Eofauna Scientific Research - New for 2024

[Saarlooswolfhound]

That already looks pretty stellar carnotaurus! Great job.

[Turkeysaurus]

So I was speaking further with Ruben and he said that they're considering Magnapaulia as a future toy. Not confirmed. Considering[/i]. As in they're thinking about Magnapaulia, but nothing is decided. Just so we're all 100% clear.

That said, an Eofauna Magnapaulia would absolutely rock.

Wow, I was going to post I prefer magnapaulia over Shantungosaurus. That's crazy if happens.

When i was growing up Lambeosaurus was considered biggest hadrosaur.

[Sim]

The Lambeosaurus species that was considered the largest hadrosauromorph is Magnapaulia, it just didn't have its own genus yet.  In my opinion Magnapaulia would be a disappointing choice to make into a figure when its crest area is unknown and there are dinosaurs with known appearances that still need a good figure, like Saurolophus.

[thomasw100]

The Lambeosaurus species that was considered the largest hadrosauromorph is Magnapaulia, it just didn't have its own genus yet.  In my opinion Magnapaulia would be a disappointing choice to make into a figure when its crest area is unknown and there are dinosaurs with known appearances that still need a good figure, like Saurolophus.

Saurolophus certainly deserves a good model, and another one would be Brachylophosaurus canadensis, with very good remains including even skin impressions. These may however rather appear in the lineup of PNSO or Haolonggood.

[suspsy]

Actually, the known fossil remains of Magnapaulia are on par with those of Giganotosaurus. And anyone who's read Eofauna's books on theropods and sauropods ought to know full well that they have no problem whatsoever speculating on the appearance of animals known from incomplete remains.

[Sim]

The variable parts of a carcharodontosaurid head are known in Giganotosaurus, the variable parts of a hadrosaurid head are unknown in Magnapaulia.  Since the head is where the attention is drawn to with these types of animals, I think the situation for the two is different.

[suspsy]

Not different at all, really. And since Magnapaulia has been determined to be most closely related to Velafrons, which we know for a fact had a rounded crest, there's no good reason whatsoever not to assume that it too possessed a rounded crest. Which is precisely why all existing paleoart depicts Magnapaulia as such. Indeed, it was being depicted that way even back when it was still called Lambeosaurus laticaudus. 

I really hope that Eofauna goes through with it. It's from Mexico to boot, and goodness knows there aren't enough toys of Mexican dinosaurs.

[Sim]

The two Lambeosaurus species have different crest shapes.  So do the different Parasaurolophus species.  And these are all in the same genus.  The reality is that Magnapaulia's crest shape can't be confidently reconstructed, and it's possible it didn't have a crest at all.  Giants tend to look different to their smaller relatives.  When it was considered a species of Lambeosaurus, it would be given the same crest shape as Lambeosaurus lambei.

[Turkeysaurus]

The Lambeosaurus species that was considered the largest hadrosauromorph is Magnapaulia, it just didn't have its own genus yet.  In my opinion Magnapaulia would be a disappointing choice to make into a figure when its crest area is unknown and there are dinosaurs with known appearances that still need a good figure, like Saurolophus.

Yeah that what i ment. I had a magazine series Dinosaurs! in 90's. It was a 15 meter animal there if i remember right. I keep them it's still cool to see how things changed. Some of the things they said "we will never know, impossible to know etc." has been known since.

[Sim]

I had that dinosaur magazine series when I was little too!  They were great!  A thread for this series exists, in case it's of interest it's here, it didn't get very far: https://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=6555.msg194459#msg194459

[suspsy]

That's all special pleading, nothing more. Hardly a valid reason to argue that Magnapaulia shouldn't be depicted with a round crest, especially given that the real paleoartists and paleontologists are perfectly fine with it. Indeed, when was the last time anybody drew Magnapaulia with a different shaped crest or formally proposed as such?

[Sim]

I don't think it's special pleading.  Magnapaulia can be depicted with whatever crest one chooses, I'm simply pointing out that it's conjecture.

Eofauna will make whatever they want to, and there's nothing wrong with me saying that I'd find Magnapaulia a disappointing choice.

[Concavenator]

I agree with @Sim . I hope they don't release a Magnapaulia, for the reasons @Sim pointed out. If they want to release a hadrosaurid, great, but I personally think Magnapaulia in particular is quite  the pointless choice, when there are other hadrosaurids whose appearance are known and which lack a good figure. Even though I'm specifically interested in a Maiasaura, the aforementioned Saurolophus and Brachylophosaurus are excellent choices too. So would Corythosaurus, for example.

And anyone who's read Eofauna's books on theropods and sauropods ought to know full well that they have no problem whatsoever speculating on the appearance of animals known from incomplete remains.

I have Eofauna's books as well, so I know that, but again, what's the point in speculating like that?    It's not like there's any shortage of hadrosaurids known from great remains to make into a figure.

Magnapaulia can be depicted with whatever crest one chooses, I'm simply pointing out that it's conjecture.

This. Magnapaulia may usually be reconstructed with a rounded crest, but that doesn't make any other shapes any less likely.

If they release a Magnapaulia it would be a skip on my end, which is a shame as I want to look forward to new Eofauna figures, with them being my favorite company. But as @Sim said, if they do, I'll be saving a bit of space and money. 

Considering how rarely they do release a new figure, I think it would be smart for them to stick to prehistoric animals whose appearance are well-known, so the risk of the figures becoming obsolete, while always present, is not as great.

It's from Mexico to boot, and goodness knows there aren't enough toys of Mexican dinosaurs.

Velafrons and Tlatolophus are also from Mexico, are hadrosaurids too, and they have better remains than Magnapaulia. And Velafrons has never been made AFAIK.

Magnapaulia's situation is similar to Gigantoraptor's. Animals with well-preserved postcrania but without preserved skulls, categorically making their appearance "unknown", which doesn't happen to other relatives with well-preserved skulls (even if their postcrania aren't as complete). That said, I think the situation is not entirely the same, as Magnapaulia is a giant hadrosaurid, and there are other giant hadrosaurids known from better remains, like Shantungosaurus, and especially, Edmontosaurus. Whlist is not that common to see oviraptorosaurs that big, the only ones being Gigantoraptor and Beibeilong, to my knowledge.

I'm still not interested in a Gigantoraptor because we don't know what its crest was like, or if it had a crest at all. So, like Magnapaulia, I wouldn't say it's a good choice for a figure, either.

[CARN0TAURUS]

I'll buy whatever they decide to produce even if it's a bit speculative on the skull or whatever.  I own plenty of toys from other companies that are based on really small amounts of material.  I trust Eofauna so speculative coming from them means well researched scientific guess...I can live with that.

So hoping this 'surprise' is coming soon whatever it is...

[GojiraGuy1954]

I agree with @Sim . I hope they don't release a Magnapaulia, for the reasons @Sim pointed out. If they want to release a hadrosaurid, great, but I personally think Magnapaulia in particular is quite  the pointless choice, when there are other hadrosaurids whose appearance are known and which lack a good figure. Even though I'm specifically interested in a Maiasaura, the aforementioned Saurolophus and Brachylophosaurus are excellent choices too. So would Corythosaurus, for example.

And anyone who's read Eofauna's books on theropods and sauropods ought to know full well that they have no problem whatsoever speculating on the appearance of animals known from incomplete remains.

I have Eofauna's books as well, so I know that, but again, what's the point in speculating like that?    It's not like there's any shortage of hadrosaurids known from great remains to make into a figure.

Magnapaulia can be depicted with whatever crest one chooses, I'm simply pointing out that it's conjecture.

This. Magnapaulia may usually be reconstructed with a rounded crest, but that doesn't make any other shapes any less likely.

If they release a Magnapaulia it would be a skip on my end, which is a shame as I want to look forward to new Eofauna figures, with them being my favorite company. But as @Sim said, if they do, I'll be saving a bit of space and money. 

Considering how rarely they do release a new figure, I think it would be smart for them to stick to prehistoric animals whose appearance are well-known, so the risk of the figures becoming obsolete, while always present, is not as great.

It's from Mexico to boot, and goodness knows there aren't enough toys of Mexican dinosaurs.

Velafrons and Tlatolophus are also from Mexico, are hadrosaurids too, and they have better remains than Magnapaulia. And Velafrons has never been made AFAIK.

Magnapaulia's situation is similar to Gigantoraptor's. Animals with well-preserved postcrania but without preserved skulls, categorically making their appearance "unknown", which doesn't happen to other relatives with well-preserved skulls (even if their postcrania aren't as complete). That said, I think the situation is not entirely the same, as Magnapaulia is a giant hadrosaurid, and there are other giant hadrosaurids known from better remains, like Shantungosaurus, and especially, Edmontosaurus. Whlist is not that common to see oviraptorosaurs that big, the only ones being Gigantoraptor and Beibeilong, to my knowledge.

I'm still not interested in a Gigantoraptor because we don't know what its crest was like, or if it had a crest at all. So, like Magnapaulia, I wouldn't say it's a good choice for a figure, either.

Get the Haolonggood when they fix the brows

[Daspletodave]

The Lambeosaurus species that was considered the largest hadrosauromorph is Magnapaulia, it just didn't have its own genus yet.  In my opinion Magnapaulia would be a disappointing choice to make into a figure when its crest area is unknown and there are dinosaurs with known appearances that still need a good figure, like Saurolophus.

Saurolophus certainly deserves a good model, and another one would be Brachylophosaurus canadensis, with very good remains including even skin impressions. These may however rather appear in the lineup of PNSO or Haolonggood.

I'd prefer Brachylophosaurus or Prosaurolophus to the very fragmentary/speculative Magnapaulia. There are Saurolophus models out there- plastic one from Favorite (museum model) and resin one from Nakasato Japan.

[Sim]

The Favorite Saurolophus has a duck-bill instead of the type of beak hadrosaurids are known to have and is basically impossible to get.  Resin figures aren't for everyone.  It would be appropriate for a new PVC figure of Saurolophus to be made.

[Flaffy]

The Favorite Saurolophus has a duck-bill instead of the type of beak hadrosaurids are known to have and is basically impossible to get.  Resin figures aren't for everyone.  It would be appropriate for a new PVC figure of Saurolophus to be made.

^^ Need an updated Saurolophus on the market. All the good ones are from Japan... and retired. Not particularly accessible for the new collector, or veterans playing catch up.

A good compromise would be a S. osborni. As all Saurolophus figures on the market (save for the Tyco one?) represent the larger Mongolian S. angustirostris.


Left to Right: Prosaurolophus maximus and two species of Saurolophus (S. osborni & S. angustirostris) | Art by Henry Sharpe

[Sim]

Neither of the Saurolophus species have an adequate figure.  S. angustirostris does have the retired Kaiyodo version, but I think it's rare and too small for most people.  So S. angustirostris is as good a choice for a figure as S. osborni in my opinion, actually even a better one due to the completeness of its head crest in comparison to S. osborni which has an incomplete crest.

[Dilopho]

I just got the T. rex, I have to say that it's really, really nice. It's definitely intended to be posed with the mouth wide open.
The eyes are sloppy on mine, though, one has a very big pupil and the other has a very small one.

I have yet to see somebody do a T. rex with better eyes than the BOTM one. I have fun taking photos of that ones outwards stare and sending it to my friends, because it legit gives them chills. They say it's primal fear.