Leyster's Collection

Roger wrote:

I thought the sculptor was a Spanish man but it seems I am wrong. I love Eofauna models.

As far as I know there is no official indication of who sculpted the models (this is why I put the "?"), but s/he is the sculptor of the Diplodocus digital model for a study by Eofauna researchers, so I suppose s/he sculpted all other animals, too?



Binomial name: Velociraptor mongoliensis Osborn 1924
Classification: Dinosauria->Theropoda->Neotheropoda->Averostra->Tetanurae->Coelurosauria->Tyrannoraptora->Maniraptoromorpha->Neocoelurosauria->Maniraptoriformes->Maniraptora->Pennaraptora->Paraves->Eumaniraptora->Deinonychosauria->Dromaeosauridae->Eudromaeosauria->Velociraptorinae
Time: Santonian?-Campanian (late Cretaceous)
Formation: Djadochta Formation (present day China)
Manifacturer and date of release: Safari LTD, 2009
Sculptor: Doug Watson
Scale: 1:19 based on IGM 100/25 ("Fighting Dinosaurs" specimen)
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This Velociraptor is somewhat unusual looking but maybe not the most appealing.
About Eofauna, you're right, they're digitally sculpted.

Roger wrote:

This Velociraptor is somewhat unusual looking but maybe not the most appealing.
About Eofauna, you're right, they're digitally sculpted.

Yeah I know, not the best Velociraptor around. But it was in the toob and it's hard to find Velociraptors at that scale.


Binomial name: Corythosaurus casuarius Brown 1914
Classification: Dinosauria->Ornithischia->Genasauria->Neornithischia->Cerapoda->Ornithopoda->Iguanodontia->Dryomorpha->Ankylopollexia->Styracosterna->Hadrosauroidea->Hadrosauridae->Saurolophidae->Lambeosaurinae->Lambeosaurini
Time: Campanian (Late Cretaceous)
Formation: Dinosaur Park Formation (Canada)
Manifacturer and date of release: Carnegie Collection of the Safari LTD, 1993
Sculptor: Forest Rogers
Scale: 1:40 based on AMNH 5240
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One of the best Carnegies and, after almost 30 years, still the best Corythosaurus (yes, even considering the PNSO model).

I hope your velociraptor is not angry at me. Actually, its size is a bonus once most velociraptor figures are really huge considering the real size of the animal and probably most of the tube sized velociraptors you can find are not even feathered.
About this hadrosaur, I enjoy the fact it has the horizontal posture we see often on more recent representations. It also helps to give a modern look to this replica.

Roger wrote:

I hope your velociraptor is not angry at me.

Even if it was, you shold be able to fend it off with ease, considered how tiny it is.    My thumb is longer than it is.

Quote :

About this hadrosaur, I enjoy the fact it has the horizontal posture we see often on more recent representations. It also helps to give a modern look to this replica.

Yes, I think that together with Battat's Parasaurolophus it's one of the first toys to show an hadrosaur with horizontal back.



Binomial name: Borealopelta markmitchelli Brown et al. 2017
Classification: Dinosauria->Ornithischia->Genasauria->Thyreophora->Ankylosauria->Nodosauridae
Time: Albian (Early Cretaceous)
Formation: Wabiskaw Member of the Clearwater Formation (present day Canada)
Manifacturer and date of release: PNSO, 2020
Sculptor: somebody in the atelier of Zhao Chuang
Scale: 1:19 for TMP 2011.033.0001
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Here you can read my review of this model. Yes, I counted the osteoderms!

Here is a very good and affordable PNSO model. I loved your review and the fact you're counting everything. I think Safari Sauropelta is also a great and affordable model.
I'm starting to rethink about the poor velociraptor, it is really small and a tube model which averages 1 dollar. So, it is more than good considering these aspects.

Roger wrote:

I think Safari Sauropelta is also a great and affordable model.

Yeah the Safari Sauropelta is great!


Binomial name: Dacentrurus armatus (Owen 1875)
Classification: Dinosauria->Ornithischia->Genasauria->Thyreophora->Stegosauria->Stegosaurinae?
Time: Kimmeridgian (Late Jurassic)
Formation: Kimmeridge Clay (present-day UK)
Manifacturer and date of release: Battat, 2014
Sculptor: Dan LoRusso
Scale: 1:60-167? (see below)
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Dacentrurus is definitely the weakest of the new Battats. It's closeness with Miragaia was known in 2014 (Maidment 2010) and in 2011 Safari produced for the Carnegie Line a Miragaia quite faithful to what was known. Among the other errors there are the hands, spred and with five claws when is known that stegosaurs have columnar hands not too different from sauropods (Senter, 2010) and only two claws (on the two innermost digits). The scaling is quite absurd but I measured it from two points, femur lenght (calculated from a skeletal) and pelvis width, and both result in the 1:60 range. Probably there are serious issues with the sculpt as well to give these results, Dacentrurus was a big beast and probably one of the biggest stegosaurs (if not the biggest), but is not THAT big.

Binomial name: Unnamed
Classification: Pterosauria->Macronychoptera->Novialoidea->Breviquartossa->Pterodactylomorpha->Caelidracones->Pterodactyloidea->Lophocratia->Eupterodactyloidea->Ornithocheiroidea->Pteranodontoidea->Ornithocheiromorpha->Lanceodontia->Anhangueria->Anhangueridae (at least, the figure cleary represents an Anhangueridae)
Time: Albian (Early Cretaceous)
Formation: Elrhaz Formation (present day Niger)
Manifacturer and date of release: Safari, 2007
Sculptor: ?
Scale: unable to find measurements
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Binomial name: Lythronax argestes Loewen et al. 2013
Classification: Dinosauria->Theropoda->Neotheropoda->Averostra->Tetanurae->Coelurosauria->Tyrannoraptora->Tyrannosauroidea->Tyrannosauridae->Tyrannosaurinae
Time: Campanian (late Cretaceous)
Formation: Wahweap Formation (present day USA)
Manifacturer and date of release: Collecta, 2016
Sculptor: Matt Geiger
Scale: 1:34
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It's always nice to see feathered theropods

This Lythronax has a beautiful pose, I think it could bennefict from a different color layout. Especially if the dorsal area and face were darkened to highlight the outline. It would also be a good idea to give more contrast in the transition of the feet to the base. Though, coloring is such a subjective view.
I am particularly curious to see how the CollectA prehistoric line will develop during next years.

Roger wrote:

This Lythronax has a beautiful pose, I think it could bennefict from a different color layout. Especially if the dorsal area and face were darkened to highlight the outline. It would also be a good idea to give more contrast in the transition of the feet to the base. Though, coloring is such a subjective view.
I am particularly curious to see how the CollectA prehistoric line will develop during next years.

I agree, but for the cost of Collecta's standard line I fear that would be asking too much.

Binomial name: Allosaurus jimmadseni Chure & Loewen 2020
Classification: Dinosauria->Theropoda->Neotheropoda->Averostra->Averostra->Tetanurae->Carnosauria->Allosauroidea->Allosauria->Allosauridae
Time: Kimmeridgian (Late Jurassic)
Formation: The Big Al Quarry, Dry Mesa Quarry, Dinosaur National Monument, Salt Wash Member, Howe Ranch Quarry, Howe Stephens Quarry, Little Houston Quarry of the (Morrison Formation (present day USA)
Manifacturer and date of release: PNSO, 2021
Sculptor: somebody in the atelier of Zhao Chuang
Scale: 1:24 for MOR 693
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Here is my review

Yes, actually we should feel happy of having so many nice CollectA dinosaur figures for very affordable prices. Curiously, I checked their deinotherium recently and that particular figure is more expensive than the corresponding Eofauna model.
This PNSO in terms of coloring is not far from what I was suggesting. Especially the top of the model.
Thanks for linking to your blog entry, I enjoyed to know about the skull shape of the allosaurus.

Roger wrote:

Yes, actually we should feel happy of having so many nice CollectA dinosaur figures for very affordable prices. Curiously, I checked their deinotherium recently and that particular figure is more expensive than the corresponding Eofauna model.
This PNSO in terms of coloring is not far from what I was suggesting. Especially the top of the model.
Thanks for linking to your blog entry, I enjoyed to know about the skull shape of the allosaurus.

The Deluxe line is more expensive, yes. I would strongly suggest acquiring the Eofauna for that price. About the PNSO coloration, it's nice, but it's also a 40 euros model, so it's kinda expected.


Binomial name: Dunkleosteus terrelli Newberry 1873
Classification: Arthrodira>Aspinothoracidi>Brachythoraci>Coccosteina>Dunkleosteoidea>Dunkleosteidae
Time: Famennian (Late Devonian)
Formation: Cleveland Member
Manifacturer and date of release: Safari, 2006
Sculptor: ?
Scale: 1:20 for CMNH 5768?
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I have this guy too!

Binomial name: Stegosaurus armatus? S.ungulatus? (anyway trivial distinction, neither would have looked like this)
Classification: Dinosauria->Ornithischia->Genasauria->Thyreophora->Stegosauria->Stegosaurinae
Time: somewhere along Kimmeridgian-Tithonian (Late Jurassic)
Formation: ? I wasn't able to locate the specimen LoRusso was referring of
Manifacturer and date of release: Battat, 1994 (reissued in 2014 as part of the Terra line)
Sculptor: Dan LoRusso
Scale: ? I was unable to obtain measurements for the specimen LoRusso was referring to.
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Without any doubt the worst Battat ever. Still interesting for historical reasons, I suppose.

Binomial name: Guidraco venator Wang et al. 2012
Classification: Pterosauria->Macronychoptera->Novialoidea->Breviquartossa->Pterodactylomorpha->Caelidracones->Pterodactyloidea->Lophocratia->Eupterodactyloidea->Ornithocheiroidea->Pteranodontoidea->Ornithocheiromorpha->Lanceodontia->Anhangueria->Anhangueridae->Anhanguerinae
Time: Aptian (Early Cretaceous)
Formation: Jiufotang Formation (present day China)
Manifacturer and date of release: PNSO, 2019
Sculptor: Somebody in the atelier of Zhao Chuang
Scale: 1:27
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Binomial name: Baryonyx walkeri Charig & Milner 1986
Classification: Dinosauria->Theropoda->Neotheropoda->Averostra->Tetanurae->Carnosauria->Spinosauridae->Baryonychidae
Time: Barremian (Early Cretaceous)
Formation: Weald Clay Formation (present day UK)
Manifacturer and date of release: Safari LTD, 2020
Sculptor: Doug Watson
Scale: 1:30, so it's in scale with Collecta's Mantellisaurus!
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My review

Looks really close in quality to the Favorite model. However, I think Favorite's looks more expressive and lifelike. Though, I doubt it can justify the price difference.
Do you know the price of the Japanese one?

Roger wrote:

Looks really close in quality to the Favorite model. However, I think Favorite's looks more expressive and lifelike. Though, I doubt it can justify the price difference.
Do you know the price of the Japanese one?

I think it depends much on the fees as well. A friend of mine paid his around 40 euros including shipping to Italy.



Binomial name: Carcharodontosaurus saharicus (Depéret & Savornin, 1925)
Classification: Dinosauria->Theropoda->Neotheropoda->Averostra->Tetanurae->Carnosauria->Allosauroidea->Allosauria->Carcharodontosauria->Carcharodontosauridae->Carcharodontosaurinae
Time: Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous)
Formation: Kem Kem Beds, Baharija Formation (present day Morocco and Egypt)
Manifacturer and date of release: GR Toys, 2021
Sculptor: ?
Scale: 1:32 for the neotype
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Maybe the most beutifully coloured model in my collection. [url="https://www.paleo-nerd.com/reviews/carcharodontosaurus-gr-toys-2021-en/"]Here[/url] is my review.

What a great photo !
It is so difficult to take good pictures of these flying models  

Leyster wrote:

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SUSANNE wrote:

What a great photo !
It is so difficult to take good pictures of these flying models  

Thank you!


Binomial name: Xenacanthus cf. decheni Beyrich, 1848*
Classification: Elasmobranchii->Xenacanthimorpha->Xenacanthidae
Time: Asselian (Early Permian), but as genus it's really long lived, from Devonian (or Carboniferous?) to Triassic
Formation: Prosecne Formation, but as genus more or less cosmopolitan
Manifacturer and date of release: Kaiyodo, 2003
Sculptor: Eiichiro Matsumoto
Scale: 1:13 fide Halichoeres, since measurements proved to be hard to find
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*unsure about the species, it's based on some illustrations I found