The best figure of every species, according to Halichoeres

[Halichoeres]

Thanks, everyone!

@Kapitaenosaurus I agree that an intact lungfish would probably not be this floppy, but given the state it's in, it could have had its back broken. I think under that circumstance it could look like overcooked pasta.

And now, some more Paleozoic metazoans, another batch from Schmalkalder. Since the last update, I learned that these were engraved by a certain Dr. Horst Neumeister. I wasn't able to find very much about him online, but I did find that he authored a book titled Bilder vom erdgeschichtlichen Werden unserer Heimat ("Pictures of the geological history of our home") in 1955, presumably concerning the Earth history of Germany. I haven't seen it yet, but I ordered a copy. I'm curious to see if any of these figures correspond to images in the book. And while I'm still not sure when these engravings were first produced, the book's publication date is a clue. These figures are getting some deserved attention, with the new issue of PT (arrived last week) featuring a blurb about them by @DC.


Archaeocyathus
Scale: 1:3
Middle Cambrian
The type genus for the Archaeocyatha, this sessile organism may be related to sponges, although I don't think there is a consensus on that. At any rate, one of the earliest metazoan lineages, and an important part of Cambrian benthic faunas.


This enormous trilobite is actually in the same scale.


Orthoceras
Scale: maybe 1:10?
Schmalkalder assigns this to the Zechstein, a rock unit of the Permian period. Back when almost any conical shell was being assigned to Orthoceras proper, something from this rock unit might have landed there, but currently Orthoceras is regarded as a strictly Ordovician genus. I found a passing reference to a taxon called "Orthoceras permiana," but on further research it proved to be a foraminiferan (since renamed, I think, although ICZN jurisdiction doesn't extend to rhizarians). This figure works pretty well as a general purpose orthocerid, and although the real animal probably had ten arms rather than eight, it's a perfectly reasonable interpretation for mid-20th century.


With Stethacanthus.


coral reef ("Korallinriff" per Schmalkalder, nothing more specific)
This is included in the Silurian section of Schmalkalder's Paleozoic set. I'm not totally sure what particular reef-builders it's supposed to represent, maybe rugose corals? I think I spy a crinoid or three. It's an interesting thing to include, although it might have worked better at a larger size so it could serve as a backdrop to the rest of the Paleozoic figures.


The other side is not identical; there's a lot of detail worked into these!


Paradoxides
Scale: 1:25 - 1:30
Middle Cambrian
I don't think I'm aware of any other trilobites at this tiny scale. Since I tend to organize my shelves by scale, this puts a trilobite on a shelf that wouldn't otherwise have one, so that's pretty cool. This is also probably the one that is least obviously a flat figure.


See what I mean about the reef figure's size?


Illaenus
Scale: 1:4 - 1:5
Ordovician to Silurian
In contrast to the Paradoxides, this one is very obviously a flat figure. It strikes me as very odd to portray a trilobite in profile, almost like trying to do a mud-level view of a halibut. But for all that, it isn't a bad figure at all.


Illaenus would like a very quick resolution to the debate over whether Anomalocaris could feed on trilobites.

With all these Paleozoic animals, only one overlaps with the new Life... game, in a demonstration of how much untapped potential there is in the Paleozoic, and among invertebrates more generally.

[Shonisaurus]

My congratulations for your photos and figures. Nice explanation about the invertebrates, by the way Favorite's anomalocaris is an essential figure for me for my invertebrate collection and with the size that is acceptable, taking into account that invertebrates are normally assigned very poor sizes.

By the way Halichoeres What do you think is the best anomalocaris that exists today in the toy market?

[Faelrin]

These little Paleozoic figures are a very curious find. I wonder what the complete scene would look like if all displayed together. Congrats on obtaining them.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Those vaguely remind me of the 2D plastic trees i had growing up. A very unusual medium too. And so tiny.

[Halichoeres]

Thanks, all!

By the way Halichoeres What do you think is the best anomalocaris that exists today in the toy market?

I think B @bmathison1972 is probably better qualified to judge that than I am, but I think the most accurate might be the original 2001 Kaiyodo figure. My personal favorite is the 2015 Kaiyodo Leaps in Evolution version, however, due to a combination of the intricate paint job and the display stand.

These little Paleozoic figures are a very curious find. I wonder what the complete scene would look like if all displayed together. Congrats on obtaining them.

Not the most artful photo, but this is all the Paleozoic aquatics. There's also an Eryops and Edaphosaurus, and a bunch of plants that I'll show in a future post.

Those vaguely remind me of the 2D plastic trees i had growing up. A very unusual medium too. And so tiny.

Yeah, I've seen some of those although I don't think I had any. They have some advantages, in that they don't occupy a lot of shelf space, and if you can elevate them a bit they work as the backmost layer of a shelf display. For some, I like how tiny they are, but the reef in particular I really wish were larger.

[Bokisaurus]

Those metal ones are cool, there really is a charm to the set especially when seen all together 😃

[Kapitaenosavrvs]

Nice shot. I never heard of them before you were talking about them here in the Forum. Impressive Details and i'm glad, the whole process of getting them to you went this good. Its always nice to see something special sometimes.

[bmathison1972]

Thanks, all!

By the way Halichoeres What do you think is the best anomalocaris that exists today in the toy market?

I think B @bmathison1972 is probably better qualified to judge that than I am, but I think the most accurate might be the original 2001 Kaiyodo figure. My personal favorite is the 2015 Kaiyodo Leaps in Evolution version, however, due to a combination of the intricate paint job and the display stand.

I would have to check notes when I got home, but yes I think the 2001 Dinotales figure is the best in terms of sclerite and appendage counts (although I don't remember off-hand if it has a head sclerite, and I am not home to check). The 2020 Takara figure is fairly accurate but is lacking some side flaps.

[Halichoeres]

Thanks, everyone!

Today, ornithischians of the Cretaceous!


Creative Beast Wendiceratops pinhornensis
Scale: 1:18
Sculptor: David Silva with Jake Baardse, Simon Panek, and Raul Ramos
Released: 2021
Campanian of North America
A pretty fragmentary ceratopsian, but with some interesting frill decoration. This is one of my favorite color schemes from this series, although the forefeet don't really match.


Creative Beast Avaceratops lammersi
Scale: 1:16
Sculptor: David Silva with Simon Panek and Raul Ramos
Released: 2021
Campanian of North America
One of the smaller ceratopsids, so it works well for me at this scale. Many of these are larger than I'd prefer in an ideal world, so I really only bought ones that represented genera I didn't have, or were significant improvements on versions I already had. This is in the former category.


Creative Beast Centrosaurus apertus
Scale: 1:14
Sculptor: David Silva
Released: 2021
Campanian of North America
Definitely the largest ceratopsian in my collection. The horn on mine is just a bit off center, you could say it 'dresses right.' It's really strange to me that there aren't more versions of this genus (barring Monoclonius, naturally). This replaces the Inyector version from all the way back in 1993, the only dinosaur figure whose package I never opened.


Creative Beast Kosmoceratops richardsoni
Scale: 1:16
Sculptor: David Silva with Simon Panek and Raul Ramos
Released: 2021
Campanian of North America
If Darth Maul were a dinosaur. It works, though. One of the few that I ordered to replace an existing figure, in this case the old CollectA Kosmoceratops.


Creative Beast Spiclypeus shipporum
Scale: 1:15
Sculptor: David Silva with Simon Panek and Raul Ramos
Released: 2021
Campanian of North America
I hear a lot of complaints about the paint schemes, but honestly I like most of them quite a lot. This is a damned good-looking action figure.


Imperial Struthiosaurus
Scale: 1:15
Released: 1996 or possibly earlier
Campanian - Maastrichtian of Eurasia
After feasting your eyes on the foregoing, this one might be the visual equivalent of an emetic. Unlike the club-tailed Learning Resources version, this Struthiosaurus seems a little more explicitly intended as such. Of course, it's still absolute trash. After briefly dipping to 1, the size of my Imperial collection rises to 3.

And now for a couple of group shots. I'll try to accommodate requests for other comparisons, but of course I don't have everything.


The ones that are close to 1:18.


The ones that are not. Deinonychus tries to blend in.


Can't stress enough what a behemoth that Centrosaurus is.

[CityRaptor]

That sudden and unexpected drop in quality makes me laugh. First those beautiful BotM Ceratopsians...and then this thing!

[ceratopsian]

Wendiceratops looks like she stepped into a mud patch with her front feet!

I'm looking forward to Everything Dinosaur delivering my Wave 2 very much - but I must check what I actually ordered, it's so long ago now that I've forgotten!

[Leyster]

Impressive photos and great descriptions, as always.

The Wendiceratops feet are in fact a bit strange, and I didn't expect you to buy the Centrosaurus, I tought you would have been satisfied with the "Monoclonius" (which is probably synonimous, anyway)

[Halichoeres]

That sudden and unexpected drop in quality makes me laugh. First those beautiful BotM Ceratopsians...and then this thing!

I like to keep people on their toes! Glad you found some amusement in it

Wendiceratops looks like she stepped into a mud patch with her front feet!

I'm looking forward to Everything Dinosaur delivering my Wave 2 very much - but I must check what I actually ordered, it's so long ago now that I've forgotten!

Looking forward to seeing your photos! I agree, looks a bit like she stomped in a puddle, over parental objections. If I can match the paint, maybe I could make the cutoff look a bit less severe.

Impressive photos and great descriptions, as always.

The Wendiceratops feet are in fact a bit strange, and I didn't expect you to buy the Centrosaurus, I tought you would have been satisfied with the "Monoclonius" (which is probably synonimous, anyway)

Thanks! You're right, lot of Monoclonius species have been absorbed into Centrosaurus, and I believe the type species is now regarded as a nomen dubium. But there are so many specimens exhibiting so much variation from enough localities that it wouldn't surprise me if Monoclonius were eventually resurrected as a valid genus. In any event, I tend to tolerate nomina dubia and potential ontogenetic synonyms in my collection for the sake of illustrating known morphological variation; for example, I still have a Dracorex and even a very ugly Nanotyrannus.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Its so nice to see these. They are lovely congrats on your recent acquisitions.
I haven't pre ordered any of this batch but have been looking at the Avaceratops and maybe the Wendiceratops. It is nice to see them in hand before I take the plunge. I don't know when Everything Dinosaur will get them in anyway. I think the Wendiceratops is probably just too big, unless I can at least get some more things sold first.
Also what an err interesting Struthiosaurus, looks like those old gaping mouth ones.

[Eocarcharia]

Great stuff (for the most part). I got whiplash from that Struthiosaurus.

The Deinonychus did a good job, I didn't notice until you mentioned it.

Can't stress enough what a behemoth that Centrosaurus is.

Yeah, I just got the Pachyrhinosaurus in yesterday and was immediately struck by just how gargantuan it was. I am both excited and terrifyed for the Wave 3 Ceratopsians and Tyrannosaurs.

[Faelrin]

I'm a bit late to this but congrats on all your acquisitions here, including the hilarious out of place screamer. Also thanks for that comparison pic of all those little marine Paleozoic figures. Some of those super tiny from the looks of it.

[Shonisaurus]

@Halichoeres Where did you get that kosmoceratops is one of the dinosaurs that I have in mind to buy before July 1 along with the wendiceratops to avoid being burned with tariff taxes to which we belong to the EU when buying non-EU products. When will the kosmoceratops and wendiceratops be available in everythingdinosaur? The same can be said of avaceratops, wendiceratops, spiclypeus and centrosaurus all unpublished figures in my collection if I bought them with the exception of the kosmoceratops.

Regarding the quality drop, it is true that the sizes are smaller and that the paint colors are somewhat garish but honestly they seem to me to be top quality figures from a number one quality company like BoTM. Honestly, they seem to me to be very beautiful figures in my ignorance as a buyer and consumer of dinosaurs.

[Halichoeres]

Thanks, everyone! I see a consensus emerging that the Struthiosaurus is the finest figure in my collection.

@Shonisaurus I pledged for the Kickstarter, so I got mine from Creative Beast more or less directly. I think your best bet will be Everything Dinosaur, who should have some stock of these in a couple of weeks. I understand they've made arrangements to build in customs fees so that there won't be any nasty surprises for European buyers.

[BlueKrono]

Hey, I've got that Struthiosaurus, but in pink! 😱

[Shonisaurus]

Halichoeres you just gave me the joy of the century. I want to avoid the fearsome customs duties and I will surely buy together only that figure of kosmoceratops from BoTM since unfortunately I am still paying my father's debts, today I have paid quite a lot and I need to save for now.