Ancient fish, with the exception of sharks, are a rarity in toy lines. Perhaps most believe they are all small and aren’t noteworthy. This is far from the case, as many ancient fish were large and bizarre enough to contend with dinosaurs. Fortunately, our own Jetoar has been able to prove they are worth making with figures like this: Hyneria, a Devonian Sarcopterygian from Pennsylvania, a 12 ft fish that would have terrorised all creatures smaller than it.
Review: Tylosaurus (Recur)
4.1 (30 votes)
Goodness, but it’s been quite awhile since the last time I did a Recur review. The company still appears to be struggling to break out of the Asian market, as their products are not available at any of the most popular online stores like EverythingDinosaur or MiniZoo or Dan’s Dinosaurs.
Review: Mastodonsaurus (Starlux)
3.8 (11 votes)
In spite of the discoveries since Starlux closed down, I feel that the old line could be fantastically varied in comparison to some modern line, producing vast numbers of species, not just familiar dinosaurs, but those that existed alongside them. Here, for example, the giant amphibian Mastodonsaurus from the late Triassic, which reached lengths of 13-20 feet long.
Review: Protoceratops (Wild Past)
4.5 (10 votes)
Review and photos by bermudasaurus 303, edited by Suspsy
We currently live in a perfect time for every dinosaur enthusiast, with figures all over the market, from old companies like Safari Ltd. and Schleich, to newer companies like Eofauna, or the subject of this review, the Wildpast Protoceratops.
Review: Concavenator (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)
3.2 (30 votes)
Review and photos by Loon, edited by Suspsy
Concavenator was an Early Cretaceous carcharodontosaur hailing from Spain. The beautifully preserved holotype fossil possessed a set of extended vertebrae that formed a triangular ridge in front of the hips. This bizarre feature has caused the species’ star to grow quickly, causing it to receive several toys and even cameo in the second Jurassic World movie.
Review: Plateosaurus (DinoWaurs Survival)
2.8 (12 votes)
Greetings DinoWaurriors! I imagine it’s very easy for creators of toy lines to stick to the Jurassic and Cretaceous period dinosaurs for their line, as this is where many were at their biggest and strangest. Let’s not forget, however, that the Triassic saw the rise of these animals, and have interesting species that began this dynasty.
Review: Agustinia (Schleich)
Review: Redondasaurus vs. Coelophysis (Favorite Co. Ltd.)
4.7 (7 votes)
Morning sun rises over the Pangean plains of the Late Triassic. The wet season has just ended, and it is a time of plenty for herbivores across the scrub land. This means the predators do well too. A lone Coelophysis wonders the land, searching for water to wash down a recent meal.
Review: Eurhinosaurus (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)
4.8 (18 votes)
During the Toarcian age of the Lower Jurassic, early sauropods like Tazoudasaurus and early thyreophorans like Emausaurus were walking around on land. In the ocean, hildoceratid and dactylioceratid ammonites, plesiosaurs, and marine crocodiles were swimming around. It was also the heyday of ichthyosaurs, one of which was the large, long-snouted Eurhinosaurus longirostris (loosely, “long-beaked lizard well-equipped in the nose department”).
Review: Dimetrodon (Paleozoo)
3.3 (7 votes)
If there’s a Paleozoic animal that people can reliably recognize, it’s Dimetrodon, even if they’re apt to think of it as a contemporary of dinosaurs. As of this writing, the Dinosaur Toy Blog has 24 reviews tagged ‘Dimetrodon,’ and that’s not even half of what has been produced over the decades.
Review: Sarcosuchus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)
4.9 (22 votes)
Crocodilians have always garnered a special interest to me, modern or extinct. From the powerful predators we know today, with up to one tonne bites, to the oddities of the past. This includes giants like this review’s subject, Sarcosuchus, one of the largest crocodilians ever known, known to feed on dinosaurs.
Review: Herbivore dinosaur set (Wenno)
2.5 (8 votes)
Cheap dinosaur sets are fairly common on the market, offering a variety of creatures for a reasonable price (though usually picked from a very select group of species), something to keep kids entertained for a few hours. Wenno are a prime example of this, having released a few sets for ancient and modern species.