Papo - New for 2015

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I'm still wondering about the external nostril placement on the Apatosaurus. That'll be make-or-break for me. I still can't quite tell from these photos, alas.

When you enlarge the pics it looks like there is a bump or opening between the eyes...but the snout just seems wrinkled. So I'd guess they oped for the top of the head placement.

[RobinGoodfellow]

Both figurines look great, however I'm slightly concerned about their quality. Second photograph tells me that fitting lines (which indicate how the dinosaur has been assembled in the manufacturing process) are visible and that worries me a little. I can also see a random splatter of paint near the head.
Could you please tell if it's the fault of the lightning or is the paint job really worse than on the brown T-rex?

Yes, some fitting lines are visible on Tupuxuara but it is a small model so that's not so relevant.
The paint job on Apato is less accurate than T-Rex.
On my model there is a large dark-brown spot on the head.
I used a still-life light-box and macro lenses to take that pictures.
Every details on figures are amplified; on naked eyes these things are less visible.   

[Patrx]

I'm still wondering about the external nostril placement on the Apatosaurus. That'll be make-or-break for me. I still can't quite tell from these photos, alas.

OMG, really! something that amounts to .00012% of a model's surface area is a deal breaker!!! I bet all the models in your collection are 100% accurate then.

The shift in nostril placement in sauropods is part of a significant change in our understanding of their lives and behaviour, being the final "nail in the coffin" regarding our old amphibious, swamp-dwelling restorations. Additionally, something I like to do in my collection is to seek restorations that are as far-removed as is plausible from the ones I saw as a kid. In science, there's nothing quite so exciting as being proven wrong

Elaborating further, due to the nature of personal taste, I don't see any specific need for internal consistency. It can be difficult to pin down another collector's thought processes, but it generally isn't necessary to do so anyway.

When you enlarge the pics it looks like there is a bump or opening between the eyes...but the snout just seems wrinkled. So I'd guess they oped for the top of the head placement.

I hope this isn't so - but I don't imagine a bit of customization would be too complex. After all, this is based on the Sideshow model, which has been thoroughly vetted over at SV-POW and is regarded as pretty darn accurate.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I think if I do see what I think I see..it won't matter much given the size. It will amount to something the size of a needle head.

[ChrisLikesDinosaurs]

Wow, these are fantastic.

[Shonisaurus]

Certainly not detract from the prototype Papo.

[SpartanSquat]

The Apatosaurus looks fantastic. But the Tupuxuara paint, looks a little bit glossy and shiny. Definatly I will bought them! BTW anybody know when Papo will release Mini Dino Tube 2.

[Concavenator]

Has anyone else gotten the Apatosaurus?

[kreativtek]

Mine should arrive on Monday. I will post some pictures when I get it.

[Mironimus]

Apatosaurus is available at Urzeitshop.

https://www.urzeitshop.de/gb/papo/2419-apatosaurus-dinosaurier-spielzeug-von-papo-3465000550394.html

[reinier zwanink]

JEEH
I just placed my order

Service is usualy very fast there

[kreativtek]

Good news! Apatosaurus and Tupuxuara arrived in the mail today. They turned out to be different than I thought. Surprisingly, I like Tupuxuara more than Apatosaurus, probably because of its incredible sculpture and well-done paint job. The sauropod is noticeably smaller than I had expected (in the photos below you can see how tiny it is when compared to the Brachiosaurus), which rules out the possibility that it's an adult dinosaur. Short legs and thick neck make it a juvenile.

Generally, both figures are good. And that's it, unfortunately. I can see a significant decrease in quality when compared to earlier Papo dinosaurs. While the Tupuxuara is sculpted very nicely, the Apatosaurus could use some more detail. Its skin looks very similar to the latest Schleich models, but not as good as on, say, brown T-rex or even the Brachiosaurus. The inside of its mouth has not been sculpted at all and most skin corrugations look flat and generic.
Also the paint job leaves something to be desired. There's some weird black stroke around the eye and the paint on the body is very simple. Claws sport no finish, they're the same colour as the legs.

As far as anatomy is concerned, it's difficult to judge the Apatosaurus, because it's an a juvenile. Nonetheless, it looks fine except for the head where there is no bump with nostrils.

Let me know if you have any questions.


Tupuxuara









Apatosaurus

[triceratops83]

A pat on the back for that Apatosaurus. It's not a bad size compared to the Brachiosaurus.

[reinier zwanink]

It is smaller then that brachio but it is still far better in my opinion
I have had a brachio in my hands for i believe 3 times now and i never had the wish to buy one
Dont believe its a juvenile
But if that where so than bring on a adult

[Megalosaurus]

I love both of them.
But the Tupu looks glossy.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

The Apato looks great but I do still wish it were larger.

I think you have the juvenile characteristics backwards. Longer legs and a lighter build generally typify younger dinosaurs and some other animals.  Of course the particular species also plays a part.

Can you tell where the nostrils are?

[tanystropheus]

It is smaller then that brachio but it is still far better in my opinion
I have had a brachio in my hands for i believe 3 times now and i never had the wish to buy one
Dont believe its a juvenile
But if that where so than bring on a adult

I have the Brachiosaurus and I absolutely love it. I would imagine that holding one in hand would motivate someone to buying it - the considerable heft and reasonable sculpt quality makes the final product appear rather majestic. It towers over all my Papos and provides a necessary contextual skyline for all my Papo models. The Apato (which seems to have less textured details) seems to be the far superior model, simply based on anatomical details alone. The legs, the tail...a lot of love went into the model. The diplodocid skull is also unmistakable. Pycnofibres or not, the Tupax is perfect. Best Tupax figure ever.

[kreativtek]

The Apato looks great but I do still wish it were larger.

I think you have the juvenile characteristics backwards. Longer legs and a lighter build generally typify younger dinosaurs and some other animals.  Of course the particular species also plays a part.

Can you tell where the nostrils are?

Oops, apparently I got everything wrong. My bad! The nostrils are located in the space above the dinosaur's eyes, I think.



@Megalosaurus, Tupuxuara may look glossy in the photos, but in reality its paint is matte.

[stargatedalek]

Well it seems the apatosaurus will not be joining the carnotaurus as a modern day accurate reconstruction, darn those nostrils. Between that and the very obvious seam lines I won't be picking one up. Tupandactylus (baldness aside) as a close relative of my favorite animal, is a figure I will definitely have to snatch up at some point.

[Concavenator]

Well it seems the apatosaurus will not be joining the carnotaurus as a modern day accurate reconstruction, darn those nostrils. Between that and the very obvious seam lines I won't be picking one up. Tupandactylus (baldness aside) as a close relative of my favorite animal, is a figure I will definitely have to snatch up at some point.

It's a Tupuxuara,not a Tupandactylus.