Safari: New for 2017

[Dilopho]

Just the same, and looking the price T-rex looks like he will be big! Also why they didnt reveal the siloutte of Parasaurolophus?

We don't know but a few pages back I managed to get the photo of the model they had on for a few second...

[Daspletodave]

The Parasaurolophus is awful. The original Wild Safari version was better, and there are better Paras out there- Favorite, Battat, even Schleich.
Of all the silhouettes shown the one I find most interesting is the Kronosaurus. Really looking forward to this one - the Carnegie version was terrible and the Schliech one is long retired.

[Manatee]

I've got to agree with you on the Parasaurolophus; maybe my opinion will change once I see an actual picture of it, but in the promo pic it just looks off. Battat is still the best for me.

I'm really excited for just about all the other ones, though! The feathered dinosaurs all look very un-shrinkwrapped, which is really nice to see.

[Patrx]

Of all the silhouettes shown the one I find most interesting is the Kronosaurus.

But it doesn't have a tail fluke.

[tanystropheus]

This year Safari will put the bar very high in terms of prehistoric animals.

...

Moreover in the East Kinto and PNSO, and even Recur companies are as competitive as those already mentioned.

I welcome this toy war, in relation to the production of dinosaurs. We're in the golden age of dinosaur toy worldwide.

When did Recur become a thing?

[tanystropheus]

Really excited for the Einiosaurus! Very unique Ceratopsian that you don't see often in toy form. The pose looks really great too, can't wait for this one!

By the way, here's a list of the sizes of the new figures in centimeters, for people like me who are unfamiliar with inches.

Ah good, thank you for posting the real lengths!

Yeah, inches, feet, miles make no sense to me! I used Google to convert them, so there might be some mistakes. If you see something that might be off, please just say!

I don't think the Psitaccosaurus silhouette has been posted here yet, but it is on Safari's site, so here it is:

Yes, more ceratopsians!
Maybe, Safari will resurrect the Leptoceratops next?

[tanystropheus]

Does anyone know how the Diplo compares size-wise to the previous Diplo?

[John]

Of all the silhouettes shown the one I find most interesting is the Kronosaurus.

But it doesn't have a tail fluke.

I could just be mistaken and seeing things that aren't really there,but in the Kronosaurus's silhouette,the end of the tail seems like it's rounded at the end,similar to the the CGI Rhomaleosaurus in the Youtube 3D video that is linked to in the virtual reality Rhomaleosaurus and Giraffatitan thread.So maybe like that CGI model,the Kronosaurus actually does have a minimal tail fin perhaps?

[Sim]

And (though I can't speak for others) I think lament best describes how I feel about the species choice of Velociraptor.

Why, because as you said it can only fill the role of itself or of species without skull material?  That's basically the case for so many dinosaur species, most of the 2017 Safari dinosaurs are examples of this.

Yes that exactly. We don't have very many decent feathered dromaeosaurs and this is the first to have a properly thick neck, so I would have preferred if it were able to stand in for a larger number of species since that would partially make up for the overall lack of species variety. It's not something that detracts from the piece for me, it's just one less thing that it could have had going for it, if you gather what I mean.

If a good amount of a dinosaur's head is known, I think a very accurate toy of the dinosaur will tend to not be an accurate representation of another species with a good amount of the head known.  Dinosaurs get classified as different species due to differences in their skeletons, and a lot of the time these differences would be visible when the dinosaur was alive.  Especially since different species of dinosaurs, even species within the same genus, tend to have skull differences that would be visible in life.

What other dromaeosaurid species would be able to stand in for a larger number of species then?  It wouldn't be one without a known skull since as you mentioned, a species with a known skull can work for them.  I can't think of any.  I think this Velociraptor can work for some species with quite incompletely known skulls too like Adasaurus and Acheroraptor.

Ignoring the alula since it was sculpted before alula were published in enantiornithes, my only issue with the Velociraptor itself is that the back legs seem a tad "human like" in the way the muscles bulge on the upper leg and then again on the lower rather than a smoother blend behind the knee. But that's more of a preference issue (or at least it was until we finally got to see the hind leg musculature of Psittacosaurus a few weeks ago, but again, that was only very recently published).

I will definitely be getting it, and I'm ridiculously excited for it at that, but if we only ever talked about the parts of things we liked than we'd all be parroting one another constantly.

I'm not so sure about an alula being present in less derived groups than the earliest known occurrence of it.  As mentioned here, it seems unlikely a flightless dromaeosaurid would have an alula: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=4552.msg134492#msg134492

Since Psittacosaurus is so anatomically different from Velociraptor (it's not even a theropod or saurischian), I'm not sure it's a better comparison to Velociraptor than a bird would be.  In fact, there's a specimen of Ornithomimus that preserves a flap of skin that connects the upper thigh to the torso. It's similar to what is found in modern birds, but is positioned higher above the knee in Ornithomimus than in birds.  Maybe this is the best available comparison to Velociraptor.

[Takama]

Everyone is compalining about the new Wild Safari Velociraptor?

May i remind you all that the first one looked like this.



I been asking them to remake this abomination since last year, and your all complaining that its not something different?  Plus YES parasaurolophus is a common species, but The Wild safari line is in dire need of one. since the most common species is out of the way, we can now ask them to make a new Ornithopod species (like a Hypacrosaurus, or a Brachylophosaurus) Also I think it looks exceptional, even better then the Favorite and (Dare I say these blasphemous words?) Battat!!!!

Really the only thing im disappointed with is that the Giga has a base and the other bipeds do not,.  Honestly all this complaining makes me feel sorry for Doug Watson who works hard to make some of these models(which ever ones they may be).     

[Sim]

I think most people who expressed an opinion on the new Wild Safari Velociraptor are happy it was made.  I think the most dissatisfaction in the Velociraptor came from just one person in this thread who found the Velociraptor "quite disappointing", as they put it.

I agree Parasaurolophus is a good choice for the Wild Safari line.  It's a popular dinosaur that's quite well-known.  It would have been odd for Safari to not want one in their line.

[Takama]

I was surprsied to see a new T.Rex that was featherd.  I will not be getting the Gig, but all the other dinosaurs are on my list.

I wanted the Para, because it would be a remake of the one they had in the old days, and i wanted a new Velocirapto because ...well lets just say the old one sucks.

I do hope they remake there Allosaurus and Dilophosaurus in the future as they just look so...Lean compared to all the other models they made.

I am also glade that we gotr everything i want from safari each year. A new Sauropod, A new Ornithopod(which doubles as a remake of an old wild safari model which is another think i like them to do) and more then enough small species then i could ever ask for. All thats missing is a Armourd dinosaur, (but hopefully they will make an Ankylosaurus or Euoplocephalus since there remaking Carnegie models for the Wild Safari line in the future)

[SpartanSquat]

Im a little confuse, Watson made Giga? I hope when Safari release the pics Watson could share the pics of the prototypes.

[suspsy]

Im a little confuse, Watson made Giga? I hope when Safari release the pics Watson could share the pics of the prototypes.

No, I don't think he did. It certainly doesn't look like his style.

[Gwangi]

This year Safari will put the bar very high in terms of prehistoric animals.

...

Moreover in the East Kinto and PNSO, and even Recur companies are as competitive as those already mentioned.

I welcome this toy war, in relation to the production of dinosaurs. We're in the golden age of dinosaur toy worldwide.

When did Recur become a thing?

That's what I was wondering. 

[Gwangi]

If a good amount of a dinosaur's head is known, I think a very accurate toy of the dinosaur will tend to not be an accurate representation of another species with a good amount of the head known.  Dinosaurs get classified as different species due to differences in their skeletons, and a lot of the time these differences would be visible when the dinosaur was alive.  Especially since different species of dinosaurs, even species within the same genus, tend to have skull differences that would be visible in life.

This is my thought process as well. I cannot think of any generic dromaeosaurs that could stand in for multiple genera. And if someone wanted this Velociraptor to be something else there are plenty of people around here skilled in customization. I'm happy that this model represents Velociraptor. Now I will finally have an educational tool that allows me to say "this is what the REAL Velociraptor would have looked like".

[stargatedalek]

If a good amount of a dinosaur's head is known, I think a very accurate toy of the dinosaur will tend to not be an accurate representation of another species with a good amount of the head known.  Dinosaurs get classified as different species due to differences in their skeletons, and a lot of the time these differences would be visible when the dinosaur was alive.  Especially since different species of dinosaurs, even species within the same genus, tend to have skull differences that would be visible in life.

What other dromaeosaurid species would be able to stand in for a larger number of species then?  It wouldn't be one without a known skull since as you mentioned, a species with a known skull can work for them.  I can't think of any.  I think this Velociraptor can work for some species with quite incompletely known skulls too like Adasaurus and Acheroraptor.

I disagree, especially in animals with extensive soft integument skeletal differences that don't effect the general proportions are unlikely to be visible. For example a Deinonychus or Utahraptor could be interchanged with each other, Dakotaraptor, Bambiraptor, Zhenyuanlong, Tianyuraptor, Atrociraptor, or Dromaeosaurus. It wouldn't be a perfect match no, but it would be convincing so long as the feathering was extensive enough to blur proportional differences (the jaws being closed would also go a long way in that regard). That being said I had a great time digging through all the photos of dromaeosaur skulls I could find, and I found quite a few that could pass interchangeably with Velociraptor, so it seems I need to eat my words regardless! And very happily eating them at that.

I'm not so sure about an alula being present in less derived groups than the earliest known occurrence of it.  As mentioned here, it seems unlikely a flightless dromaeosaurid would have an alula: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=4552.msg134492#msg134492

Since Psittacosaurus is so anatomically different from Velociraptor (it's not even a theropod or saurischian), I'm not sure it's a better comparison to Velociraptor than a bird would be.  In fact, there's a specimen of Ornithomimus that preserves a flap of skin that connects the upper thigh to the torso. It's similar to what is found in modern birds, but is positioned higher above the knee in Ornithomimus than in birds.  Maybe this is the best available comparison to Velociraptor.

True probably not a functional alula, but given that dromaeosaurs are so closely related to flying species, potentially even descending from a flying ancestor (or sister taxon to a group that developed flight), it seems reasonable to suggest the possibility of extensive feathering on the outer finger, and at least that the fingers were not ancestrally bald.

Darn did I ever goof that up. I guess I've just had Psittacosaurus at the back of my mind for a while now because I didn't even think of birds!

Looking at the video again, it's not nearly as noticeable as I had remembered. In fact I think what was throwing me off is solely the thicker muscles of the lower leg, the upper leg and knee look great. Comparing to infant birds it's definitely sufficiently bulky, but the bulging muscles in the lower leg still bother me stylistically.

Compare the image in the first post to these baby Caique:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSt_gdjwmvY

[tanystropheus]

Everyone is compalining about the new Wild Safari Velociraptor?

May i remind you all that the first one looked like this.



I been asking them to remake this abomination since last year, and your all complaining that its not something different?  Plus YES parasaurolophus is a common species, but The Wild safari line is in dire need of one. since the most common species is out of the way, we can now ask them to make a new Ornithopod species (like a Hypacrosaurus, or a Brachylophosaurus) Also I think it looks exceptional, even better then the Favorite and (Dare I say these blasphemous words?) Battat!!!!

Really the only thing im disappointed with is that the Giga has a base and the other bipeds do not,.  Honestly all this complaining makes me feel sorry for Doug Watson who works hard to make some of these models(which ever ones they may be).   

Even though it is an 'abomination', it is aesthetically pleasing (despite the shrink-wrapping), distinctive and has one of the best dynamic poses ever for a dinosaur toy.

Maybe, the Giga really needs the base. The last Giga skipped leg day.

P.S. I thought you were a huge fan of bases? (e.g. CollectA). Why the change of heart?

[SBell]

This year Safari will put the bar very high in terms of prehistoric animals.

...

Moreover in the East Kinto and PNSO, and even Recur companies are as competitive as those already mentioned.

I welcome this toy war, in relation to the production of dinosaurs. We're in the golden age of dinosaur toy worldwide.

When did Recur become a thing?

That's what I was wondering. 

Given their price points and limited distribution, I don't think they have reached 'equal' status worldwide yet. Not judging or stating anything one way or the other on the figures themselves for the record.

Im a little confuse, Watson made Giga? I hope when Safari release the pics Watson could share the pics of the prototypes.

No, I don't think he did. It certainly doesn't look like his style.

I think Doug himself said that he didn't do all of the sculpts. 13 figures in one season (more or less) would be asking a lot of one man!

[Gwangi]

I'm personally not a fan of Recur's products but I'll leave that for another thread.

Since we're talking about the old Safari Velociraptor, I think it's a fine model. It's very well sculpted, the problem is that it was released in 2007 (I think), not 1997.