Re-issue of Battat former Museum of Science Boston Series

[Sim]

Earlier in this thread I said how the size of Dilophosaurus' fourth finger made me think it would be visible externally.  After looking into it more tonight, I now think it's quite likely the fourth finger was part of the hand and not visible externally.  Ceratosaurus' fourth finger seems to be more prominent, which would make it more likely to be visible externally.  I'm glad I found this out, it explains why the Battat and Safari Dilophosaurus have 3 fingers, while the Battat and Safari Ceratosaurus have 4!

[Crackington]

Just got the new issue of Prehistoric Times and there's a nice interview with Dan in there. He's obviously been through a lot health-wise so I'm just grateful he is now well enough to keep on making such great figures. There's also a little hint that one of the other  Pachyrhinosaurus species could make an appearance at some point, its his favourite dino!

[Dinoguy2]

Is this topic still going? If so, will the Triceratops have armor and quills like this picture (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/battle-brak/Dinosaurs/Triceratops.jpg)? This was based off a currently undescribed specimen, so there certainly is solid evidence for the odd new look of Triceratops. It would certainly make the Battat Triceratops different and more accurate than all the others out there.

If you can point me in the direction of the paper that drawing is based on I'll take a look at it.

*Updated with much better link for information

That illustration is not quite right.This page here (I think it's run by member Gryphoceratops) gives a better idea of how the skin of Triceratops should look based on the skin impressions of "Lane":
http://jerseyboyshuntdinosaurs.blogspot.com/2013_09_01_archive.html

Unfortunately,I'm not aware of anything published on the skin impressions yet.

Yay people follow my site! 

The photo at the bottom of that link is from the new undescribed specimen.  The "evidence of quills" is really just those nipple-shaped scales which somebody suggested the points may have extended into quills...which is unlikely.  The black and white sketch someone posted earlier doesn't really match with what the specimen shows.  There were no wide crocodilian-style armor plates on the back like that, just the more circular-shaped (nipple) ones surrounded by smaller circular scales.  The belly supposedly has smaller rectangular scales as does the fingers/toes.  To my knowledge no photos have been released of those yet.  My painting on the link John referenced includes all of it.  Here is a link that shows another picture of the imprint of the skin. 

http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/replica-of-rare-triceratops-skin-goes-on-display-in-hill/article_2b66c924-bcce-5c0d-bcbb-806cec3d1209.html

Might also want to talk to David Krentz, who is a member here. He had access to the a Triceratops mummy specimen and was allowed to 3D scan it for the cgi models in Dinosaur Revolution, iirc.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Something to make note of here......Lane is hardly a new discovery ....the dinosaur is already mounted and on display and was found in 2007. It has not been published on as far as I can tell......and I completely agree that the nippled scales are highly unlikely as the attachment point for anything.

[Dinoguy2]

Something to make note of here......Lane is hardly a new discovery ....the dinosaur is already mounted and on display and was found in 2007. It has not been published on as far as I can tell......and I completely agree that the nippled scales are highly unlikely as the attachment point for anything.

Agreed, I'm a supporter of the hypothesis that some limited amount for feathers are probably widespread among ornithischians, but that's not how most feathers work or would be predicted to look. If triceratops had quills, they would probably originate from between the scales as in psittacosaurus. I'm Think the nipple = quill base meme was started by Bakker in an online article somewhere and took off.

[stargatedalek]

it is possible that these "nubs" could have been a part of much longer spine, its also possible they have been like those of thorny devil lizards in life, and they lost their shape in fossilization
they could also have just been tiny nubs on the scales

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Something to make note of here......Lane is hardly a new discovery ....the dinosaur is already mounted and on display and was found in 2007. It has not been published on as far as I can tell......and I completely agree that the nippled scales are highly unlikely as the attachment point for anything.

Agreed, I'm a supporter of the hypothesis that some limited amount for feathers are probably widespread among ornithischians, but that's not how most feathers work or would be predicted to look. If triceratops had quills, they would probably originate from between the scales as in psittacosaurus. I'm Think the nipple = quill base meme was started by Bakker in an online article somewhere and took off.

To further give some support to what Dinoguy has said here, consider....the first picture is the actual images used for the paper released regarding the psittacosaurus specimen. The second image is the skin impression from Lane. Make note in the first image how the quills actually are imbedded into the tail body almost deep enough to hit the verts. They clearly are below the surface and arise from inside the tissue . Now look at the fossil from Lane..where the nipples are atop the scales...the two types are nothing similar to one another in any way shape or form. If you attempt to argue because of fossil A, that fossil B should have quills,then the process should be similar. It just dont work.....
If anyone needs the psittacosaurus paper to confirm this for themselves let me know, although I believe I also made it availible within the psittacosaurus thread.

[Dinoguy2]

Something to make note of here......Lane is hardly a new discovery ....the dinosaur is already mounted and on display and was found in 2007. It has not been published on as far as I can tell......and I completely agree that the nippled scales are highly unlikely as the attachment point for anything.

Agreed, I'm a supporter of the hypothesis that some limited amount for feathers are probably widespread among ornithischians, but that's not how most feathers work or would be predicted to look. If triceratops had quills, they would probably originate from between the scales as in psittacosaurus. I'm Think the nipple = quill base meme was started by Bakker in an online article somewhere and took off.

To further give some support to what Dinoguy has said here, consider....the first picture is the actual images used for the paper released regarding the psittacosaurus specimen. The second image is the skin impression from Lane. Make note in the first image how the quills actually are imbedded into the tail body almost deep enough to hit the verts.

To be fair, I don't think we can say that. This was squished from a 3D animal, those could simply be embedded in the skin further down the lateral side of the tail.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Something to make note of here......Lane is hardly a new discovery ....the dinosaur is already mounted and on display and was found in 2007. It has not been published on as far as I can tell......and I completely agree that the nippled scales are highly unlikely as the attachment point for anything.

Agreed, I'm a supporter of the hypothesis that some limited amount for feathers are probably widespread among ornithischians, but that's not how most feathers work or would be predicted to look. If triceratops had quills, they would probably originate from between the scales as in psittacosaurus. I'm Think the nipple = quill base meme was started by Bakker in an online article somewhere and took off.

To further give some support to what Dinoguy has said here, consider....the first picture is the actual images used for the paper released regarding the psittacosaurus specimen. The second image is the skin impression from Lane. Make note in the first image how the quills actually are imbedded into the tail body almost deep enough to hit the verts.

To be fair, I don't think we can say that. This was squished from a 3D animal, those could simply be embedded in the skin further down the lateral side of the tail.

Not to be nitpicky but we can fairly say that based on the paper. (Which was why I offered for those with doubts or comments) but basically to quote....."Virtually all of the exposed integument of the tail is
from the right lateral side of the animal, which can be
deduced from the fact that it is continuous with the integument
that covers the bones in the abdominal region
of the specimen. The "bristles" extend under this skin
layer and nowhere lie above it, which indicates that they
were attached to the dorsal midline of the tail only.
Careful preparation of some "bristles" revealed that
these terminate directly at the vertebrae, at the tip of the
neural spine in one case and at the prezygapophysis in
the other (Fig. 3b). Since the more proximal caudal vertebrae
have shorter and smaller neural spines than the
more caudal ones, the "bristles" extend further into the
skin in the proximal part of the tail." and in the picture comments this as well"Fig. 3 a Ultraviolet-induced fluorescence photograph of the tail,
showing numerous small scales. b Detail of the proximal area of
the tail, showing that the "bristles" extend deeply into the skin (arrows)
and terminate directly at the vertebrae; the neural spines of
the vertebrae are indicated by asterisks. c, d Details of the "bristles",
showing the narrow dark stripe along the midline which possibly
indicates a tubular structure of these appendices ""   Given this as evidence I Feel comfortable with my original comments.

[Gryphoceratops]

I'm just happy everyone is using the term "nipple" to describe the scales.   

[Gryphoceratops]

Is this topic still going? If so, will the Triceratops have armor and quills like this picture (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/battle-brak/Dinosaurs/Triceratops.jpg)? This was based off a currently undescribed specimen, so there certainly is solid evidence for the odd new look of Triceratops. It would certainly make the Battat Triceratops different and more accurate than all the others out there.

If you can point me in the direction of the paper that drawing is based on I'll take a look at it.

*Updated with much better link for information

That illustration is not quite right.This page here (I think it's run by member Gryphoceratops) gives a better idea of how the skin of Triceratops should look based on the skin impressions of "Lane":
http://jerseyboyshuntdinosaurs.blogspot.com/2013_09_01_archive.html

Unfortunately,I'm not aware of anything published on the skin impressions yet.

Yay people follow my site! 

The photo at the bottom of that link is from the new undescribed specimen.  The "evidence of quills" is really just those nipple-shaped scales which somebody suggested the points may have extended into quills...which is unlikely.  The black and white sketch someone posted earlier doesn't really match with what the specimen shows.  There were no wide crocodilian-style armor plates on the back like that, just the more circular-shaped (nipple) ones surrounded by smaller circular scales.  The belly supposedly has smaller rectangular scales as does the fingers/toes.  To my knowledge no photos have been released of those yet.  My painting on the link John referenced includes all of it.  Here is a link that shows another picture of the imprint of the skin. 

http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/replica-of-rare-triceratops-skin-goes-on-display-in-hill/article_2b66c924-bcce-5c0d-bcbb-806cec3d1209.html

Might also want to talk to David Krentz, who is a member here. He had access to the a Triceratops mummy specimen and was allowed to 3D scan it for the cgi models in Dinosaur Revolution, iirc.

I have reached out to David in the past and never heard back.  I just assumed he was busy. (which he is)  That being said his Triceratops from Dinosaur Revolution showcases the same kinds of scales I was talking about, which would make sense if he had access to he actual specimen.  The part where the Tyrannosaurus pair is attacking it, you can get a pretty good look at those rectangular crocodile-style belly scales.

[loru1588]

2 more repaints are now in Battat's hands along with the 1st 2 pieces of the 2nd Terra Series. 3 more repaint masters to go!

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

2 more repaints are now in Battat's hands along with the 1st 2 pieces of the 2nd Terra Series. 3 more repaint masters to go!

Awesome Dan!

[Daspletodave]

I'd love to see Dan sculpt a Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis and Triceratops prorsus either for the Terra line or MOS line!

[Takama]

I'd love to see Dan sculpt a Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis and Triceratops prorsus either for the Terra line or MOS line!

I think he wants to keep things consistent with one species per Genus. The Terra line has a P.Lakustai

[Sim]

2 more repaints are now in Battat's hands along with the 1st 2 pieces of the 2nd Terra Series. 3 more repaint masters to go!

Sounds good!  Are there parts of making toys/figures/models you enjoy more?

I'd love to see Dan sculpt a Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis and Triceratops prorsus either for the Terra line or MOS line!

I think he wants to keep things consistent with one species per Genus. The Terra line has a P.Lakustai

If the reissues are given the updates they need, I think I'd prefer to see dinosaurs quite different from the ones which are already Battat dinosaurs before any genuses are repeated.

[loru1588]

2 more repaints are now in Battat's hands along with the 1st 2 pieces of the 2nd Terra Series. 3 more repaint masters to go!

Sounds good!  Are there parts of making toys/figures/models you enjoy more?


I pretty much enjoy the entire process: research & chatting with the paleontologists, the actual sculpting and trying to get a realistic lifelike pose, and finally the painting and how it brings them to life.

I'd love to see Dan sculpt a Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis and Triceratops prorsus either for the Terra line or MOS line!

I think he wants to keep things consistent with one species per Genus. The Terra line has a P.Lakustai

If the reissues are given the updates they need, I think I'd prefer to see dinosaurs quite different from the ones which are already Battat dinosaurs before any genuses are repeated.

It's too early to start getting redundant with genus'. As far as updating the existing former MOS line, I will not be doing totally new sculpts but revising my set of resins to established, valid, modern scientifically accurate views.

[Neon-Allo]

Hi Dan, I had a question about the reissue of the MOS reissue. Will only some of the models be released? Because I don't think my mind could take the awesomeness of them all being released at once.Haha! And where will they be released, will they still only be released as Target exclusives? Just asking that for everyone that's not in the U.S.
Thanks!

[DinoLord]

The entire line will be re-released. I think Dan has said previously that the details of where they'll be released aren't exactly worked out yet.

[Neon-Allo]

The entire line will be re-released. I think Dan has said previously that the details of where they'll be released aren't exactly worked out yet.

Ah, thanks! I live in the US, so it isn't that hard to get to a target, I just want to know if it is able to be acquired everyone.