For collectors of prehistoric fishes 2021 has been a banner year, it saw the release of several toy fishes and two of them weren’t an O. megalodon or Dunkleosteus. Astonishing! Of course, we got those too. Papo tackled the meg. and PNSO released their own Dunkleosteus. But the real headliners were the Helicoprion by PNSO and the subject of today’s review, the Xiphactinus by CollectA.
Type: Figurine
Yangchuanosaurus (Dinosaur King by Sega)

When companies add dinosaurs to a franchise, be it a game, show or book, they often want to make them as bright and eye catching as possible so that people will buy the merchandise. This often ignores any colouring that may be what they actually looked like, as it would be too subdued.
Yangchuanosaurus (Dinosaurs of China by Safari Ltd)

Yangchuanosaurus and Chungkingosaurus Diorama (PNSO Scientific Art Models)

Review and photos by Bokisaurus
An air of nervousness engulfs the once serine scene at the forest edge. Herds of herbivores that just minutes ago were busy playing, eating, and calling to each other now stood silently still, on high alert. Their sudden change in behavior is warranted. Although still unseen, a predator is on a hunt.
Yi qi (Age of the Dinosaurs by PNSO)

We’re all well aware that dinosaurs came, and still do come, in all manner of odd forms. But even the famous therizinosaurs, with their huge claws, bulgy bellies, and small heads, might well have considered tiny little Yi qi to be the oddest one of all.
“I’M BATDINO!”
Yi, which boasts the shortest name of any dinosaur, is part of a tiny clade of unusual maniraptoran coelurosaurs from Late Jurassic China known as scansoriopterygids.
Young Tyrannosaurus Aaron (PNSO)

When it comes to Tyrannosaurus rex, the first image that comes to mind is that of a snarling, blood-thirsty animal. As famous as it is, unfortunately in pop culture films and images, it is often depicted as a villain, a killer that is always on a rampage killing any helpless animal on its way.
So, the description of being cute is not often associated with it.
Yunnanozoon (Oumcraft)

Species from the earliest parts of life on earth, the Palaeozoic, are very rare in toy form. Oh yes, there are plenty of Dimetrodon, Dunkleosteus and even Anomalocaris, but any of the smaller, crucial creatures to the story of life on earth are scarce. Enter Oumcraft, and her game LIFE: evolution of life in earth to put this right, with each game piece being perfect as collectable pieces of these ancient species.
Yutyrannus (PNSO)

Feathered dinosaurs are truly awesome and I adore them all, whether they’re from somewhere in the Mesozoic or still alive in the present, probing for earthworms on my lawn, swimming in the pond at the park, flying high in the sky, and so on. And certain of these extant dinosaurs are, of course, quite yummy to eat, especially when they’re from Swiss Chalet or Mary Brown’s.
Yutyrannus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)

Approximately 125 million years ago, Northern China had a similar temperature to today – it was cold – at least by Mesozoic standards. Indeed, the Yixian Formation of China shows that the climate of this part of early Cretaceous China would have had an average temperature of only 10°C.
Zhejiangopterus (Vitae)

When we think of the group of pterosaur knows as azhdarchid, the first thing that comes to mind are the large species such as Quetzalcoatlus and Hatzegopteryx for good reason. These two famous species are the largest of the pterosaurs and hold the record as the largest animal that have ever taken to the air.
Zhejiangosaurus (Vitae)

While a lot of dinosaur names are quite a challenge for the laymen to be read and correctly spelled, the ones inspired by Chinese locations and names may even be a serious challenge to the dinosaur expert. Zhejiangosaurus comes as one of the easier names, but maybe one you do not really need to remember…..
Zhuchengtyrannus (PNSO)

Approximately 73 million years ago, Shendong Province of China was a land of rich floodplains that abounded in dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. These included the ankylosaur Sinankylosaurus, the titanosaur Zhuchengtitan, the diminutive leptoceratopsids Ischiceratops and Zhuchengceratops, and the larger ceratopsid Sinoceratops with its royal frill. Also present was the prodigious Shantungosaurus, hugest of all hadrosaurs.
Zhuchengtyrannus magnus (Dino Kingdom 2012 by Takara Tomy)

Zhuchengtyrannus vs Sinoceratops (Favorite Co. Ltd)

The Favorite Zhuchengtyrannus and Sinoceratops come packaged in a boxed set for the Fukui Dinosaur Museum in Japan. They are sculpted by Favorite’s premiere artist, Kazunari Araki. Both of these dinosaurs are only known from fragmentary remains, so the scale is a bit iffy, but they fit in well enough with other 1:40 figures (or possibly slightly smaller).