For 2024, Papo will be releasing three new dinosaurs. First we have the armoured French titanosaur Ampelosaurus. Looks like one of Papo’s better sauropods, although the colour scheme is nearly identical to that of the CollectA version.
Second up is Corythosaurus, the famous helmeted hadrosaur.
PNSO’s first new dinosaur for the year is Zabad the Edmontosaurus! Judging from that crimson comb, this big brute is supposed to represent E. regalis.
Nanuqsaurus (“polar bear lizard”) is a poorly understood Alaskan tyrannosaurine that lived around 68 to 70 million years ago. Although it is presently known only from fragments of skull and an array of teeth, it recently received a major boost of publicity in 2022 by appearing in the first season of the fabulous Apple TV series Prehistoric Planet.
Last month, we saw the prototypes of Haolonggood’s gargantuan Alamosaurus trio. Now gaze upon the final production versions. They’re not as vividly coloured as before, but still quite attractive. Blue remains my favourite. Can’t wait to see someone review this behemoth!
The release of genera such as Metriacanthosaurus, Concavenator, and Irritator in the Hammond Collection line was initially met with controversy. Some collectors were excited to see non-canonical dinosaurs join the prestigious Hammond Collection while others were dismayed, hoping the dinosaurs seen in the films would be given priority.
A famous story, an ancient tragedy, a spectacular discovery. Two dinosaurs, locked in lethal combat, suddenly perished from external forces, their bodies preserved almost perfectly in their last moments of action. What was cause of the combat and demise? Paleontologists have speculated long and hard since the year 1971, when an expedition to the Gobi Desert led to the discovery of the fossil now renowned as “The Fighting Dinosaurs” – a Protoceratops with its sharp beak grasping the arm of a Velociraptor, whose sickle claw is embedded in the herbivore’s neck.
Review and images by bmathison1972; edited by Suspsy
Goticaris longispinosa is a tiny, enigmatic arthropod originally described from both immature and adult forms from the Orsten Lagerstätten (Upper Cambrian) of present day Sweden. It was originally described as an early offshoot of the clade Pancrustacea but is now considered stem-group Mandibulata outside of Pancrustacea.
Mattel loves Pseudosuchians, or so it would seem. Just this year they released five of these crocodile-line archosaurs. Not since Bullyland’s heyday have we seen so many representatives of the group made by a single company, and I think Mattel must surely win the award for most Pseudosuchians ever produced.
Discovered in the Lealt Shale Formation on the Isle of Skye in Scotland in 2017, Dearc sgiathanach (pronounced ‘jark ski-a-naw-ka’) was a Middle Jurassic rhamphorhynchine pterosaur, and quite a large one at that. Its precise size is uncertain, but the estimated wingspan is between 1.9 and 3.8 metres, which makes it the largest known aligerous animal of its time as well as one of the largest known rhamphorhynchids.
After several years of battle-themed dinosaur series, Playmobil is returning to their more peaceful, research-based theme. Unfortunately, every single dinosaur is a repaint yet again. On the plus side, they are all rather attractive repaints and the sets look fun to play with, as always.
Archaeological (no, that should be Paleontological, Playmobil!) Dig with Dinosaur Skeleton.
Haolonggood has squeezed one more item into their 2023 assortment: Sinoceratops, the only known ceratopsid from Asia.
Both versions look great, although I like the blue one best.
This figure is technically a repaint of the original sculpt, but since it wasn’t reviewed here yet, I feel I might as well give some background on the production of it. For starters, Raul Ramos initially sculpted a 3D model of the skull (first revealed on July 6 2019), which was then printed and served as a base, for sculptor Simon Panek to use for the final flesh reconstruction of the figure (revealed July 8, 2019).
Would you like a side of miniatures with your rubber monsters?
Not every dinosaur toy is equal. Not every absence of inaccuracy means inaccuracies are absent. Dilophosaurus is frequently plagued by imaginary features ingrained into pop culture due to a certain Universal/Spielberg blockbuster; but just because a toy of the two-crested reptile eschews the frills doesn’t mean the rest of the design gets a free pass.
“Season’s greetings, fellow dinosaur lovers! Yes, it is us once again, Dr. Bella Bricking and my invaluable partner Beth Buildit, here to share some comfort and joy with the reviewing of yet another Jurassic Park 30th Anniversary set!”
“I can barely see with this thing on, Doc!”
“Let’s stick to the script, if you please, Beth.
What a year it’s been for Haolonggood, and they’re certainly showing no sign of slowing down! The many-horned chasmosaurine Kosmoceratops from Utah is their newest ceratopsian. The red version with its contrasting blue-splattered frill is definitely my favourite of the two colour schemes.