CollectA-New for 2015

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

Some very nice additions. I got these as an email from Esther from CollectA. Not quite sure how that happened as I never gave them my e-mail address.

[Daspletodave]

To me both ceratopsians look like they've just taken the Xenoceratops, slightly repositioned the legs, and stuck on a new head.

[ItsTwentyBelow]

Looking back at them both, I think you are right actually. It looks like they added texturing to the Nasutoceratops to make it look different, too. Not sure how to feel about this, because while it is neat to be getting multiple new ceratopsians this year from them, the quality apparently seems to be affected a bit. Not to say the Xenoceratops sculpt is awful, just that I would prefer each figure to be an original sculpt like Safari or Battat. I would at least hope they fix the feet a bit as they're off on the Xeno.

Papo has done this as well, essentially using the same Pachyrhinosaurus sculpt with a different head and a few added details for their Styracosaurus. I have held it in my hands but never bought that Styracosaurus, mostly because of that, I think. It's a turnoff.

[leidy]

It could just be the camera angle, but I'm pretty sure they got the pliosaur head wrong.  Which would be a shame, because there's some nice touches to the figure. 

The standout so far is the Medusaceratops.  Seems the most alive.  Nasutoceratops is overshadowed by the Wild Safari version.  They should give psitaccosaur back spines a rest.  It's not necessary to put them on every ceratopsian.

Daxiatitan is alright, but a bit clumsy looking in the legs. 

[suspsy]

It could just be the camera angle, but I'm pretty sure they got the pliosaur head wrong.  Which would be a shame, because there's some nice touches to the figure.

How do you figure it's wrong?

[tanystropheus]

Some very nice additions. I got these as an email from Esther from CollectA. Not quite sure how that happened as I never gave them my e-mail address.

tipsy majick?

[tanystropheus]

To me both ceratopsians look like they've just taken the Xenoceratops, slightly repositioned the legs, and stuck on a new head.

Well, it sure is convenient when real-life ceratopsians share the general body plan 

[tanystropheus]

The standout so far is the Medusaceratops.  Seems the most alive.  Nasutoceratops is overshadowed by the Wild Safari version.  They should give psitaccosaur back spines a rest.  It's not necessary to put them on every ceratopsian.

Daxiatitan is alright, but a bit clumsy looking in the legs.

I agree. I think the Medusaceratops is the winner of the bunch. The neck only appears outstretched due to the posture (remember, the Papo, X-plus and Favorite Styracosaurus had seemingly long necks). The Nasutoceratops is playing it safe, and the neck is..imo...too short.

[Bokisaurus]

To me both ceratopsians look like they've just taken the Xenoceratops, slightly repositioned the legs, and stuck on a new head.

Well, ceratopsians have the same body plan, just the head and size is what set most of the species apart. Take off the head and just look at the body, you would think it was from the same animal
There is not much you can do with body other than change the posture, which in these two models are different.
The same can be said about the Safari ceratopsians, body is the same appearance, just different head.

[amanda]

I think Safari's sculpters may disagree. There are slight proportional differences in ceratopsian bodies, including the tails. The Medusaceratops' frill does not look at all like I expected. I will have to look for a good skull pic, but the frill ornametation does not look right, and it's a turn off. A deal breaker if you will. I have both the Papo Pachyrhino and Styraco. They are not they same body. They are similar. But the Pachy has a more straight lined back, where the Styraco is hunched and round. It just isn't reversed, as some insist on saying.

Here is what I was looking for in Medusa:









I just do not feel CollectA's frill suffices...

[tanystropheus]

The CollectA Medusaceratops is undeniably a Medusaceratops. It has all the key features. Unfortunately, the frills (namely, exhibit A and exhibit B) are not as pronounced as they should be. This was also an issue with CollectA's Kosmoceratops; the ornamentation should appear more visibly striking.

[ItsTwentyBelow]

They are the same body. The fact that they added some material to the Pachy sculpt in the form of spikes along the spine, which incidentally gave it a "rounder" look, does not change the fact that from the neck down it is identical, except the position of the tail. Limbs are identical. Even the wrinkles on the two match up.

I will be glad to see the 1:40 T. rex. Anyone know when we'll hear? Would be neat if the Temnodontosaurus has an added detail like the Pliosaurus w/ parasites.

[amanda]

They are the same body. The fact that they added some material to the Pachy sculpt in the form of spikes along the spine, which incidentally gave it a "rounder" look, does not change the fact that from the neck down it is identical, except the position of the tail. Limbs are identical. Even the wrinkles on the two match up.

I will be glad to see the 1:40 T. rex. Anyone know when we'll hear? Would be neat if the Temnodontosaurus has an added detail like the Pliosaurus w/ parasites.

I can observe the bodies from the top, they are not even the same length. The Styraco is shorter. The body is plumper and rounder. It is like saying the Dilopho and allo are the same. They are not. Never the less, since I am happy with my purchases, I will just leave it. Tanystropheous, that is what I mean about the frill. It just not feel striking enough. Not "wrong", just sort of...meh.

[Yutyrannus]

Honestly, I'm quite disappointed, I think that they could've done a much better job. The Pliosaurus is the only one of these that I really like, hopefully the other  figures that haven't been revealed yet are as good as that one . I'm particularly interested in seeing the feathered Tyrannosaurus and the Moropus.

[Arul]

Is ceratopsian really have a hairy back ?

[stargatedalek]

its possible (even somewhat likely) that ceratopsians had quills in some capacity
how they are positioned however is entirely speculative

[amanda]

Psittacosaurus certainly seems to have had them. And apparently there is some evidence that **something** was up with Triceratops, but I see lively debate on just what. How does this translate into Likely for all ceratopsians? It is CollectA's way of staying ahead in the speculation game. And to present the things as imagined on Trikes is just not possible as a toy, so this little back mowhawk is used to represent that as a default. Started getting real popular on those little Japanese toys, and now CollectA is taking up the flag. I would not expect to see Carnegie, Safari or Battat following suit any time soon... But joking aside, it seems the critters were even more bizarre than we think. Kind of a recurring trnd these days.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

My reply on the same question from the sideshow thread....same issue, different thread.   

'"      aha I heard the bell that announced my turn to chip in here...someone said Psittacosaurus ! I am going to elaborate a bit on both Gwangis and Tyranntqueens comment just a tad ...........We have quills for Tianyulong...a species of heterodontosaurid ornithischian dinosaur, that might be a prime suspect as one of the species that was primary to the onset of the ceratopsian family. Sadly the science just is not there to firmly establish this fact , we need more fossils that help bridge the gap and help us understand at what point the family jumped from heterodontosaurid to ceratopsian.Moving along the ceratopsian family tree we enouncter psittacosaurus with its one quilled specimen. It is possible perhaps even likely all psittacosaurus might have had quills as shown by this fossil. However and this is some of the hard fact missing from both Tyranntqueen and Gwangi's comments that needs pointing out. Psittacosaurus had evolved out the fenestrae between the eye orbit and nasal entirely. However more derived ceratopsians like Triceratops and Styracosaurus would retain this feature. Continuing , psittacosaurus had only four digits on manus and feet...whereas more derived ceratopsians retained the basal state of five. Since it would seem unlikely although not impossible that psitacosaurus evolved away from these traits and would not then  subsequently re-invent them, that psittacosaurs was an evolutionary dead end that went precisely nowhere in the ceratopsian family tree and was no more than a distant cousin to more derived species. The only further justification one might have for adding quills to Triceratops might be the specimen known as Lane..which had scale impressions with raised centers, that some speculate might have been quills, however it would seem very unlikely given the shape and design, and even then, it is at best speculation with no solid proof for such an idea."

[amanda]

[Saurian]

daxiatitan neck normal, look for reconstruction, xionguanlong too similar to bistahieversor. I can not wait t rex with feathers , maybe we will never know for sure have feathers or not, so I want to have in the collection  feathered ti rex  , it may be surprising. My favorite nasutoceratops and daxiatitan