Mathison Museum of Natural History - Prehistoric Edition

[Halichoeres]

This is still my favorite Edmontosaurus figure. I always like Watson's ornithopods.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Canadaspis perfecta Briggs, 1978

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Favorite Co. Ltd.
Series: Cambrian Creatures Mini Models
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Body length 7.0 cm for a scale of 1.4:1 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is very well done, based on our knowledge of the animal from the fossil record. The number of legs and abdominal segments is correct, as is the presence of two pairs of antennae and eyes on stalks.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cambrian (Wuliuan) of present-day western North America
Habitat: Marine, benthic
Diet: Presumably microorganisms, algae, detritus
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Canadaspis perfecta was described from the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada. Additional Canadaspis fossils have been found in nearby Utah and Nevada. Canadaspis laevigata has been described from the Maotianshan Shales of Yunnan Province, China; C. laevigata was about 10 million years older than C. perfecta. The phylogenetic placement of Canadaspis is far from resolved, but it is currently placed in Hymenocarina, an extinct clade of arthropods that may represent a sister-group to, or nestled basally within, Pancrustacea (true crustaceans and insects)

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Lambeosaurus lambei Parks, 1923

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: PNSO
Series: Prehistoric Animal Models
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 26 cm for a scale of 1:30-1:35
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is often regarded as the best Lambeosaurus figure since the Invicta model from the early 1990s. Like many of PNSO models, there are some minor proportional issues, in this case the front legs probably being a little too slender. Otherwise, a splendid sculpt and interesting paint job. So far, the spindly legs have not resulted in any stability issues, which have been documented in PNSO's Corythosaurus.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of present-day western North America
Habitat: Coastal marshes and swamps
Diet: Browser on vegetation, probably conifers, gingkoes, and/or magnolias
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Lambeosaurus lambei is known for its distinctive hatchet-shaped crest. Structurally, most of the crest is hollow. There have been several theories on the function of this crest, one of being that it was used for sexual selection and/or territorial display. Being hollow, it may have aided in breathing or producing various sounds for communication. Since noisemaking is so important in social functions and recognition, this has become one of the most widely accepted hypotheses. It has also been suggested it stored salt glands that allow excess salt from the environment to be excreted; this has been suggested due to the large number of fossils being found in coastal marshes and swamps where Lambeosaurus may have had frequent exposure to brackish or marine environments.

[SidB]

I agree whole heartedly with your assessment in the "Miscellaneous Notes" section, B @bmathison1972 . This is indeed the best Lambeosaurus since Invicta's masterpiece. I have both and concur that the issues with head size and the leg thickness are not enough to dismiss this fine figure. To me, it's a matter of being able and willing to look past certain matters, relegating them to a relatively minor status, for the  sake of the figure's really outstanding assets. Being unable to moderate an overly fastidious tendency robs one of much satisfaction and delight.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Glyptodon clavipes Owen, 1839

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Prehistoric Mammals 1:20
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Body length 12.0 cm for a scale of approximately 1:25 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Schleich only marketed this figure as Glyptodon; I am assuming it was based on the type species and the designation of G. clavipes is my own. The scale above is based on an average published length of 3.0 meters. The osteoderms (see below) were probably not pimple-like as shown here; most current reconstructions show Glyptodon with a rather smooth carapace. Still, an impressive sculpt for the time it was made.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Pleistocene (Uquian-Lujanian) of present-day South America (Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina)
Habitat: Open woodlands, grasslands, riparian areas
Diet: Vegetation, including shrubs, trees, and grasses
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Glyptodon and its kin are best known for their protective carapace which resembles that of a tortoise. The carapace was made up of over a thousand small bony osteoderms, the pattern of which has been used to define the various species. Glyptodon also had a tail covered in bony ridges. The carapace and tail were defensive adaptions against predators. The main predators of Glyptodon were saber-toothed cats, giant short-faced bear, dire wolves, terror birds, and possibly early humans.

[Gwangi]

A familiar face! I have that Schleich Glyptodon as well, and reviewed it years ago. Definitely one of Schleich's better efforts.

[SidB]

I still have one on display in my circa 1/20 Cenozoic mammal display. Sold a second one to one of the DTF members. True, though, they are now quite rare.

[bmathison1972]

A familiar face! I have that Schleich Glyptodon as well, and reviewed it years ago. Definitely one of Schleich's better efforts.

Yes, I consulted your Blog review when preparing this post 

I still have one on display in my circa 1/20 Cenozoic mammal display. Sold a second one to one of the DTF members. True, though, they are now quite rare.

Funny, I bought mine back in 2004-2005 when I was still a 'general' animal collector living in Arizona. When I moved to Atlanta in 2007, I only brought my arthropods with me and focused on them until 2018. Last year, I went back to visit my old roommate in Arizona and my non-arthropod animals were still stashed away in one of his closets. So, I brought this Glyptodon (and a bunch of other stuff that has since become rare) back to Utah where I live now haha.

[Halichoeres]

That Canadaspis has to be one of the most distinctive prehistoric figures from any toy company. There's just nothing similar to it made by anyone else. Such a cool choice.

[bmathison1972]

That Canadaspis has to be one of the most distinctive prehistoric figures from any toy company. There's just nothing similar to it made by anyone else. Such a cool choice.

Yes it was the driving factor for me to get the set!

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Dubbolimulus peetae Pickett, 1984

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Lost Kingdoms Series B
Year of Production: 2001
Size/Scale: Length 7.3 cm. Prostomal width 5.5 cm for a scale of 2:1 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Yowies, assembly is required. The scale above is based on the holotype specimen.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle Triassic (Anisian) of present-day Australia
Habitat: Freshwater, benthic
Diet: Presumably benthic invertebrates and algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: From what I can tell, D. peetae is still known only from the holotype specimen (MM F27693), which was found near the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales. Based on plant fossils found near MM F27693, and the distance from which other marine fossils were found, it is believed D. peetae lived in a freshwater environment. However, it has been suggested D. peetae might live in a marine or brackish environment and only migrated to freshwater for breeding, such has been suggested for Victalimulus, an early Cretaceous horseshoe crab from Australia.

[ceratopsian]

Thanks - that's a new genus for me. Beautiful display!

[bmathison1972]

Thanks - that's a new genus for me. Beautiful display!

thank you ceratopsian!

[Fembrogon]

I tend to forget how much diversity exists in the horseshoe crab lineage; we could certainly use some more toys of them.
Yowie isn't a company I actively follow, so every time the line comes up I end up learning something new! Thanks for sharing this figure.

[Halichoeres]

I remain fond of the Yowie Lost Kingdoms series for taking a chance on oddballs like these. I keep hoping that the revamped Yowie line will eventually do a prehistoric series.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Sauropelta edwardsorum Ostrom, 1970

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 18.5 cm for a scale of 1:27-1:32
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There are two good options for Sauropelta in the 'standard-sized' range, this one and the 2020 version by PNSO. The mainly differ in the arrangement of the neck spines and dorsal osteoderms. You can read a detailed comparison here on the Dinosaur Toy Blog, courtesy of forum member Lanthanotus. It has been pointed out that given how infrequently osteoderms and spines are found in their natural arrangemnt, it is probably not currently possible to exclude either interpretation (from what I can tell, the Safari figure looks to be based on the holotype AMNH 3032, but I don't know the full spectrum of resources Doug Watson used in preparing the model). Both figures are very similar in their size, scale, and posture.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) of present-day western North America
Habitat: Open coniferous woodlands, floodplains
Diet: Plants, including conifers and cycads
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Sauropelta edwardsorum shared its ecosystem with several other herbivores, the most common based on fossil recovery being Tenontosaurus. Major predators of Sauropelta and Tenontosaurus were Deinonychus and Acrocanthosaurus.

[Gwangi]

One of my all time favorite Safari dinosaurs.

[SidB]

Voted top prehistoric animal of 2015 in our poll, if I'm not mistaken.

[bmathison1972]

One of my all time favorite Safari dinosaurs.

When I started adding dinosaurs to my collection, it is one of the first I snatched up! But then again, I am partial to ornithischians, especially ceratopsians and ankylosaurs, and most especially those sculpted by Doug Watson

[Halichoeres]

There are lots of ankylosaur toys, but they're hard to do well because of all the armor. Good ones are a rare treat, and this is a great one.

I prefer this one to the PNSO version in part because the PNSO has its back arched to an extent that probably wouldn't have been achievable (at least not comfortably) in life.