Safari Ltd Dinosaur 2021

[Kaustav Bhattacharyya]

Safari Ltd. has slipped a few distances far from making scientifically accurate dinosaur models after their 2017 line and the gap has been filled in slowly by Eofauna. I am requesting them not to compromise with scientific accuracy in their "Toys that teach" prehistoric lines. I am requesting for an accurate representation of Utahraptor, Hesperonychus, Dromeosaurus albertensis, walking quadrupedal Spinosaurus aegyptiacus and last but not the least an accurate representation of T.rex based on the latest saurian version from Mr. Watson. 
Non T.rex mega tyrannosaurs are also welcome. Please give lips and dorsal elephant hair like protofeathers to the tyrannosaurs with accurate proportions along with the naso-lachrymal and jugal osteoderms with finely scaled body. 2020 prehistoric versions are really disappointing to me from Safari Ltd. in terms of scientific accuracy and especially theropod figures are becoming blatant disregard of scientific accuracy. Finally, I do believe they will surely overcome their drawbacks and will again conquer over their partially lost glory in making accurate prehistoric figures in future.

[stargatedalek]

The only issues I've had with Safari's theropods recently are the maniraptorans not having fused fingers. Care to elaborate?

[Loon]

The only issues I've had with Safari's theropods recently are the maniraptorans not having fused fingers. Care to elaborate?

I'm thinking this is about the upcoming, featherless Qianzhousaurus. Which, I kinda get; I don't really get why it doesn't have some form of feathering.

[Dinoguy2]

The only issues I've had with Safari's theropods recently are the maniraptorans not having fused fingers. Care to elaborate?

I'm thinking this is about the upcoming, featherless Qianzhousaurus. Which, I kinda get; I don't really get why it doesn't have some form of feathering.

I don't think it's fair to label a figure inaccurate because it's a featherless species within a group where feathering is known to be highly variable. And by group I mean both Tyrannosauroidea and non-pennaraptoran ornithodirans as a whole. A few years ago I would be criticising this decision, but now I'm hoping the uncritical applications of feathers popular in the 2010s gives way to more unusual experimentation and exploitation of possibilities. We know know of at least several instances of major feather reduction or even complete loss within Dinosauria. So... Give me a feathered Camptosaurus, and a mostly bare-skinned Gigantoraptor!

The only reason I can think of for retention of obvious feathers in species that lost them or got too big for them is display, and so far there's no evidence for display feathers outside Pennaraptora - in fact, non-pennaraptoran ornithodirans tend to have a higher incidence of bone displays, implying their feathers were poorly suited for the job.

[Shonisaurus]

I do not understand paleontology but I really like the Qianzhousaurus without feathers, it is much more attractive perhaps because I belong to the "old guard" that I have been accustomed to the prehistoric dinosaurs and animals of Budian.

[alexeratops]

I don't think we should criticize this model for being inaccurate, especially when there's no direct fossil evidence for this species having feathers.
Plus, have you seen their upcoming Deinonychus? It's really wonderful.

[stargatedalek]

While variation is always best, I do have to agree that it's at least less accurate, if not inherent inaccurate, to have no feathers entirely on a Tyrannosauroid.

[Flaffy]

Do you have specific examples of inaccurate Safari figures made after 2017?

[Patrx]

Aye, most of Safari's recent stuff is pretty solid, only a few little quirks and gaffes here and there. Star mentioned the unfused maniraptoran manual digits, and the new featherless tyrannosauroid does seem pretty out there, but overall I find it difficult to complain too substantially about their recent output. Consider, for example, this year's Stegosaurus–more accurately-proportioned than the one by PNSO.

As for a quadrupedal walking Spinosaurus, it seems to me that there are still too many unknowns to bother sculpting that animal in anything but a swimming pose. Maybe that's just me?

[Kaustav Bhattacharyya]

According to your query Flaffy, the most note-worthy drawbacks in the prehistoric figures made after 2017 are:
1) 2018 Ankylosaurus scale pattern and odd coloration
2) 2019 Carnotaurus seems entirely odd looking especially in thick legs, tail length, forelimb length and the citipati feet are immensely large.
3) Odd looking obese allosaurus, neck length  and design does not match with fossils, legs are too thick for an A.fragilis.
4) 2020 Deinonychus odd eye placement and slightly elongated snout whereas I know its having a slightly deep snout and tripod appearance unlike that of 2017 velociraptor, the most accurate dromeosaur figure till date made in plastic.
5) Totally an anatomically inaccurate Sarcosuchus seeming to be a chimera of a Nile crocodile and gharial.

[Flaffy]

According to your query Flaffy, the most note-worthy drawbacks in the prehistoric figures made after 2017 are:
1) 2018 Ankylosaurus scale pattern and odd coloration
2) 2019 Carnotaurus seems entirely odd looking especially in thick legs, tail length, forelimb length and the citipati feet are immensely large.
3) Odd looking obese allosaurus, neck length  and design does not match with fossils, legs are too thick for an A.fragilis.
4) 2020 Deinonychus odd eye placement and slightly elongated snout whereas I know its having a slightly deep snout and tripod appearance unlike that of 2017 velociraptor, the most accurate dromeosaur figure till date made in plastic.
5) Totally an anatomically inaccurate Sarcosuchus seeming to be a chimera of a Nile crocodile and gharial.

1) iirc the ankylo was sculpted before the most recent paper on ankylosaurus's scute placement. So while it is inaccurate now, it was accurate when it was sculpted. Same scenario for the 2020 Edmontosaurus.
"Odd colouration", please present your time machine so that we can see what ankylosaurus's colours really were 
2) and 3); while both figures are waaaaay too chunky for my liking, they technically aren't outside the realm of possibility. Citipati's feet were enlarged for stability concerns, it's either that or a "tripod" stance, you choose.
4) The skull perfectly matches updated reconstructions of the creature. Dunno what "deep skull" you're talking about.
The "tripod" stance was given to make allow the figure's feet not to be oversized for stability (which you have previously pointed out on the Citipati). A relaxed tail is refreshing on a dromaeosaur toy, when most toys depict an active, flailing tail.
It however, is not intended to depict the outdated tripod-tail-draggers of older dinosaur restorations, if it really were one, the entire body's posture would be vertical rather than horizontal as seen on the figure.
I don't see you pointing out that the Dilophosaurus and Coelophysis are both in a "tripod" stance.
5) I personally dont know a lot about crocodylomorphs, but save for the gaping nostrils, the skull shape looks fine on the sarcosuchus.

[EverEvolvingSaurian]

Honestly, i've been pretty ok with safari's more recent releases. Other than a few pretty minor accuracy issues here and there, safari I think i doing fine. What probably bugs me a little bit is that somehow the figures released for 2020 don't seem to have had as much "love" put into them, so to speak. When compared to previous year's releases, this year's figures all seem to be a little less eye catching, have less intriguing colouration and posing, and are overall less charismatic (With a few notable exception's) for some fascinating species. That may just be me however.

[Doug Watson]

The only issues I've had with Safari's theropods recently are the maniraptorans not having fused fingers. Care to elaborate?

Actually could you elaborate on which of my pieces you believe are inaccurate as it pertains to "fused fingers" and what you would have expected to see, any reference would also be appreciated.

[Doug Watson]

1) iirc the ankylo was sculpted before the most recent paper on ankylosaurus's scute placement. So while it is inaccurate now, it was accurate when it was sculpt

Actually if I sculpted the ankylosaurus today under the guidance of Dr Carpenter I would do it the same way since he believes his hypothesis is just as valid as the newer one. And unless I missed a more recent find the latest hypothesis was just that it wasn't based on a specimen found with scutes in situ those authors just came up with a different interpretation based on the same available material.

[Ravonium]

Few things to add here:

1) While I agree that the Qianzhousaurus should have some feathering, I don't think it is any less accurate according to our current understanding of tyrannosaurid feathers than the 2017 Tyrannosaurus.

2) @Doug Watson I think stargatedalek is referring to the fact that the two inner outer fingers on your maniraptorans (Velociraptor, Citipati and Deinonychus) are separate when they should be fused (i.e. only the nails should appear seperate)

3) I personally think the Ankylosaurus paintjob is one of the best recent factory paintjobs, so I'm curious to hear why it's 'odd colouration' (and what colouration would not be considered that).

4)

As for a quadrupedal walking Spinosaurus, it seems to me that there are still too many unknowns to bother sculpting that animal in anything but a swimming pose. Maybe that's just me?

No, it's not just you; in the recent thread about accurate Spinosaurus figures, the whole reason I said Safari's figure was the most likely to hold up should our understanding change in the near future is because it's only avaliable in a clear swimming pose.

[Doug Watson]

Few things to add here:
2) @Doug Watson I think stargatedalek is referring to the fact that the two inner fingers on your maniraptorans (Velociraptor, Citipati and Deinonychus) are separate when they should be fused (i.e. only the nails should appear seperate)

I'll still await her answer but since you mention it, according to what study? I didn't see any mention of the fused digits in the papers I read while researching the figures you list. I may have missed something or I certainly may have missed a study specific to the manus of maniraptorans but I would love to see the study.

[EarthboundEiniosaurus]

@Doug Watson , I think stargatedalek is referring to this paper (link below) on Anchiornis, although the authors point out that the binding of the digits may have been an adaptation for flight (I think that's unlikely, but that's neither here nor there). That's the best I could find after a brief google search, but there may be other sources I'm unaware of.

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14576

[stargatedalek]

The only issues I've had with Safari's theropods recently are the maniraptorans not having fused fingers. Care to elaborate?

Actually could you elaborate on which of my pieces you believe are inaccurate as it pertains to "fused fingers" and what you would have expected to see, any reference would also be appreciated.

Not a problem at all! It's a very minor issue since if the wings are properly done, as yours are, the fingers are hidden from most angles, hence it doesn't get brought up often.

Basically, the two outer fingers should be fused together as one, almost like a fleshy mitten. It's been speculated since the 80s (by a younger David Peters, of all people!) but confirmed recent-ishly by UV scans of, I want to say Microraptor, but that could be wrong. And indeed it was.

The perfect way of illustrating this is actually with a featherless reconstruction. Specifically Deinonychus is the best example here.

[Patrx]

To be clear, this is a matter of the digits being "fused" by external soft-tissue, not on a skeletal level.

[Killekor]

I personally find Mr. Watson's models excellent from almost every point of view, and in particular I think that its sculpts are untouchable from the scientific point of view (at least when they were sculpted). I think that Mr. Watson is one of the best sculptors of this time, and that he's a master in making dinosaur models.

I've not been a fan of the 2018-19 lines just because I didn't find some of them enough amazing from the aesthetic point of view (because of some color schemes); but I don't agree about any criticism on the sculpts, which are all impeccable for me. And in any case I find the 2020 releases just exceptional; in fact if I have the opportunity I'll try to get almost them all.

Killekor