CollectA New Spinosaurus (based on most recent information)

[Roselaar]

Oh wow, that is one awesome new Spinosaur! And there's two more coming this year?! Fabulous!

Collecta truly is the most daring and respectable of the current dinosaur figure companies. If only the rest of them would follow their example...

[Bokisaurus]

Awesome! Truly a surprise to have 3 new spinosaurus! Go CollectA!

[TJ_Terrorsaur]

I can not wait to see the images of the other two! I'm already dying to buy the deluxe one seeing as how Spinosaurus has always had a special place in my heart. I want to preorder one already. This year 2015 I feel is going to be one of the best years for dinosaur collectors. I'm eagerly bouncing from foot to foot for CollectA, Papo, Schleich and everyone else whom I collect from, not to mention all of the Jurassic World merch.
I feel like this year is going to be great!

[triceratops83]

I'm not even into Theropod figures but I want this and am dying to see the other two.

[tanystropheus]

Figures like these really make me wish that I had some decent painting skills...

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Figures like these really make me wish that I had some decent painting skills...

That's why the talented artists in the Art section of the forum are here!

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Oh wow, that is one awesome new Spinosaur! And there's two more coming this year?! Fabulous!

Collecta truly is the most daring and respectable of the current dinosaur figure companies. If only the rest of them would follow their example...

Not sure I would use the terms daring or respectable...the term capitalizing comes to mind however. Have to hand it to them for that part, cashing in on the latest news .to me thats entirely a different concept than daring or respectable.....

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Oh wow, that is one awesome new Spinosaur! And there's two more coming this year?! Fabulous!

Collecta truly is the most daring and respectable of the current dinosaur figure companies. If only the rest of them would follow their example...

Not sure I would use the terms daring or respectable...the term capitalizing comes to mind however. Have to hand it to them for that part, cashing in on the latest news .to me thats entirely a different concept than daring or respectable.....

The daring part would be them trying to sell something that is new and a many still think is odd I suppose.  I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable creating a 1:1 Spinosaurus like this quite yet.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Oh wow, that is one awesome new Spinosaur! And there's two more coming this year?! Fabulous!

Collecta truly is the most daring and respectable of the current dinosaur figure companies. If only the rest of them would follow their example...

Not sure I would use the terms daring or respectable...the term capitalizing comes to mind however. Have to hand it to them for that part, cashing in on the latest news .to me thats entirely a different concept than daring or respectable.....

and thats precisely why it isnt daring....it will sell regardless with all the hype..and if its wrong so what right? Isnt like they havent made other models incorrect....and as long as they make a buck.....


The daring part would be them trying to sell something that is new and a many still think is odd I suppose.  I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable creating a 1:1 Spinosaurus like this quite yet.

[Sim]

Oh wow, that is one awesome new Spinosaur! And there's two more coming this year?! Fabulous!

Collecta truly is the most daring and respectable of the current dinosaur figure companies. If only the rest of them would follow their example...

Not sure I would use the terms daring or respectable...the term capitalizing comes to mind however. Have to hand it to them for that part, cashing in on the latest news .to me thats entirely a different concept than daring or respectable.....

I have similar thoughts to you, amargasaurus...  Respectable isn't what comes to mind when I think of CollectA.  I think they have some decent figures, and their motivations and ethics are better than some of the other companies.  However I dislike a lot of the aesthetic choices in their figures, which sometimes don't seem plausible.  Examples:
-The patches of feathers that stick out on their Therizinosauruses (if there's an animal with feathers like this let me know!).
-The bumps around the eyes and mouth of their Pliosaurus.  I can't think of any reason it would have these yet not having them seems most likely as that makes it more streamlined.
-The sunken pads under the feet of at least some of their sauropods, like their Diplodocus, Argentinosaurus and Ampelosaurus.
-In 2013 releasing a Diplodocus, Daspletosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Diabloceratops and Parasaurolophus all of which had red and white heads!  (Perhaps this is more something I consider a poor aesthetic choice.)
I'm also still very surprised that for their Medusaceratops they just took their Xenoceratops sculpt, tilted its head upwards and altered its horns! Their Nasutoceratops also has the exact same body and limbs as their Xenoceratops, which I would've found more surprising if they hadn't recycled the WHOLE sculpt for the Medusaceratops!
So I don't think CollectA is the most respectable of the current prehistoric animal toy companies, and I don't want other companies to follow CollectA's examples.  Something I definitely don't consider respectable is recycling sculpts for entirely new species.  That said, I'm fine with CollectA going about things the way it is, and I prefer them to some of the other prehistoric animal toy companies.

[stargatedalek]

the patches of feathers, I'm not sure if you mean the crests or just the random clumps, crests are far from rare amongst modern dinosaurs, and I've spent enough time around emus to say with confidence that the seemingly random clumps are possibly just attempts to show movement in the sculpt

[Daspletodave]

Hi Sim! I agree with you totally that Collecta just recycled their Xenoceratops sculpt for their Medusaceratops and Nasutoceratops.
That's why I got the Safari Nasutoceratops instead (and plan on getting the Battat one too).

[Sim]

the patches of feathers, I'm not sure if you mean the crests or just the random clumps, crests are far from rare amongst modern dinosaurs, and I've spent enough time around emus to say with confidence that the seemingly random clumps are possibly just attempts to show movement in the sculpt

I was referring to the raised feathers on the back of the smaller Therizinosaurus and the back and tail of the deluxe Therizinosaurus, not their crests.  I looked at emu pictures on Google images but the only raised feathers I saw were nowhere near the extent on the 2 Therizinosauruses, or on the front of the emu which I'm guessing was due to wind.  Have you seen raised feather clumps like on the 2 Therizinosauruses in extent and location on emus?

[stargatedalek]

the patches of feathers, I'm not sure if you mean the crests or just the random clumps, crests are far from rare amongst modern dinosaurs, and I've spent enough time around emus to say with confidence that the seemingly random clumps are possibly just attempts to show movement in the sculpt

I was referring to the raised feathers on the back of the smaller Therizinosaurus and the back and tail of the deluxe Therizinosaurus, not their crests.  I looked at emu pictures on Google images but the only raised feathers I saw were nowhere near the extent on the 2 Therizinosauruses, or on the front of the emu which I'm guessing was due to wind.  Have you seen raised feather clumps like on the 2 Therizinosauruses in extent and location on emus?

they don't stay that way, but as the bird move the feathers can look like that, actually it goes for any bird (I chose emu as an example from personal experience, but it was hard to find pics of emu moving), in fact I'd even say its more obvious in birds with more complex feathers, but down also illustrates rather well
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/bbimages/aab/images/QOTW-Babybirds2b.png
http://7-themes.com/data_images/out/5/6783876-cute-bird.jpg
http://creativefan.com/files/2010/11/bird-20-500x335.jpg

I attribute those clumps to the sculpt attempting to display movement

[Sim]

Thanks stargatedalek!  Perhaps it is that.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Reading some of the information Thomas Holtz as given on Facebook he has made a rather good case for the scaled up upper humerus in this reconstruction to have used a rebbachisaurus femur or bone of some sort. If this proves correct the massive arms will be proven incorrect which does imply the current reconstruction is badly flawed, so buy cautiously

[suspsy]

I've read some of those comments as well, but they don't constitute a proper refutation of the Sereno/Ibrahim findings. A proper paleontological paper would be necessary.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

eh I think when you have  a growing consensus that is endorsed by Paleontologists like Thomas Holz, that the upper arm is actually a sauropod femur , things start come into focus rather quickly. I am sure it is only a matter of time before a proper paper refuting the latest restoration is given, in the meantime do not be surprised if this view does not hold for long.

[ignite444]

I'm not a fan nor supportive of this new position for the Spinosaurus (without irrefutable proof), but I still might buy this model just because hey, it's a Spinosaurus.

[suspsy]

eh I think when you have  a growing consensus that is endorsed by Paleontologists like Thomas Holz, that the upper arm is actually a sauropod femur , things start come into focus rather quickly. I am sure it is only a matter of time before a proper paper refuting the latest restoration is given, in the meantime do not be surprised if this view does not hold for long.

I hear what you're saying, but again, informal comments on a paleontology Facebook page don't necessarily amount to a growing consensus, let alone a formal refutation. I know Tom Holtz, I'm a big fan of his work, but until he or some other paleontologist conducts a proper study of the fossil material, produces a detailed paper, and gives Sereno and Ibrahim a chance to defend their own work, their rendition of Spinosaurus is safe.