Safari 2020

[Sim]

Thanks @Gothmog the Baryonyx!

I like that for 2020 Safari revealed all the new prehistoric figures at the same time.  I've enjoyed this, unlike the previous times where the figures were being shown a bit at a time.  I found that more frustrating than enjoyable!

[SidB]

A bit like the poor dog that had to get its tail cut multiple times because its owner doesn't get the shortening job done all at once!

[triceratops83]

The Pachycephalosaurus is available from Dejankins.

http://www.dejankins.com/wildsafari

[Concavenator]

The Pachycephalosaurus is available right now through Safari's website.
I'm genuinely surprised that it is more expensive than the Camarasaurus   

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

The Pachycephalosaurus is available right now through Safari's website.
I'm genuinely surprised that it is more expensive than the Camarasaurus 

They always seem to be way inflated in price the first week or two they're available. Give it a little bit and it will come down to a more reasonable price.

[Andreioli]

Safari 2020 figures are starting to land !
Here's some in-hand photos of the Pachycephalosaurus:







Source: https://www.deviantart.com/zoome3/gallery/all

[Shonisaurus]

That pachycephalosaurus of Safari 2020 gives a thousand laps in quality to the pachycephalosaurus of Carnegie and that of Safari of the 90s (you also have to have the context of the time in which these figures were made).

I think it is superior to its counterparts of Battat, Favorite and even to the magnificent pachycephalosaurus of Collecta.

[Loon]

Does anyone know when the next figures will be available?

[triceratops83]

Does anyone know when the next figures will be available?

Dejankins says they will be available in time for Christmas.

http://www.dejankins.com/coming-soon-to-dejankins

[TaranUlas]

Does anyone know when the next figures will be available?

Dejankins says they will be available in time for Christmas.

http://www.dejankins.com/coming-soon-to-dejankins

Hmmmm... so most likely within the next couple of weeks then (Safari usually puts them up first then places like Dejankins and the like get them.)

[Shonisaurus]

And in Europe, when will the 2020 Safari figures be available in online stores?

[Sim]

I noticed something interesting.  The new featherless coelurosaur from Safari (Qianzhousaurus) is from the same formation as a certain species by Battat that was criticised for being a featherless coelurosaur, Nanshiungosaurus!

My interest in the Safari Qianzhousaurus has been increasing and I'm wondering how plausible it being featherless is.  I imagine it's featherless due to the suggestion that tyrannosaurids may have been, at least.  Does anyone know what the climate was like in the Nanxiong Formation?  I'd find it more believable that these animals were featherless if the climate they lived in was warm.

[stargatedalek]

I noticed something interesting.  The new featherless coelurosaur from Safari (Qianzhousaurus) is from the same formation as a certain species by Battat that was criticised for being a featherless coelurosaur, Nanshiungosaurus!

My interest in the Safari Qianzhousaurus has been increasing and I'm wondering how plausible it being featherless is.  I imagine it's featherless due to the suggestion that tyrannosaurids may have been, at least.  Does anyone know what the climate was like in the Nanxiong Formation?  I'd find it more believable that these animals were featherless if the climate they lived in was warm.

Deinocheirus was larger and lived in a tropical wetland, and we know it was feathered. As much as people love to go back to it size just isn't a realistic factor in whether or not an animal was feathered, even in hot climates.

[Halichoeres]

I noticed something interesting.  The new featherless tyrannosaur from Safari (Qianzhousaurus) is from the same formation as a certain species by Battat that was criticised for being featherless, Nanshiungosaurus!

My interest in the Safari Qianzhousaurus has been increasing and I'm wondering how plausible it being featherless is.  I imagine it's featherless due to the suggestion that tyrannosaurids may have been, at least.  Does anyone know what the climate was like in the Nanxiong Formation?  I'd find it more believable that these animals were featherless if the climate they lived in was warm.

The area was at a similar latitude to today, so probably subtropical. A review of the climate as inferred from geochemistry (https://www.clim-past.net/14/287/2018/cp-14-287-2018.pdf) suggests that a warm, humid period (between 27° and 38°C) preceded a cooler (but still hot), arid period beginning around 72 million years ago. It would probably have had larger swings in temperature from night to day (though I can't find precise numerical estimates in the paper I linked to). My understanding is that Nanshiungosaurus was from an earlier part of the formation, and would have experienced hot, wet weather. Qianzhousaurus is, I think, from the subsequent arid period. Desert animals aren't usually naked if they come from hairy ancestors, although ostriches are definitely less feathery than other birds, I guess. Desert nights can be pretty chilly, so insulation is pretty important. BUT all the big mammals and birds in present-day deserts came from ancestors that lived through the Late Cenozoic Ice Ages, so there's possibly a lot of phylogenetic inertia there.

[Concavenator]

I have heard that feathers, in addition to warm animals, do also have the capability to lower their temperature.That would explain why ostriches aren't featherless.

[Sim]

Thanks for the reply, @Halichoeres!


@stargatedalek, we don't know Deinocheirus was feathered, as fused tail vertebrae have been shown to not necessarilly be connected to feathers in Beipiaosaurus.  Additionally, the environment Deinocheirus lived in (the Nemegt Formation) was on the cool side, "10–14°C" as stated here: https://figshare.com/articles/Supplementary_methods_specimen_descriptions_and_palaeoclimate_data_from_Tyrannosauroid_integument_reveals_conflicting_patterns_of_gigantism_and_feather_evolution/5074363

As much as people love to go back to it size just isn't a realistic factor in whether or not an animal was feathered, even in hot climates.

I've only read parts of it so far, but this blog post by Mark Witton seems to suggest size is a factor in whether an animal is feathered or hairy: http://markwitton-com.blogspot.com/2019/10/megafuzz-under-microscope-how-credible.html
Mark Witton even includes a restoration of a nearly featherless Deinocheirus and says the climate it lived in "had a mean annual temperature of between 5-10°C".

[Dinoguy2]

Thanks for the reply, @Halichoeres!


@stargatedalek, we don't know Deinocheirus was feathered, as fused tail vertebrae have been shown to not necessarilly be connected to feathers in Beipiaosaurus.  Additionally, the environment Deinocheirus lived in (the Nemegt Formation) was on the cool side, "10–14°C" as stated here: https://figshare.com/articles/Supplementary_methods_specimen_descriptions_and_palaeoclimate_data_from_Tyrannosauroid_integument_reveals_conflicting_patterns_of_gigantism_and_feather_evolution/5074363

As much as people love to go back to it size just isn't a realistic factor in whether or not an animal was feathered, even in hot climates.

I've only read parts of it so far, but this blog post by Mark Witton seems to suggest size is a factor in whether an animal is feathered or hairy: http://markwitton-com.blogspot.com/2019/10/megafuzz-under-microscope-how-credible.html
Mark Witton even includes a restoration of a nearly featherless Deinocheirus and says the climate it lived in "had a mean annual temperature of between 5-10°C".

I think if Battat's Nanshiungosaurus had come out after this blog post, there'd be a lot less complaining about it. The thermal studies Witton discusses are a lot better than speculation we had before.

I used to be a fairly strong proponent of "lots of feathers at any size, because they can also be sun shades" but Im thinking that's not very supportable for anything larger than "medium" sized pennaraptorans, and the sun shade idea won't work period for non-pennaraptoran dinosaurs. The exception to this would be cold-climate, circum-polar species (which includes Yutyrannus).

I have heard that feathers, in addition to warm animals, do also have the capability to lower their temperature.That would explain why ostriches aren't featherless.

Ostriches DO have reduced feathers. Their feathers are actually pretty sparse, just very broad. But they have featherless necks, legs, hips, and sides (under the wings) and the underside of the "arms" are also featherless. I think you could get away with imagining near-featherless elephant birds too, based on these studies... Featherless deinocherius or big therizinosaurs are probably fine.

[japfeif]

That pachycephalosaurus of Safari 2020 gives a thousand laps in quality to the pachycephalosaurus of Carnegie and that of Safari of the 90s (you also have to have the context of the time in which these figures were made).

I think it is superior to its counterparts of Battat, Favorite and even to the magnificent pachycephalosaurus of Collecta.

Oh yeah, actually the Pachy is probably the figure I'm the most excited about. Not so much for the animal itself or even the quality of this particular sculpt (which is stunning by the way), I'm just SO glad to be able to replace some of the eyesore early Wild Safari figures that are on my shelves that have been so in need of updating. I've been collecting the Wild Safari line since the beginning and some of those slick, textureless, out-of-date (even for the time) figures with the cheap-looking, sloppy paint jobs and extra-wide digits almost make me cringe (in addition to the Pachy, add the Gorgosaurus, Hypacrosaurus, Utahraptor, etc. to that list). I've kept them because I'd rather have the species represented by less-than-desirable figures than by none at all, but I just get really stoked when Safari (and other companies like CollectA & Schleich) come out with upgrades of much needing-to-be-updated figures...almost more actually than when they come out with brand new species...and I get to replaces these old figures. I'm happy with the new Edmontosaurus & Dilophosaurus also, but more so with the Pachy, probably cuz the old Edmonto & Dilopho aren't quite as horrible to look at as the old '97 Pachy!

Now, I'm not so passionate about simply repaints (Papo??), but actual re-tools of the entire sculpt. Since we really have no idea as to the actual colors of the live animal, I've never been that overly concerned about the color choices made by manufacturers, as long as they are somewhat pleasing to the eye and COULD be representative of the actual animal. As a biologist, I'm much more concerned with anatomy, stance, bone structure, skin textures, etc. than color choices. But that's just me.

In any case, PLEASE keep the upgrades coming (as well as new species of course!)

[Halichoeres]

Sarcosuchus is now available at Safari's web site: https://store.safariltd.com/products/sarcosuchua

Also, I found the Pachycephalosaurus in the wild at the Arizona Museum of Natural History in suburban Phoenix:

(Third shelf from the top, you'd better believe I bought one)

[Shonisaurus]

The size of Safari pachycephalosaurus is more than acceptable for a medium size. Good work by Doug and good work by Safari.

By the way, when will the concavenator of Safari 2020 appear marketable? In the Safari page it still does not appear intrigues me a lot. It is the only prehistoric animal of 2020 that does not appear among the new dinosaur figures on the Safari page I repeat again. Could it be that this figure will take a little longer to market as it happened with its allosaurus last year?