Eofauna once again brings their A-game for this release, with astonishingly rich and lifelike details to a stellar prehistoric elephant model.
I must admit, as a kid, I usually overlooked mammals in favor of dinosaurs, reptiles, etc., but even though my preferences still lie with the scaly (and sometimes feathery) folk, I’d be remiss to ignore the impressive fossil record of the mammals, who have their own fair share of oddities, wonders, and sheer giants. Have you heard of Palaeoloxodon, the straight-tusked elephant?
I sure hadn’t until the scientific company Eofauna announced the genus as their second collectible figure release. In life, P. antiquus could reach heights of over 4 meters and weights of roughly 15 tons. Another species, P. namadicus, was even larger, holding the record for the biggest land mammal ever known. This elephant could have stared down most dinosaurs and probably thrown them to the ground for good measure. Truly, nothing that has strode the land since the Mesozoic era was as big as the elephants.
Eofauna’s replica is of the smaller, but still gigantic, P. antiquus. Eofauna already wowed collectors with their steppe mammoth in late 2017, and the company once again brings their A-game to this new release. The figure stands about 5″/12 cm tall, and stretches 9.5″/24 cm long with the tusks. This is a solidly built PVC figure with real heft to it, befitting the real life creature and the girth depicted in the figure. No shrink-wrapping for mammals; this elephant is a healthy and fit specimen.
The figure (to my amateurish knowledge) follows the known fossil anatomy with strict accuracy. Of particular note is the big, muscular dome on the back of the head, which was likely there to support the extensive tusks. The elephant is posed mid-stride, head bowed and trunk curled, depicting what looks like a casual browsing manner for the creature. It’s a modest, but highly effective pose which brings a sense of realism to the figure more so than a dramatic “action” pose might have.
The figure is rich in all the fine details a collector could imagine for a replica. I think I underestimated the level of texture truly present in elephant skin: various crisscrossing spreads of folds and wrinkles span the body from the tip of the trunk to the soles of the feet, capturing all manner of nuance in the skin and musculature of the animal. Further details in the sculpt include tiny nostrils in the trunk, subtle grooves in the tusks, teats on the chest (seriously!), and an orifice for the evidently male organ(s) under the hind limbs.
All the sculptural details are enhanced by a simple, two-tone gray color scheme. The textures are highlighted by darker shades, and a reddish skin tone adds extra color to the trunk, ears, and throat. The eyes are neatly painted a bright orange, and the mouth is a rich pink, with a creamy hue for the molars, tusks, and toes.
One minor issue has come up: due to the soft nature of the PVC, plus the slightly unbalanced posture, the figure MIGHT be susceptible to tipping over on its right side. As long as it’s on a level surface in a temperate room, however, it should stand just fine.
Eofauna has made a stellar figure out of the straight-tusked elephant; surely this is one of the finest prehistoric mammal toys on the market today. Although it’s a bit more expensive than other companies’ figures, I guarantee this one is worth the price. Several websites such as Everything Dinosaur, DeJankins, and Dan’s Dinosaurs have it in stock, so don’t hesitate to add it to your collection!
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The straight-tusked elephant model is indeed a perfect creation. Does anyone know of any examples being created for the Palaeomastodon? It would be popular if available.
Excellent review and awesome images – but how could you go wrong with a subject like this?! It’s not just the amount of detail on the sculpt and the well-researched anatomy in its realisation but that naturalistic swaggering pose that makes this such an impressive figure. I received both this and the new Papo Quetzcoatlus in the same week – what an amazingly impressive pair of prehistoric animal models – collectors really are being spoilt with the quality coming our way at the moment.
It is one thing to see it in photographs and another to have in your hands this prehistoric elephant wonder the palaeoloxodon antiquus of Eofauna is a true work of art a luxury for all prehistoric animal collectors.
It is a luxury of a figure worthy of being exposed to fossil remains in the exhibitions of the best palaeontology museums in the world.
Beautiful model eofauna always wanted to go back in time to see these Titans but now you come along with these inbelievable models . I spend a lot of time looking at them on my shelf. Can’t wait to see what comes next . Please make make it another elephant
Thanks, very informative.
Since this gem of a P. antiquus is 1/35 scale and their steppe mammoth 1/40, is this sculpt similar enough to the larger P. namadicus to pass as a namadicus in the 1/40 scale, so as to be consistent in scale with the steppe mammoth? I understand that some authorities consider namadicus to be a regional variant of antiquus.
I would say it’s pretty close. Scroll down to pages 37-38 in this paper and you’ll see the largest steppe mammoth compared to P. namadicus.
https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app61/app001362014.pdf
A beautiful model. Worth every penny. And some very good close-up photos by the reviewer too.
It really is a masterpiece. Can’t wait to see what Eofauna does next!
Gorgeous. Can prehistoric animal models get better than this? Surely this is the epitome!