Plush Dinosaurs

[Halichoeres]

Yeah, their prototype kind of just looks like a generic dinocaridid. They did say it was a "very rough mockup," so there's a chance they'll adjust the proportions.

[Faelrin]

Just a heads up, but if anyone here was only interested in getting the Peytoia plushie, there is a new promotion to get it/help it reach the stretch goal to get it, that is $3 off, and will be available for only a few days and/or until the stretch goal is met. If the stretch goal is not reached, then funders at that pledge level will get an Isotelus plushie instead. They've also updated the image of the Peytoia plushie. It's less then $2,000 away from hitting it now.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1591542039/isotelus-trilobite-a-new-paleozoic-pal/posts/2506411

They've also since also revealed the Anomalocaris pendant and/or keychain, which is an addon (like the Wiwaxia, and the other keychains and pendant options).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1591542039/isotelus-trilobite-a-new-paleozoic-pal/posts/2502592

Just letting folks know, if they were interested, but haven't been keeping track of the updates.

[CityRaptor]

Those are a bit on the quirky side: Clawzplay Jurassic Park:






According to the description:
Ellie (Triceratops)
John (Brontosaurus)
Alan (Raptor)
Ian (T-Rex)


I also think that idea is not entirely original:
https://www.deviantart.com/mirandajane/art/Jurassic-Park-Gang-332012365

[Killekor]

Those plush toys look really cute! In particular the Triceratops made me laugh a lot, with those blonde hair!

Killekor

[ItsTwentyBelow]

Excited for the Isotelus Paleozoic Pals Kickstarter! I pledged for the trilobite hoodie (cool design) and Cambrian coaster set a couple weeks ago, so it's cool to see the Peytoia stretch goal as a near certainty by now!

However, I am concerned about the final appearance of the Peytoia. That "updated" picture of their prototype appears to be unchanged, and as Halichoeres showed on the previous page with that great reconstruction, the live animal looked quite different. Like, someone at Paleozoic Pals for sure noticed the way the front arms should look on Peytoia, but then just went with Anomalocaris for the rest. Head shape is definitely off. Why, when there are numerous accurate reconstructions of what Peytoia looked like for them to use as inspiration??

I just hope it is still a very ROUGH prototype, because I'll be disappointed if they don't at least make the main trunk of the body look segmented. Just stitch a few lines across there!

[Silvanusaurus]

Those are a bit on the quirky side: Clawzplay Jurassic Park:






According to the description:
Ellie (Triceratops)
John (Brontosaurus)
Alan (Raptor)
Ian (T-Rex)


I also think that idea is not entirely original:
https://www.deviantart.com/mirandajane/art/Jurassic-Park-Gang-332012365

I kind of hate everything about them. 

[Flaffy]

I just hope it is still a very ROUGH prototype, because I'll be disappointed if they don't at least make the main trunk of the body look segmented. Just stitch a few lines across there!

I won't hold my breath on them changing the peytoia much. Knowing from past KS stretch goal plushies, their "very rough" prototypes almost always look the exact same as the final product. (e.g. Helicorprion, Dimetrodon)
Other than the ammonoid KS, it seems that they tend to put in much more effort in the main plushie than the stretch goal ones.

Maybe someone who pledged can ask on Kickstarter why they decided to go with this rather lacklustre reconstruction?

[Faelrin]

I can ask since I am a backer, but is there anything specific I should know about (what is off exactly) that I can suggest for them to fix? From what I can gather from that reconstruction and the fossil itself, it shouldn't have eye stalks, aside from asking about segmentation?

Edit: Aside from providing links to the fossil and reconstruction there as well.

[ItsTwentyBelow]

I'd say the eyes, head shape, and lack of segmentation are the main things that need work.

Let us know their response, thanks.

[Flaffy]

I can ask since I am a backer, but is there anything specific I should know about (what is off exactly) that I can suggest for them to fix? From what I can gather from that reconstruction and the fossil itself, it shouldn't have eye stalks, aside from asking about segmentation?

Edit: Aside from providing links to the fossil and reconstruction there as well.

Thanks for offering to ask 

Main issues for me are:
Overall body shape and proportions, body seems to be too long, and the head is too small.
Position of eyes on the head, should be much further back.
Undefined segmenting and lack of details in general compared to their Isotelus.

[Faelrin]

@Flaffy I took your suggestions, alongside doing further research. This is what I posted on the kickstarter:

So now that the stretch goal for the Peytoia plushie has finally been reached, and I understand that the Peytoia plushie design is not yet finalized/still WIP, could I make some suggestions on it? I'm assuming this is intended to be based on P. nathorsti, which has more complete specimens then P. infercambriensis which seems to only have one incomplete fossil (of the appendage), so that is what I'm going off of. Though I have yet to find any papers describing Peytoia, a quick google search reveals images of some fossilized specimens, and various reconstructions of it (though those seem to still be using Laggania cambria, even though it is no longer a valid name), which I will link below some examples:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Laggania_cambria_01.JPG


https://burgess-shale.rom.on.ca/en/fossil-gallery/view-species.php?id=70&m=4&

Mostly the current plushie's design seems to have a head that is too small (which also correlates with the position of the eyes, which would need to be moved farther back, if the head is made larger), body too long, and seems to lack defined segmentation (in comparison to the trilobite plushies anyways). I'm not entirely sure that Peytoia has eye stalks like Anomalocaris, but it doesn't look like it does in either that reconstruction or the fossil specimens I have been able to find of it online, so assuming it does not, then perhaps they should be omitted.



Though if would be too complicated to fix the proportions at this stage, perhaps it could be modified into Anomalocaris, if not another genus of anomlocaridid, or something similar such as Parapeytoia?


Also I'm a little bit behind with this, but I did receive my new Tully Monster plushie, that was sent to me because of the other one that had its eye stalks come off, so I want to say thank you for that.

Edit: And in case it isn't obvious enough from my response posted above in the quotes, they have since reached the stretch goal for the Peytoia plushie, surpassing $25,000.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1591542039/isotelus-trilobite-a-new-paleozoic-pal/posts/2506497

Another edit: They have responded to my post quoted above, in the comment section of the kickstarter. I intend to respond to them, but I think I should wait for now and see if anyone of you here have further information I should be aware of (I did have trouble finding papers describing P. nathorsti, but maybe I'm just not searching hard enough or in the right places)? Or should I be good to go to thank them for the information provided?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1591542039/isotelus-trilobite-a-new-paleozoic-pal/comments

Another edit (part 2): I do wonder if they got one of the reconstructions they are basing off of from Gould's book Wonderful life? Not something I've gotten around to reading yet though (which happens when I'm buying figures instead of books).

[Flaffy]

Thanks for taking the time to ask about the peytoia!    @Faelrin

Interesting how the PaleozoicPals peytoia looks almost nothing like the inspirations. Most if not all peytoia reconstructions have lateral lobes that extend to the underside of the creature's head, a distinct feature the pushie is clearly missing. Making it resemble an anomalocarid rather than a hurdiid.

Information I've found regarding segmentation in anomalociridids: "They (anomalocaridids) are characterized by a pair of anterior, segmented appendages, a circlet of plates around the mouth, and an elongate segmented trunk lacking true tergites with a pair of flexible lateral lobes per segment."
Their bodies were segmented, but unlike the ones we see on modern arthropods which have sclerites/tergites. 

Source ~ https://www.nature.com/articles/nature09920 (paywall)
           ~ www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/ocrd/223609.pdf (PDF download)

Images of anomalocaridids showing body segmentation:




More info I've found:




Source (some info is a bit dated) ~ http://www.trilobites.info/species3.html

Peytoia head side view made by PaleoEquii:

[Faelrin]

@Flaffy So I responded to them with this:

Thank you for clarifying some things, any corrections (such as about the eye stalks), and information on what inspiration/references you've used to create this plushie, especially since I'm trying to learn more about this genus, as well as taking some of my feedback into consideration. I greatly appreciate it. Thank you for taking the time to respond as well.


On the topic of segmentation, is what I'm seeing in this image of one of the fossils not segmentation then (in regards to the lines across the "body")?  Unfortunately my untrained eyes cannot say for certainly that's what that I'm seeing there (especially without any published materials describing this particular species of Peytoia to check with), which is why it doesn't hurt to ask.


https://burgess-shale.rom.on.ca/en/fossil-gallery/view-species.php?id=70&m=5&&ref=i

[Halichoeres]

However, I am concerned about the final appearance of the Peytoia. That "updated" picture of their prototype appears to be unchanged, and as Halichoeres showed on the previous page with that great reconstruction,

I wouldn't want to take credit for Flaffy's contribution!

[Faelrin]

I forgot to get back to you all about this but they mentioned there will be some stitching on the ventral side at least where there is known segmentation. Even I couldn't really make out any definable segmentation from the dorsal view in images of various fossil specimens (which I know again isn't the most reliable thing without reading a proper peer reviewed description on them), so if they can't either I'm going to take their word for it, since they have more reference material then what google provides me.

Edit: Seems I read that wrong, but the point still stands I guess.

The fossil image you linked to there is a ventral (underbelly) view of the animal. My understanding is that there is segmentation on the underside and/or that the fins extend across the belly (see http://www.trilobites.info/lagcamrecon2.gif). I have been trying to find a dorsal (top) view of the actual fossil but so far have been coming up with nothing, which is probably why many of the more technical reconstructions present the animal from underneath (eg. http://www.trilobites.info/lagcamreconcollins.gif).
Without wanting to make assumptions, my intention is that the pattern on the body of the plush can evoke the idea of possible segmentation without the need for stitching. We will be using stitching to reflect the known anatomy on the underside of the plush.

[Flaffy]

When the pin looks more like the creature it's based on than the actual plush.

[Faelrin]

So there's been an update on why the Peytoia orders have been taking so long to ship.

Also very exciting is that the next kickstarter will focus on Orthoceras and Gorgonops.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1591542039/isotelus-trilobite-a-new-paleozoic-pal/posts/2737446

[Flaffy]

So there's been an update on why the Peytoia orders have been taking so long to ship.

Also very exciting is that the next kickstarter will focus on Orthoceras and Gorgonops.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1591542039/isotelus-trilobite-a-new-paleozoic-pal/posts/2737446

The link brings us to an update that is backer exclusive, unfortunately.

[Halichoeres]

Palaeoplushies is offering a Crystal Palace style plush Megalosaurus for pre-order. A portion of the proceeds will go to Friends of the Crystal Palace.

https://www.palaeoplushies.com/shop/pre-order-megalosaurus-crystal-palace-dinosaurs

[indohyus]

Palaeoplushies is offering a Crystal Palace style plush Megalosaurus for pre-order. A portion of the proceeds will go to Friends of the Crystal Palace.

https://www.palaeoplushies.com/shop/pre-order-megalosaurus-crystal-palace-dinosaurs

Seem to be popular. Good thing too, great cause.