Dacentrurus = Miragaia

[Sim]

This situation seems to be the unavoidable consequence of producing models based on fragmentary fossil material. On the other hand, this keeps the companies that make PVC figures and paleoartists that make 3D models in business. Next year Haolonggood can update their Dacentrurus.

Personally, I'm satisfied with my PNSO Miragaia, I don't need Haolonggood to update their Dacentrurus.  I'd prefer Haolonggood corrected the frill on their Nasutoceratops and made the figure in actual 1:35 scale, if they did I would replace my Safari Nasutoceratops with a Haolonggood one.  I prefer the colouration of the Haolonggood versions to Safari's.
Also, I saw someone on Facebook wish Haolonggood would make Pycnonemosaurus, Eocarcharia and Siats.  What's the point of making them, or even wishing for them, when their remains are even worse than those of Dacentrurus were?

[Flaffy]

Would the Haolonggood Dacentrurus still work as a representation of Kentrosaurus?

No. PLate count and general proportions would be off. Dacentrurus & Kentrosaurus skeletals by Jaime A. Headden and Scott Hartman respectively. Haolonggood's Dacentrurus follows Jaime's skeletal perfectly.

[Flaffy]

What would you now describe as the key differences (or inaccuracies) of the Haolonggood Dacentrurus model in comparison to the correct bodyplan?

Looking at the skeletal reconstruction you posted, I would note the longer neck, the different number of spikes and plates, and the likely absence of the shoulder spikes. Anything else?

The neck length is obviously supported by the fossil remains, i.e. the number of cervical vertebrae. Not sure if all the spikes and plates have been found, but one can probably estimate their number and size from those that have been found.

You know, I am just thinking if a skilled customizer could actually modify the Haolonggood Dacentrurus to the point that the model would become reasonably accurate. I have seen examples where necks were cut and head pose rearranged.

Entirely recognising we onyl have a sample size of, well, one genus now for Dacentrurinae. It would seem that besides their long necks, their torsos were also more compressed than Stegosaurines, and maybe proportionally shorter tails. But again, hard to make generalisations when there's not much to work with. For illustrative purposes, the Roblox game Prior Extinction includes a Dacentrurus reconstruction that's based off Miragaia:


I personally wouldn't bother paying a lot for a customisation job when there are a good number of Miragaia figures on the market already.

[Sim]

Adding to what Flaffy said, another notable possible dacentrurine member is Alcovasaurus.  The tail being proportionally smaller appears to be a real feature of dacentrurines, as is very long tail spikes.  The arms being proportionally long is another feature.  There's a paper that also suggests there isn't a shoulder spike in dacentrurines.

[Mellow Stego]

Oh man, Miragaia is such a great name.

[VD231991]

Among toys, the PNSO Miragaia lacks the shoulder spikes while the Haolonggood Dacenturus has them; is it now believed the latter is not correct?

Shoulder spikes are speculative for both animals. CollectA's Miragaia has them too. And I've seen artwork of Dacenturus without them.

The implications of this paper are interesting. It would mean that although Miragaia is no longer valid the toys of it are better representatives of Dacenturus than the Dacenturus toys are. I have the Battat Dacenturus and was going to get Haolonggood's too but for as lovely a figure as it is I don't think I'll bother with it now. I have the PNSO and Carnegie Miragaia, which I suppose are now Dacenturus and I certainly don't need another Dacenturus in my collection, especially an inaccurate one.

Yes, as a synoptic collector, I don't need both. Curious which to keep. Think I'll retain the PNSO Miragia as Dacenturus.

I think that would be the smart choice. We have the neck of "Miragia" but not Dacentrurus. If they're the same animal then the speculative short neck of any Dacentrurus would be inaccurate.

In their paper describing Miragaia, Octavio Mateus and colleagues found Dacentrurus to be closely related to their new taxon and thus erected Dacentrurinae to include both genera. This meant that traditional depictions of Dacentrurus with a short neck would have to be reconsidered because the Dacentrurus armatus holotype includes no cervicals and just one plate.

[Turkeysaurus]

Was Dacentrurus that big?! What changes about it's size after miragaia body plan?

[suspsy]

Dacentrurus has long been considered the second biggest stegosaur after Stegosaurus.

[Turkeysaurus]

I like it's unique look but I'll wait for Dacentrurus 2.0 from HLG before buying Miragaia from PNSO. There are so great many great toys are around and upcoming so unless you are craving for a certain specimen, i find it  quite easy to wait to be honest. It's difficult to keep up with so many dinosaurs even if they are just from HLG & PNSO.

[GojiraGuy1954]

Do we know HLG is doing that?

[Turkeysaurus]

Do we know HLG is doing that?

No but i think they'll do it in a few years since Miragaia was one of the most famous stegosaurian and HLG doesnt have one.

[Flaffy]

Do we know HLG is doing that?

No but i think they'll do it in a few years since Miragaia was one of the most famous stegosaurian and HLG doesnt have one.

I certainly wouldn't mind a HLG Miragaia. HLG has more than proven themselves in the stegosaurian department with their recent S. ungulatus. The PNSO is nice, but definitely stands out as being from PNSO's corn-kernel scales era.

[thomasw100]

Do we know HLG is doing that?

No but i think they'll do it in a few years since Miragaia was one of the most famous stegosaurian and HLG doesnt have one.

I certainly wouldn't mind a HLG Miragaia. HLG has more than proven themselves in the stegosaurian department with their recent S. ungulatus. The PNSO is nice, but definitely stands out as being from PNSO's corn-kernel scales era.

This would be great, and I am looking forward to the Huayangosaurus that is due to come out this year.

Maybe they can think of a good run of stegosaurs for next year: Miragaia, Hesperosaurus, Gigantspinosaurus, Tuojiangosaurus, Kentrosaurus.

I like the PNSO Miragaia but I did not get it precisely because of the corn-kernel scales.

[Ludodactylus]

The PNSO Miragaia is one of my absolute favorite figures in my collection. I smile every time I look at it - the colors, the patterning, the sunflower petal plates all combine to make a beautiful representation of the animal. The scale texture, to me, is barely noticeable unless I'm holding the figure right up in front of my face, and even then there's nothing about it that feels ugly about it.

[Quiversaurus]

T @thomasw100 I second Kentrosaurus, Hesperosaurus and Miragaia, in that order 

Pardon me and correct me if I'm wrong - this new paper means that what we knew of Miragaia is now considered Dacentrurus? Or in other words, the PNSO Miragaia should now in fact be called "Dacentrurus"?

Or is there something more I'm missing?

[Sim]

Pardon me and correct me if I'm wrong - this new paper means that what we knew of Miragaia is now considered Dacentrurus? Or in other words, the PNSO Miragaia should now in fact be called "Dacentrurus"?

Yes, what we know of Miragaia is now considered Dacentrurus, and the PNSO Miragaia now represents a Dacentrurus.

Haolonggood's stegosaurians are top-class, I would love to have more from them.  Tuojiangosaurus and Kentrosaurus would be great, and I have to say I would be interested in an updated Dacentrurus from Haolonggood.  It would be pointless for them to call it Miragaia as it's now a syonym of Dacentrurus.

[Quiversaurus]

Thanks for clarifying, @Sim !

I somehow actually like the name "Miragaia" more. Sounds so... majestic, while "Dacentrurus" sounds utilitarian...

[andrewsaurus rex]

i've been under the impression for a long time now (a couple of years) that they were the same.  I didn't realize it hadn't been confirmed.  I too will miss the Miragaia name.  Flows off the tongue better.

In the skeletal reconstruction of Dacen. that's been posted here, all the plates and spikes are shown in white.  Does that mean they have all been found?  If so, that is a VERY complete specimen.

[andrewsaurus rex]

oh, and why has the impression been all along that Dacentrurus was much larger than Miragaia if they are the same animal?  Is it possible that different populations in different geographical locations were different in size, the way South African lions and Painted Dogs are larger than their East African counterparts?

[stargatedalek]

In the skeletal reconstruction of Dacen. that's been posted here, all the plates and spikes are shown in white.  Does that mean they have all been found?  If so, that is a VERY complete specimen.

The grey in that one is to show depth, the inset above shows the non-inferred sections. I would be interested to see the known remains of related species that were used for the inferences.