm. Scale difficult to calculate based on posture, but using skull as a metric (n=3.0 cm), scale comes to approximately 1:17
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Earlier figures of this genus are usually sold under the name Diatryma, which is now considered a synonym of Gastornis. The 1998 model by Bullyland was sold as a 'Predatory Ratite' even though we now know these birds were not closely related to modern ratites. Decent smaller versions of this genus were made by Kaiyodo (2001) and Colorata (2019).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Lower to Middle Eocene of present day western North America
Habitat: Riparian woodlands, coastal marshes, forested lake margins, savanna
Diet: Plant material
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Gastornis gigantea has historically been depicted as a predator, usually hunting small horses. Recent studies suggest it was an obligate herbivore. The bird lacked a prominently hooked beak and hooked talons on the hing legs, which are common features of extant predatory birds. The large beak of Gastornis may have been used for cracking nuts and seeds or shearing grasses. Studies of calcium isotopes in bones of Gastornis showed no evidence of meat in its diet.

[Halichoeres]

Yeah, that Funisia definitely looks fragile. Glad the repair was easy!

[Flaffy]

I need to get myself some Paleozoo models someday...

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Chalicotherium goldfussi Kaup, 1833

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:32 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure is stamped 'Chalicotherium'; the species designation is my own as it's the type species and it is known from Germany, the home of Bullyland. The figure is also stamped '1:24' but assuming I am aligning my ruler with the shoulder correctly (n=8.0 cm), I have the scale as 1:32 based on an animal that stands 2.6 meters at the shoulder.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Upper Miocene of present-day Europe
Habitat: Open woodlands, coastal forests, riparian areas
Diet: Plant material
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Chalicotherium goldfussi is believed to have walked on its knuckes to protect the long claws on its forlegs. These claws probably served multiple functions, one of which was likely to grasp branches in order to access fruits and leaves that made up its diet. Interestingly, as Chalicotherium got closer to adulthood, it shed its incisors and canines, leaving only the rear molars. This suggests that younger animals had a more varied plant-based diet, but adults relied on soft vegetation, such as fruits and young leaves.

[Gwangi]

I've got that Chalicotherium. I got it early on in my collecting days and was pleased to have acquired one of the (then) highly sought after Bullyland mammals. Thanks to recent figures from Safari and CollectA I suppose Bullyland mammals are no longer in high demand. At the time there weren't many other option.

[SidB]

I've got that Chalicotherium. I got it early on in my collecting days and was pleased to have acquired one of the (then) highly sought after Bullyland mammals. Thanks to recent figures from Safari and CollectA I suppose Bullyland mammals are no longer in high demand. At the time there weren't many other option.

Yeah, I remember quite vividly learning about the Bullyland extinct mammals, maybe around 2011-12. they were getting very hard to come by, before Bullyland's re-issuing of the group (except the dire wolf). It was a big deal to get them, one-by-one, including this Chalicotherium. Glad to see that there are still collectors who value them as part of their collections, B @bmathison1972 and @Gwangi .

[bmathison1972]

I bought my Bullyland extinct mammals in the early 2000s, before I specialized in arthropods for a while. When I went back to Phoenix in 2021, my old roommate still had my figures from 2001-2007 boxed up, so I was able to bring some of them back with me! This Chalicotherium was among them, as was the Bullyland Anchitherium, Schleich Glyptodon, and several others from that era!

[SidB]

I bought my Bullyland extinct mammals in the early 2000s, before I specialized in arthropods for a while. When I went back to Phoenix in 2021, my old roommate still had my figures from 2001-2007 boxed up, so I was able to bring some of them back with me! This Chalicotherium was among them, as was the Bullyland Anchitherium, Schleich Glyptodon, and several others from that era!

The one that seems virtually impossible to get hold of is the dire wolf, included in the original series, but not the re-do in 2012. I used to peruse eBay for a couple of years, off and on, but never found one. Not the artistically the best of the group, but extra-ordinarily rare now, for sure.

[bmathison1972]

I never knew about, let alone had, the dire wolf! There were several others, however, I didn't retain, only because better examples have come along since.

[Gwangi]

I've got that Chalicotherium. I got it early on in my collecting days and was pleased to have acquired one of the (then) highly sought after Bullyland mammals. Thanks to recent figures from Safari and CollectA I suppose Bullyland mammals are no longer in high demand. At the time there weren't many other option.

Yeah, I remember quite vividly learning about the Bullyland extinct mammals, maybe around 2011-12. they were getting very hard to come by, before Bullyland's re-issuing of the group (except the dire wolf). It was a big deal to get them, one-by-one, including this Chalicotherium. Glad to see that there are still collectors who value them as part of their collections, B @bmathison1972 and @Gwangi .

Admittedly the Chalicotherium is still the only Bullyland mammal that I have. I had intended to get more when they were re-released but I didn't prioritize them and before I knew it they were discontinued again. I still admire them but probably won't bother getting them at this point, unless I see one in a cheap lot. What I really admire from Bullyland are the various Paleozoic and Triassic fauna, and I have quite a few of those, like the Procynosuchus, Batrachotomus, Liliensternus, and Paratypothorax among others. There are a few others of those I would love to find, like the Arizonasaurus and Mastadonosaurus.

[SidB]

"Para"doxically, @Gwangi , amongst those I only have the Paratypothorax, a really unique figure. When I decided to chase down the other remaining Paleozoic and Triassic pieces, it was too late, the boat had sailed. So I'm in the reverse situation - got virtually all the mammals, but virtually none of the more ancient figures.

[Halichoeres]

A delightfully silly-looking animal. Might be a decent pet if you have some avocado trees.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Arizonasaurus babbitti Welles, 1947

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Prehistoric Museum Line
Year of Production: 2007
Size/Scale: Total body length approximately 24 cm for a scale of 1:12.5. Using the dentary as a metric (n=~2.0 cm), scale also comes to approximately 12.5. Using the entire skull as a metric (n=~3.0 cm), the scale comes to approximately 1:10, although sometimes using the skull as a metric can be difficult depending on how much the figure is fleshed out (see below).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was modeled after a display in, and was probably originally produced for, the Museum am Löwentor in Stuttgart, Germany. The scale above for the entire body length is based on an estimated 3.0 meter-long specimen. The scales above based on the dentary and skull are based on metrics in Nesbitt's 2003 rediscription of A. babbitti.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle Triassic (Anisian) of present-day southwestern North America
Habitat: Arid and semi-arid floodplains, tidal flats, riparian areas, and surrounding uplands
Diet: Presumably predaceous on smaller animals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: The purpose of the hump/sail on A. babbitti is not known, but theories for other animals with similar structures can be applied, including thermoregulation, sexual selection, or fat storage.

[Gwangi]

That's one of the few Bullyland figures I would still love to track down.

[Libraraptor]

That's one of the few Bullyland figures I would still love to track down.

Obviously it is not hard to get, since I had found one on ebay a few weeks ago which did not sell for 10 Euro