PNSO: New For 2021

[CarnotaurusKing]

I (hastily) edited the image of the Torvosaurus's head to see how it'd look with less pronounced horns, and I'd have preferred if it had ornamentation more like this. That said, this is a minor gripe, and this is still a fantastic model. Besides, this shouldn't be a problem for someone skilled enough with a craft knife.

Edit: it's not showing up, how do you post images?

[Lanthanotus]

I (hastily) edited the image of the Torvosaurus's head to see how it'd look with less pronounced horns, and I'd have preferred if it had ornamentation more like this. That said, this is a minor gripe, and this is still a fantastic model. Besides, this shouldn't be a problem for someone skilled enough with a craft knife.

Edit: it's not showing up, how do you post images?

Her ya go...

[CarnotaurusKing]

I (hastily) edited the image of the Torvosaurus's head to see how it'd look with less pronounced horns, and I'd have preferred if it had ornamentation more like this. That said, this is a minor gripe, and this is still a fantastic model. Besides, this shouldn't be a problem for someone skilled enough with a craft knife.

Edit: it's not showing up, how do you post images?

Her ya go...

Ah, thank you.

[MLMjp]

Second or third pic would have been the ideal.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

You know once it sits on a shelf about 3-5' away or more your not really going to be able to tell much about it anyway. ( Just an observation sitting here looking at my PNSO shelf )  Those horns are probably what? 3-4 millimeters?

[Flaffy]

Would've greatly preferred the 2nd or 3rd edit as well.

[SidB]

This is one of those cases in which something is almost perfection but there is a detail that absolutely ruins it.

Those tiny horns...I only recognized it was a Torvosaurus because of the skeleton. They look so out of place for a Torvosaurus. Makes it look more like some short of allosauroid/neovenatorid...

"Absolutely" is such a strong word ... do we know how large the putative lacrimal horns on the two described species (or even the third undescribed one) were? Is it that the horns here are too small or even shouldn't be present?

Ok, to be fair, I have seen reconstructions of Torvosaurus with horns or crest but they were much rounder and subtle. The problem I see, is that they are too pointy and allosaurus like in this figure. It is more of a personal preference since I am not a fossil expert. They may or may not be plausible, but Im not the person to ask that.

It just that I always have seen Torvosaurus reconstructed with rounder lacrimals so it looks wrong to me, something like these would have been better IMO.

Got it!

[SRF]

I'm mostly curious to what "available shortly" means in this case. I definitely want this Torvosaurus, but it's probably not available soon enough to get it into the EU before July. 

[SidB]

Those are very nice comparison shots.

Maybe he just seems bulkier/barrel-chested/pot-bellied because the head is smaller in proportion to the torso (compared to the Tyrannosaurus)?

I'm really pleased that PNSO "got" the head proportions of the Tarbo correct, relative to the Winter Wilson, even it it makes the skull SEEM disproportionate compared with the massive body size. I'm so used to images of the Tyrannosaurus that any apparent deviation from this stereotype appears a bit weird. But, so be it - "it is what it is".

The issue is, the specimen PIN 551-2 suggests that Tarbosaurus had a large head for it's body. Even more so than Tyrannosaurus.

Interesting. Whenever I hear about situations of this sort, I have to wonder if, 1) the PNSO sculptor wasn't aware of the existence of the specimen PIN 551-2, in this case, or 2) chose to dismiss or re-interpret it? Who knows?

[Psittacoraptor]

Oh wow, another theropod. I think I'll get the Helicoprion instead of the Tarbosaurus first, as a personal message to PNSO that I'd love to see more non-dinosaur models from them, haha.

[Abobo]

Annnd Connor is up to order :

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097F37H58

[KeU]

Woo-hoo, this will be my first Torvosaurus.

[Flaffy]

Looking at the head closer, it's got plenty of issues.

Nostril position: Far too low. It looks fused with the lips on the figure.
Maxilla shape: Too straight / linear. While Torvosaurus is known for a rather straight maxilla, the PNSO figure far overdoes it.
Snout shape: Too triangular. It should be more boxy and rectangular.
Head shape: Potentially too shallow / thin. Could be more robust and deep. Can be argued that it's within the range of individual variation.

Comparison between "Evlis" by paleojoe, PNSO Torvosaurus and CollectA Torvosaurus. Notice the subtle curvature of the maxilla on the CollectA figure, along with the higher nasal position.




An edit (not by me) depicting a more faithful Torvosaurus reconstruction. Though it is to be noted however the picture is taken at a low angle, which may distort the actual dimensions of the head. In conclusion, the PNSO Torvosaurus is but eye-candy, more akin to something you'd see in the Jurassic franchise rather than a rigorous scientific reconstruction of the actual animal.

[Faras]

Those are very nice comparison shots.

Maybe he just seems bulkier/barrel-chested/pot-bellied because the head is smaller in proportion to the torso (compared to the Tyrannosaurus)?

I'm really pleased that PNSO "got" the head proportions of the Tarbo correct, relative to the Winter Wilson, even it it makes the skull SEEM disproportionate compared with the massive body size. I'm so used to images of the Tyrannosaurus that any apparent deviation from this stereotype appears a bit weird. But, so be it - "it is what it is".

The issue is, the specimen PIN 551-2 suggests that Tarbosaurus had a large head for it's body. Even more so than Tyrannosaurus.

Interesting. Whenever I hear about situations of this sort, I have to wonder if, 1) the PNSO sculptor wasn't aware of the existence of the specimen PIN 551-2, in this case, or 2) chose to dismiss or re-interpret it? Who knows?

PNSO one is probably based on specimem MPC-D 107/2 judging from skull shape (it's more complete and larger). The propotion of head seems reasonable (might look small tho cause of extra thick torso).

[sauroid]

the Torvsaurus that everyone has been pining for. (and im glad it isn't brown.)

[SenSx]

Hi,

I have a question that you will probably find silly, but I'm no dinosaur pro at all, I'm jsut a geek collector, besides I'm not that demanding on accuracy.

- Do you think this Torvosaurus could make an ok Megalosaurus in an about 1/35 collection ?
I'm looking for a Megalosaurus figure because I'm lacking mid-Jurassic dinosaurs, and I think it holds an historical legacy as the first dinosaur officially recognize as such marking the begining of patheontology, at least to my knowledge.
And it looks like both animals are very close relatives, belonging to the same Megalosauridae family.
The Collecta Megalosaurus is ok, but I'm not the biggest fan and it is a bit small (probably 1/40), and I like this Torvosaurus better although I don't know if Megalosaurus could have had those tiny horns as well, but you seem to disagree on that even for the Torvosaurus.

According to those dimension, this new PNSO seems to fit perfectly.



But I don't know about the shape of the skull and body.

Thx, and sorry if you find that question a bit off-topic.

[Gwangi]

The Torvosaurus was my most anticipated theropod from PNSO but now that I'm seeing it, it's kind of underwhelming. Maybe I built it up too much in my head. It's still a fine figure and I'll get it eventually, but I'm in no hurry.

[Kapitaenosavrvs]

Wow. Inhand Pics of Tarbosaurus look fantastic to me. Thank you very much for sharing. At first i was not sure about that Tarbo, but the Inhand Pics did it for me. What a colossal adult Tyrannosaur! This Figure has some visual Weight to it and shows a huge Landanimal. Fantastic work.

A few Months ago, i wrote about how PNSOs new Figures change the way i look at Figures ( In General ) in that Price range and this seems about true to others as well. The last week i was not at home and only reading. Everyone is free of course, but i do not share the sometime quite harsh citicque on "first photos" of a new Figure. Accuracy is really important to me. But Details are Details. And Fossils do fossil stuff. To me, i have absolutely no problem with the small crests on that Torvo. Why not. The overall style is not mine, but the Figure itself looks outstanding to me. There is so much we (I) do not know and Nature is often quite funny when it comes to living organism design. Also, CollectA was always praised for going unconventional. Now PNSO does a bit of that here and there, but it seems unwanted. No Figure will ever be perfect to everyone. A lot of the Figures in this Tsunami of Figures amlost did that to a lot of people. At least, thats what i felt.

The affordable new High Quality "toys" from PNSO did change my view of course, but i try to still look at them as normal Figures. Sometimes i feel that People are angry against PNSO, because it is not THE perfect Figure of a Species they sculpted. But again. Everyone feels the same and i read alot of good things and also a lot of really good critique. But i do not want to make it my agenda to Spotlight small stuff. If these were recent Animals we can look at while they are living, this could be something else. But not on reconstructions of prehistoric Animals. Have great Weekend everyone.

I would want to order the Yuty, Tarbo and the Para plus the Tethys from Wildpast.. . * cries Euros * :-D

[Flaffy]

There is so much we (I) do not know and Nature is often quite funny when it comes to living organism design. Also, CollectA was always praised for going unconventional. Now PNSO does a bit of that here and there, but it seems unwanted. No Figure will ever be perfect to everyone. A lot of the Figures in this Tsunami of Figures amlost did that to a lot of people. At least, thats what i felt.

For me, it's the general lack of consistency in their reconstructions that bug me. I'm fine with speculative features, but when the sculpt is a mishmash of both conservative, speculative and inaccurate aspects, then that makes me question how rigorous the research/sculpting process behind PNSO figures actually is. After all, they are marketing these as figures as scientifically accurate, educational, and representative of the actual animals.

Take the Torvosaurus for example~
Conservative:
- Lack of lips
- Minimal soft tissue around the jowls and neck
- Minimal facial tissue

Speculative:
- Huge lacrimal crests
- Pronounced nasal crests
- Ridge of dorsal spikes
- Presence of large scales / osteoderms all over the body
- Extended fleshy nostril (on the assumption that this was intentional)

Inaccurate:
- Triangular snout tip
- Lack of maxilla curvature
- Lack of lips (depending on who you talk to)
- Nostril position being way off (on the assumption that this was not intentional)

The reason why PNSO gets so much flak at times can be explained by:
1) High expectations, High standards. PNSO has set the bar incredibly high for their figures, to both their benefit and detriment. Sometimes it's disappointing to see a figure that's basically perfect in every way, only to be followed by a mediocre release ridden with inaccuracies and outdated features.
2) Price. I personally don't believe it's possible to judge a figure fully without factoring in the price. Many collectors outside of China are paying top dollar for PNSO figures; and with that hefty price tag, people will and should expect something of outstanding quality. But when PNSO fails to deliver with shoddy QC and paint apps that are a far cry from their promo pics, people get rightfully upset.

[SidB]

Those are very nice comparison shots.

Maybe he just seems bulkier/barrel-chested/pot-bellied because the head is smaller in proportion to the torso (compared to the Tyrannosaurus)?

I'm really pleased that PNSO "got" the head proportions of the Tarbo correct, relative to the Winter Wilson, even it it makes the skull SEEM disproportionate compared with the massive body size. I'm so used to images of the Tyrannosaurus that any apparent deviation from this stereotype appears a bit weird. But, so be it - "it is what it is".

The issue is, the specimen PIN 551-2 suggests that Tarbosaurus had a large head for it's body. Even more so than Tyrannosaurus.

Interesting. Whenever I hear about situations of this sort, I have to wonder if, 1) the PNSO sculptor wasn't aware of the existence of the specimen PIN 551-2, in this case, or 2) chose to dismiss or re-interpret it? Who knows?

PNSO one is probably based on specimem MPC-D 107/2 judging from skull shape (it's more complete and larger). The propotion of head seems reasonable (might look small tho cause of extra thick torso).

Good to get a second opinion on this matter - thanks.