Haolonggood - New for 2025

[Trenchcoated Rebbachisaur]

It'll be hard to pick colors on Diplodocus... 
Neat of HLG to make one of the Giganotosaurs WWD:CBD:LOG colored though. Makes the choices much easier there.

[Ajax88]

Wow I've criticized the blue brachiosaurus before but that Dippy looks amazing. I feel entranced! I may be forced to get more than one color. Is there any logical way a blue pattern like that would evolve naturally in the wild?

No reason to doubt blue-grey coloration really. Reptiles come in a shocking array of colors, and birds even more so. I see no reason to assume a giant animal like Diplodocus would suffer in any way from being blue, and pretty much any coloration can be evolved due to sexual selection.

[Monkeysaurus]

This is true. If it looks like it doesn't make sense it's probably sexual selection. I know in the case of the peacock it's kind of a "come at me bro" meme. "I'm so physically fit, strong, fast, and cunning that not only do I not need camouflage, Imma go the opposite direction and carry around this heavy flashing neon sign that says "Eat Me" cause ain't no one can touch me."

In the case of the dippy I think they're too large for this type of signal to have the same level of handicap it does in 🦚. Then again it actually looks a lot more natural looking than the blue brachiosaurus so maybe I'm over thinking it. Dinosaurs are some of the flashiest animals on this planet today, I'd love to know if this was also so of their distant relatives.

[Darko2300]

This is true. If it looks like it doesn't make sense it's probably sexual selection. I know in the case of the peacock it's kind of a "come at me bro" meme. "I'm so physically fit, strong, fast, and cunning that not only do I not need camouflage, Imma go the opposite direction and carry around this heavy flashing neon sign that says "Eat Me" cause ain't no one can touch me."

In the case of the dippy I think they're too large for this type of signal to have the same level of handicap it does in 🦚. Then again it actually looks a lot more natural looking than the blue brachiosaurus so maybe I'm over thinking it. Dinosaurs are some of the flashiest animals on this planet today, I'd love to know if this was also so of their distant relatives.

"Come at me, bro..."    Love it.

[Flaffy]

I do wonder if that would be to small to see in the scale it is though

The individual scales? Maybe, depending on the scale type. But the larger structures would still be visible. I'll list a few:
- Dorsal spines, not known from Diplodocus itself despite paleomeme status, speculative feature
- Large feature scales, also not known, speculative feature
- Large domed ovoid scales on the hip (+tail?)
- Changes in scale orientation and type, can be reflected in texture of the sculpt

Baby Diplodocus at the @UZH_en museum showcasing the latest research on Diplodocus skin

- Epidermal papillae, large raised clusters of small scales, not dissimilar to the clusters seen in E. regalis's neck visually (but structurally different). And according to Tess (sauropod skin researcher), a newly discovered defining trait of sauropod skin.

Artwork by @MF_gadelha

[Gwangi]

@Ajax88 If you were to take all the blue birds and reptiles and put them into one pile, and then take all the brown ones and put them into another, I think you would find that blue is still rare, in the grand scheme of things. Certainly not as common as a shelf of gigantic blue dinosaurs would imply.

https://set.adelaide.edu.au/news/list/2019/08/20/why-is-the-colour-blue-so-rare-in-nature

The animals you mention are also small. Bright coloration in general is apparently "expensive" to produce and maintain, energetically, and especially for large animals. I'm only beginning to understand this myself but I've heard it discussed several times over on the Skeleton Crew YouTube page. I'll have to see if I can find a video where they talk about it. It's probably in one of their Jurassic World: Evolution sauropod videos. 

[Turkeysaurus]

According to the post from Paleofiguras Facebook, Giganotosaurus is 35 cm long , (37 cm along the curve)

[Flaffy]

I was thinking that the "ridge" we're talking about on the Giganotosaurus could just be ornamental scales.  As far as I'm aware there isn't anything stopping them being present over a fenestra?

Could be, but I was also referring to the angle of the lacrimals as well. We know from more complete Carcharodontosaurid skulls like Carcharodontosaurus and Meraxes that the lacrimal crest connects with the nasal ridge rather than pointing downwards as we see in the figure.

We see this smooth transition in Mark Witton's artworks too. Witton does not present them as two distinct structures but one connected keratinous ridge. HD close up shots of the head would help immensely in settling this debate.

[Turkeysaurus]

Wow, Giganotosaurus really looks like Mark Witton's paintings. Maybe that inspired them.

[Ajax88]

@Ajax88 If you were to take all the blue birds and reptiles and put them into one pile, and then take all the brown ones and put them into another, I think you would find that blue is still rare, in the grand scheme of things. Certainly not as common as a shelf of gigantic blue dinosaurs would imply.

https://set.adelaide.edu.au/news/list/2019/08/20/why-is-the-colour-blue-so-rare-in-nature

The animals you mention are also small. Bright coloration in general is apparently "expensive" to produce and maintain, energetically, and especially for large animals. I'm only beginning to understand this myself but I've heard it discussed several times over on the Skeleton Crew YouTube page. I'll have to see if I can find a video where they talk about it. It's probably in one of their Jurassic World: Evolution sauropod videos. 

Some pigments are indeed metabolically expensive to produce in tissues, however the mathematical laws of surface area scaling would mean large sauropods (with proportionally far less surface area than tiny lizards) would have a proportionally easier time synthesizing colorful skin pigments. And, I'm sure as in modern scaled reptiles, they may have only flushed these bright colors during mating periods, and been more drab the rest of the year.

[Sim]

It's worth mentioning blue in animals is usually not a pigment but a structural colour.

[Torvosaurus]

@Ajax88 If you were to take all the blue birds and reptiles and put them into one pile, and then take all the brown ones and put them into another, I think you would find that blue is still rare, in the grand scheme of things. Certainly not as common as a shelf of gigantic blue dinosaurs would imply.

https://set.adelaide.edu.au/news/list/2019/08/20/why-is-the-colour-blue-so-rare-in-nature

The animals you mention are also small. Bright coloration in general is apparently "expensive" to produce and maintain, energetically, and especially for large animals. I'm only beginning to understand this myself but I've heard it discussed several times over on the Skeleton Crew YouTube page. I'll have to see if I can find a video where they talk about it. It's probably in one of their Jurassic World: Evolution sauropod videos. 

Some pigments are indeed metabolically expensive to produce in tissues, however the mathematical laws of surface area scaling would mean large sauropods (with proportionally far less surface area than tiny lizards) would have a proportionally easier time synthesizing colorful skin pigments. And, I'm sure as in modern scaled reptiles, they may have only flushed these bright colors during mating periods, and been more drab the rest

@Ajax88 If you were to take all the blue birds and reptiles and put them into one pile, and then take all the brown ones and put them into another, I think you would find that blue is still rare, in the grand scheme of things. Certainly not as common as a shelf of gigantic blue dinosaurs would imply.

https://set.adelaide.edu.au/news/list/2019/08/20/why-is-the-colour-blue-so-rare-in-nature

The animals you mention are also small. Bright coloration in general is apparently "expensive" to produce and maintain, energetically, and especially for large animals. I'm only beginning to understand this myself but I've heard it discussed several times over on the Skeleton Crew YouTube page. I'll have to see if I can find a video where they talk about it. It's probably in one of their Jurassic World: Evolution sauropod videos. 

Some pigments are indeed metabolically expensive to produce in tissues, however the mathematical laws of surface area scaling would mean large sauropods (with proportionally far less surface area than tiny lizards) would have a proportionally easier time synthesizing colorful skin pigments. And, I'm sure as in modern scaled reptiles, they may have only flushed these bright colors during mating periods, and been more drab the rest of the year.

I would also tend to believe those btight

@Ajax88 If you were to take all the blue birds and reptiles and put them into one pile, and then take all the brown ones and put them into another, I think you would find that blue is still rare, in the grand scheme of things. Certainly not as common as a shelf of gigantic blue dinosaurs would imply.

https://set.adelaide.edu.au/news/list/2019/08/20/why-is-the-colour-blue-so-rare-in-nature

The animals you mention are also small. Bright coloration in general is apparently "expensive" to produce and maintain, energetically, and especially for large animals. I'm only beginning to understand this myself but I've heard it discussed several times over on the Skeleton Crew YouTube page. I'll have to see if I can find a video where they talk about it. It's probably in one of their Jurassic World: Evolution sauropod videos. 

Some pigments are indeed metabolically expensive to produce in tissues, however the mathematical laws of surface area scaling would mean large sauropods (with proportionally far less surface area than tiny lizards) would have a proportionally easier time synthesizing colorful skin pigments. And, I'm sure as in modern scaled reptiles, they may have only flushed these bright colors during mating periods, and been more drab the rest of the year.

More than likely only certain parts of a sauropod were colored, as well. The head, neck, and maybe/probably the upper portions of the forequarters most likely. Two sauropods facing each other for mating reasons wouldn't see much else besides those regions. I also think that females probably didn't color up all that much, as the energy they'd use for coloration would be better put to use in the reproductive processes leading right up to and including egg formation, which all can be energetically expensive as well.

Torvo

[Over9K]

The Jurassic franchise has been as inconsistent with lips as Haolonggood. Some theropods, like the raptors and Dilophosaurus have lips, while other like the T. rex, don't.

And both did it for exactly the same reason; Money - Both entities felt that certain things sell better lipped and some sell better toothy.

[Gwangi]

@Ajax88 If you were to take all the blue birds and reptiles and put them into one pile, and then take all the brown ones and put them into another, I think you would find that blue is still rare, in the grand scheme of things. Certainly not as common as a shelf of gigantic blue dinosaurs would imply.

https://set.adelaide.edu.au/news/list/2019/08/20/why-is-the-colour-blue-so-rare-in-nature

The animals you mention are also small. Bright coloration in general is apparently "expensive" to produce and maintain, energetically, and especially for large animals. I'm only beginning to understand this myself but I've heard it discussed several times over on the Skeleton Crew YouTube page. I'll have to see if I can find a video where they talk about it. It's probably in one of their Jurassic World: Evolution sauropod videos. 

Some pigments are indeed metabolically expensive to produce in tissues, however the mathematical laws of surface area scaling would mean large sauropods (with proportionally far less surface area than tiny lizards) would have a proportionally easier time synthesizing colorful skin pigments. And, I'm sure as in modern scaled reptiles, they may have only flushed these bright colors during mating periods, and been more drab the rest of the year.

Even if a lizard mathematically has more surface area it still doesn't have to grow and maintain a gigantic body. I'm going to defer to the experts on this one.

Let's not forget what prompted this discussion, models of entirely blue gigantic sauropods and theropods. Something a bit more complex than a seasonal flush of color or isolated patches of color.

[Samrukia]

HLG is postponing Giga

[Turkeysaurus]

Imagine the meltdown here if new version has no lips anymore. 

" 1. All Giganotosaurus models that have lips and close to completion will be destroyed, and the release will postponed.
  2. The prototype modeelling will be revised after careful consideration , and the molds will be adjusted to pursue greater perfection which is not having any lips. "

[Samrukia]

Imagine the meltdown here if new version has no lips anymore.   

LOL, what if they read @suspsy comment on HLG lips inconsistency

"aspects that need further discussion"
wondering what are these? on DTF it was received well, i think

[Joliezac]

Seems like such a waste the destroy models close to completion? I thought this model looked great.

[Turkeysaurus]

Imagine the meltdown here if new version has no lips anymore. 

"aspects that need further discussion"
wondering what are these? on DTF it was received well, i think

It would be a real bummer now if new version will end up worse.

[JohannesB]

I kind of get it, but still wasteful.