Safari Ltd - New for 2022

[Doug Watson]

@Doug Watson The Dueling Dinosaurs website claims there's a skin impression on the foot that is like an emu. https://duelingdinosaurs.org/

Well that would be a smoking gun if true. Thanks I wasn't aware that they had found that, I hope it is published soon. Funny when I would put scutes on theropod feet I would dig out photos of emu legs that I took at zoos.

[GojiraGuy1954]

To be fair Ratites are basically the closest thing living today to non-avian theropods

[Shane]

To be fair Ratites are basically the closest thing living today to non-avian theropods

Superficially, I guess, but not from a genomic standpoint. It's mostly due to convergent evolution.

[suspsy]

So where do we go from Albertosaurus? Is that it for 2022 or is there another batch that will be revealed later on?

[Shane]

So where do we go from Albertosaurus? Is that it for 2022 or is there another batch that will be revealed later on?

There are still some 2022 items left to be revealed but there will be a short break before they're shown, as they aren't quite as far along yet.

That includes a couple of prehistoric items.

[GojiraGuy1954]

To be fair Ratites are basically the closest thing living today to non-avian theropods

Superficially, I guess, but not from a genomic standpoint. It's mostly due to convergent evolution.

They derived from flying ancestors but their body plan is much more like a standard theropod than any other avian

[suspsy]

So where do we go from Albertosaurus? Is that it for 2022 or is there another batch that will be revealed later on?

There are still some 2022 items left to be revealed but there will be a short break before they're shown, as they aren't quite as far along yet.

That includes a couple of prehistoric items.

Well, whatever they are, I hope they are non-dinosaurs. It's certainly high time we saw some more Cenozoic beasts from Safari. Arctotherium would tickle me every bit as much as Zuul.

[GojiraGuy1954]

So where do we go from Albertosaurus? Is that it for 2022 or is there another batch that will be revealed later on?

There are still some 2022 items left to be revealed but there will be a short break before they're shown, as they aren't quite as far along yet.

That includes a couple of prehistoric items.

Well, whatever they are, I hope they are non-dinosaurs. It's certainly high time we saw some more Cenozoic beasts from Safari. Arctotherium would tickle me every bit as much as Zuul.

We need extinct marsupials

[Pliosaurking]

I'm personally hoping for a prehistoric croc of some sort and a suchomimus

[Renecito]

I'm personally hoping for a prehistoric croc of some sort and a suchomimus

Safari has a Suchomimus.

[Pliosaurking]

Forgot about that one
Although i think it could use an update

[Flaffy]

Is the upturned rostrum based on a specific specimen? I could be mistaken, but don't recall Albertosaurus skulls having a significant degree of upturning.
And is there a reason for the omission of tarsal scutes in the Albertosaurus? Along with some recent Safari theropods.

@Doug Watson

When you say rostrum do you mean the premaxilla?

Yes that would be it. Is the degree of upturning based off a specific specimen?

Several reference papers in fact. A lot of the skulls are composites however but the the curve is deepest at the midline of the maxilla then climbs toward the premaxilla where it has a slight downturn on some reconstructions (imperceptible at this scale especially with the addition of lips) and in some the curve continues upwards. I have added lips that partially cover the upper teeth. Looking at the reconstruction you showed that artist looks like he or she added more lip depth at the front of the premaxilla. I know you mentioned you like Greg Paul's reconstructions well if I scale his skull down it fits when I lay it over my head.

As for tarsal scutes I used to come under criticism for adding them early on like in the case of my Feathered T rex since it was thought that tarsal scutes evolved from feathered feet. At the time I pointed out that tarsal scutes had been found in fossils of Concavenator so it is not a settled argument. Since there has been no physical fossil evidence of them on other large theropods that I know of I just decided to leave them off I may put them on in the future if I do anymore that is.

Hope that answers your questions.

Thank you! It definitely does. Always nice to see a sculptor's rationale behind sculpting choices!

As for the tarsal scutes, like @Faelrin said the Dueling Dinosaurs specimen apparently has preserved tarsal scutes. Though I understand why one might be hesitant to reference such a source as it currently remains unpublished (to my knowledge). However, I believe that the presence of tarsal scutes on both Concavenator and Kulindadromeus is good evidence for tarsal scutes (or convergent structures) being present on many dinosaur groups.

[Strepsodus]

Forgot about that one
Although i think it could use an update

The Safari Suchomimus is pretty scientifically accurate

[Pliosaurking]

The Safari Suchomimus is pretty scientifically accurate

Yes it's fairly accurate (other than the size of the thumb claw) but the figure is going on 10 years old now and I just want to see a new suchomimus
Plus the crocodilian texture is a bit overdone on spinosaurs don't you think?

[Shonisaurus]

I would like to see another suchimimus, if not bigger, at least more voluminous. Safari's current suchomism is a beauty but it's been 10 now and needs an update.

On the other hand, the novelties of Safari 2022 apart from the patagotitan are very good and what I like most now from the companies that make tyrannosauroids that are not tyrannosaurus rex (hopefully they are marketed very well like the tyrannosaurus rex so that this way each of the toy dinosaur companies make tyrannosaurus.

[GojiraGuy1954]

Procoptodon

[suspsy]

I would definitely buy a Wild Safari Procoptodon; it would go great with my SR Thylacoleo and Diprotodon.

I don't think Suchomimus warrants a new version. The current one still holds up and there's plenty of other theropods that have yet to receive a toy.

[Thialfi]

Forgot about that one
Although i think it could use an update

The Safari Suchomimus is pretty scientifically accurate

Definitely, apart from the thumb claw that could be a little longer it stood the test of time very well. An excellent model.

[Dilopho]

All these figures look great, I really love the colours on the Albertosaurus. Very funky...
(Also..hi everyone!)

[Concavenator]

I think a new Suchomimus would without a doubt look better than the current one. It's not that it's simply old, Safari's Sauropelta is also "old" now (released in 2015) yet it's perfect as it is and could hardly get any better. But the Suchomimus has room for improvement. Comparing it to Hartman's (and Franoys') skeletal, the snout should be more elongated and thinner. The scales are too large, and are too regularly arranged to look natural.  Not to mention the lack of the enlarged claw. Suchomimus is one of the theropod genera that I would most like to add to my collection, but as of now, I would rather get the new Safari Baryonyx instead of it, because the gap in quality between those 2 figures is just too great. I would have happily bought that Suchomimus when it was released, but now I wouldn't, seeing the quality of today's figures. I would rather wait for a new one. I think the gap in quality between Safari's pre-2017 and post-2017 theropods is fairly drastic, at least in my opinion. Safari's theropods, for me, started getting pretty good in 2019. And during the last couple of years, Safari's theropods have reached a point in which they have no clear weaknesses: not enlarged feet nor oversized scales anymore, lips, not shrinkwrapped yet not overly bulky either...

I think the comparison of the Safari 2014 Suchomimus vs 2021 Baryonyx is the prime example of my point. The new Baryonyx completely blows the Suchomimus out of the water in every way. Which is understood, of course, people get better and improve over time. But yeah, it's a 2014 figure, so while old, older figures than that are more in need of an update I guess.

Regarding the Albertosaurus, I'm super happy with it, as with the Zuul, it's went straight into my wantlist.
The coloration is surpisingly BotMesque, but it's a welcome departure from the orangey colors Safari have used to death already. I still hope Gorgosaurus gets a resculpt at some point (Papo's is too monsterish for me), but I'm glad to see Albertosaurus first. Ever since the WWD 3-D movie it almost looks like everyone has forgotten Albertosaurus in favour of Gorgosaurus. And I love how Safari is continuing to update the species from the Carnegie Collection (there are still quite a few left!).