PNSO—New for 2020

[suspsy]

Essien the Spinosaurus has free shipping on Amazon!

Could you give a link to the listing please?

I second that.

[RaptorRex]

Essien the Spinosaurus has free shipping on Amazon!

Could you give a link to the listing please?

I second that.

When I go to the Amazon page it defaults to the listing sold through PNSO's storefront with the $8.99 shipping but I have the option to select it to be ship from Amazon with Prime shipping:

[Bread]

Essien the Spinosaurus has free shipping on Amazon!

Could you give a link to the listing please?

I second that.

When I go to the Amazon page it defaults to the listing sold through PNSO's storefront with the $8.99 shipping but I have the option to select it to be ship from Amazon with Prime shipping:

I checked it out, and yeah it won't be available until March 2021. So no, Essien the Spinosaurus is technically not available for prime yet.

[Halichoeres]

Could anyone who has Gavin do me a favor? Trying to figure out the actual scale of this figure. DinoScream reckons it's a little over 1:30 based on a length measurement. My problem is that the back half of the fossil is missing so a length estimate isn't the best way to go for figuring out scale. The skull is 40cm long. Based on that I figured the CollectA figure is around 1:30, specifically 1:28 (it has a 1.4 cm skull). Now obviously the PNSO Borealopelta is far larger than the CollectA. So I wonder what it's scale would be if measuring skull length alone. What's the skull length of Gavin?

Head size is about 20 mm. So assuming a 40 cm skull that would put Gavin at about 1:20th scale.

Interesting, seems like CollectA made the head too big, I got a scale of 1:40-1:45 for their figure based on the span between the parascapular spines.

[Leyster]

planked posture

Sorry, why are you criticizing the posture?

[Remko]

Could anyone who has Gavin do me a favor? Trying to figure out the actual scale of this figure. DinoScream reckons it's a little over 1:30 based on a length measurement. My problem is that the back half of the fossil is missing so a length estimate isn't the best way to go for figuring out scale. The skull is 40cm long. Based on that I figured the CollectA figure is around 1:30, specifically 1:28 (it has a 1.4 cm skull). Now obviously the PNSO Borealopelta is far larger than the CollectA. So I wonder what it's scale would be if measuring skull length alone. What's the skull length of Gavin?

Head size is about 20 mm. So assuming a 40 cm skull that would put Gavin at about 1:20th scale.

Interesting, seems like CollectA made the head too big, I got a scale of 1:40-1:45 for their figure based on the span between the parascapular spines.

That's not really strange. CollectA figures are toys, intended for a different market. They need to look good first and be scientifically accurate second.
PNSO is aimed more towards the adult collector market, and therefore try to make being scientifically accurate a higher priority.

[Dinoxels]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCGI_ho19BM
Just posted my review on the PNSO Atopodentatus! Feel free to watch it.

[stargatedalek]

planked posture

Sorry, why are you criticizing the posture?

The planked fully leaning over forwards posture we see in theropod reconstructions was popularized in the 1990's by depictions designed to make dinosaurs look hyperactive, as if they were constantly stalking or chasing prey. In reality this would not have been a comfortable posture for the animal, as theropods are built to balance while standing somewhat upright.

[bmathison1972]

planked posture

Sorry, why are you criticizing the posture?

The planked fully leaning over forwards posture we see in theropod reconstructions was popularized in the 1990's by depictions designed to make dinosaurs look hyperactive, as if they were constantly stalking or chasing prey. In reality this would not have been a comfortable posture for the animal, as theropods are built to balance while standing somewhat upright.

Not constantly, but at some point they DO have to hunt and chase prey. This is a dynamic figure, nothing wrong with its posture. There is no single posture a theropod holds constantly over 24 hours in a day. Consider it capturing one moment in time.

[Sim]

The planked fully leaning over forwards posture we see in theropod reconstructions was popularized in the 1990's by depictions designed to make dinosaurs look hyperactive, as if they were constantly stalking or chasing prey. In reality this would not have been a comfortable posture for the animal, as theropods are built to balance while standing somewhat upright.

In addition to what B @bmathison1972 said, this isn't known to be true @stargatedalek.  See my post here for more info: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=383.msg110983#msg110983

[stargatedalek]

planked posture

Sorry, why are you criticizing the posture?

The planked fully leaning over forwards posture we see in theropod reconstructions was popularized in the 1990's by depictions designed to make dinosaurs look hyperactive, as if they were constantly stalking or chasing prey. In reality this would not have been a comfortable posture for the animal, as theropods are built to balance while standing somewhat upright.

Not constantly, but at some point they DO have to hunt and chase prey. This is a dynamic figure, nothing wrong with its posture. There is no single posture a theropod holds constantly over 24 hours in a day. Consider it capturing one moment in time.

While this is true, that most reconstructions are done in this leaning forwards pose furthers the idea that this is the animals natural posture. It's like if all depictions of humans were of us holding a bow, yes it's a pose we can do, but not particularly often and it doesn't represent our traditional range of movement let alone a comfortable position. It's about how frequent the pose is so as to actively misrepresent the animal, not it being impossible or even implausible.

The planked fully leaning over forwards posture we see in theropod reconstructions was popularized in the 1990's by depictions designed to make dinosaurs look hyperactive, as if they were constantly stalking or chasing prey. In reality this would not have been a comfortable posture for the animal, as theropods are built to balance while standing somewhat upright.

In addition to what B @bmathison1972 said, this isn't known to be true @stargatedalek.  See my post here for more info: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=383.msg110983#msg110983

Could =/= did. Humans balance better while crouching, but again that's also not our natural posture. Just because a theropod could balance while stretched out horizontally based on the mass of its tail doesn't mean that was the animals posture. Ever since we first started to depict theropods as free standing animals it was clear from the shape of the legs and hips that the animals held themselves in a diagonal posture, or at the very least that this was their ancestral state.

Cassowary at rest typically hold themselves slightly more upright than that skeletal shows, leaning over while moving because they constantly scan the forest floor for food. This is also the case for the other large ratites, which all feed in the same manner.

An upright leaning posture is the default, and animals that hold themselves in other poses are going to display specific adaptations to enable this. Ratites have their long necks for reaching close to the ground, but Tyrannosaurus shows no such connection to suggest it would have deviated from the comfortable posture. If anything we have evidence of the opposite, that Tyrannosaurus would have actively benefited from every bit of height it could get. Tyrannosaurus had binocular vision and relied heavily on eyesight in hunting, birds with binocular vision often show adaptation to maximize any height they can, cranes and falcons in particular hold themselves more upright than their immediate relatives and often have longer necks.

[Sim]

I was going to write a response, but I see it's not worth the time if you compare the horizontal theropod posture to a human holding a bow.  I'll just say I disagree, stargatedalek.

[Flaffy]

This discussion about poses is certainly a weird one.

Are we now advocating for every dinosaur figure being stuck in a boring, static, neutral standing pose? And any deviation from this will be considered an area of criticism, even if the actual animal could display such a position?

[stargatedalek]

I was going to write a response, but I see it's not worth the time if you compare the horizontal theropod posture to a human holding a bow.  I'll just say I disagree, stargatedalek.

You really gave up reading there? I was talking about the lack of variety in figures and deliberately chose a strange comparison to be extra clear I wasn't trying to compare the pose itself anatomically. I was going to say crouching, but then mentioned that later so I went back and chose an arbitrary pose for this example.

Are we now advocating for every dinosaur figure being stuck in a boring, static, neutral standing pose? And any deviation from this will be considered an area of criticism, even if the actual animal could display such a position?

When I complain about the pose it's not from the sense that I think all figures need to depict calm static postures. Rather that this particular pose is based not on science in the first place but entirely on artistic choice, and that it's overabundance continues to further cement this posture as if it was something supported by the animals anatomy.

It also comes along with the other big Greg Paul mythology, and that is the indented gastralia. I should really have noted it earlier because the reconstructions posed to balance horizontally are, in addition to skimping on soft tissues in general, also removing at least a good fifth of the mass from the front half of the animal. This in particular is not merely artistic license taken as gospel but actively bad science, as not only does no animal display this feature but it's clear from it being identical in modern birds and reptiles that their shape was the same in dinosaurs. I don't recall where I read it (I think tetrapod zoology?) but I distinctly recall a quote from an interview where Greg Paul said he did this to make the dinosaurs resemble big cats, whose guts indent when hungry.

All of this stems from a methodology of "perception first" reconstruction, where an animal is reconstructed in a way to make people assume things about it. Specifically they wanted to make people assume dinosaurs were aggressive, active predators, and so tried to make them resemble big cats. These anatomical features were stretched to the limits of plausibility, even for the time, in order to make them look a certain way so that people would connect their appearance to a behaviour. It's a methodology I have serious gripes with, to say the least.

[Carnoking]

Just for my own edification, would you say that the 2017 Safari Ltd. feathered rex features a more natural pose? It's the first figure that came to mind when you mentioned a slightly vertical default posture.

[stargatedalek]

Just for my own edification, would you say that the 2017 Safari Ltd. feathered rex features a more natural pose? It's the first figure that came to mind when you mentioned a slightly vertical default posture.

Indeed, IIRC that's the figure that sparked this conversation to first hit the forum years ago. Doug Watson's other lovely theropods also have such postures (when in more neutral poses), such as the Ceolophysis and Daspletosaurus.

[Gwangi]

The Sofubi Tyrannosaurus comes to mind too.

[Dinoguy2]

Nm

[Dinoguy2]

Could anyone who has Gavin do me a favor? Trying to figure out the actual scale of this figure. DinoScream reckons it's a little over 1:30 based on a length measurement. My problem is that the back half of the fossil is missing so a length estimate isn't the best way to go for figuring out scale. The skull is 40cm long. Based on that I figured the CollectA figure is around 1:30, specifically 1:28 (it has a 1.4 cm skull). Now obviously the PNSO Borealopelta is far larger than the CollectA. So I wonder what it's scale would be if measuring skull length alone. What's the skull length of Gavin?

Head size is about 20 mm. So assuming a 40 cm skull that would put Gavin at about 1:20th scale.

Interesting, seems like CollectA made the head too big, I got a scale of 1:40-1:45 for their figure based on the span between the parascapular spines.

That is interesting. At first glance the head on the CollectA one actually seems too small. Now I want to cobble together a comparison image to the fossil and figure out the proportion differences. I might have to order Gavin just for scale sake 🥺

[Dinoguy2]

Could anyone who has Gavin do me a favor? Trying to figure out the actual scale of this figure. DinoScream reckons it's a little over 1:30 based on a length measurement. My problem is that the back half of the fossil is missing so a length estimate isn't the best way to go for figuring out scale. The skull is 40cm long. Based on that I figured the CollectA figure is around 1:30, specifically 1:28 (it has a 1.4 cm skull). Now obviously the PNSO Borealopelta is far larger than the CollectA. So I wonder what it's scale would be if measuring skull length alone. What's the skull length of Gavin?

Head size is about 20 mm. So assuming a 40 cm skull that would put Gavin at about 1:20th scale.

Interesting, seems like CollectA made the head too big, I got a scale of 1:40-1:45 for their figure based on the span between the parascapular spines.

That is interesting. At first glance the head on the CollectA one actually seems too small. Now I want to cobble together a comparison image to the fossil and figure out the proportion differences. I might have to order Gavin just for scale sake 🥺

So, I actually just did this... I'll post the photos if I can later, but a few takeaways:

The proportions on the CollectA and PNSO are both generally good. PNSO is better but not perfect. For example, the neck is too slim on both. The CollectA next is way too slim, PNSO just a little, especially just behind the head. CollectA scapular spikes are good but the shorter spikes just anterior to them are too small. The spikes on Gavin are much more realistic overall but the longest scapular spikes are actually too short and too broad. CollectA gets these right with longer thinner spikes. The head on the CollectA one is a little too short, it should have a longer snout.

Using the diagrams and scale bars in the paper, it seems like the skull is closer to 50 cm than the 40 I had found listed elsewhere. Probably slightly more if measured around the dorsal curve of the skull. That puts the CollectA in the 1:35-1:40 range. If Gavin's head is 2cm along the top, then it's about 1:25.