The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Review and photos by Dr Andre Mursch (“Brontodocus”)

Ichthyosaurus is one of the most iconic fossil marine reptiles, being a milestone in vertebrate paleontology since it was discovered by Mary Anning, and it was subject of a German poem about the lower Jurassic (“Der Ichthyosaurus” by Viktor von Scheffel, 1856). To compare it with shark, dolphin and sometimes tuna has become emblematic for convergent evolution as is frequently depicted in biology textbooks.

Carnegie Ichthyosaurus from the left side. Note the thickened lower margin of the tail fin where the vertebral column would have been in the real animal. The acrylic stand belongs to the Invicta Ichthyosaurus.

It’s neither one of the biggest nor one of the heaviest of the Carnegie figures, measuring 201 mm in direct line and weighing 86 g. If measured along the curve in an attempt to follow the position of vertebral centra in a real animal the figure would be 219 mm long. The overall body shape is robust, yet not overly massive and a lot less bulky than e.g. the Invicta Ichthyosaurus.

Size comparison of (from left to right): Invicta Ichthyosaurus, Bullyland MuseumLine “Leptopterygius”, Safari Ltd. The Carnegie Collection Ichthyosaurus.

The figure’s body is gently flexed to the left side along its entire length. The front and hind flippers are broad at their bases and tapering to their tips without any constrictions at their bases (which follows reconstructions of ichthyosaur limbs by e.g. Rieß 1986). In general shape they are reminiscent of the pectoral fins of pelagic sharks. A view from below reveals that even the pectoral girdle with its muscles is traceable. The dorsal fin is quite high and also very shark-like, just like some preserved skin impressions of Stenopterygius quadriscissus show. There is a sharp tail bend of approx. 45 degrees and the longer ventral lobe of the tail fin – which would contain the vertebra in a real ichthyosaur – is thicker at its lower margin than the shorter dorsal lobe.

Carnegie Ichthyosaurus, top view.

The tricolour pattern is reminiscent of that of some dolphins (e.g. Delphinus delphis) but does not copy a certain species’ colouration. The head’s upper half, the back and the tail fin’s dorsal lobe are coloured in a moderately shiny, anthracite grey. It is set off from the light grey flanks and off-white underside by an irregularly undulating margin. A narrow yellowish band separates the dark back from the lighter flanks from behind the eye to just behind the rear flippers. A few dark spots are on the sides of the neck, behind the rear flippers and on the upper lobe of the tail fin, however on the tail fin their outline is blurred on both sides. The flippers’ grey upper and off-white lower surface are separated by a dark edge that looks a little untidy and somehow does not fit too good to the allover colouration. The eyes are flawlessly painted and have a golden iris, separated from the pupil by a sharp white ring.

Bottom view. Note that the fore fins are not simply sticking out of the figure but that there is a trace of a pectoral girdle between them. There is also a cloacal opening between the hind fins.

The head is wonderful in every respect. The closed jaws are more slender than usually seen in ichthyosaur figures which makes the head look quite elegant. The eyes appear relatively small, 4.5 mm in diameter, but could easily be just what was visible from a much larger eyeball inside the skull. Both the nostril and the ear are small but sharply sculpted and located a little more than an eye’s diameter before and behind the orbit, respectively, just about where one would expect them to be in the real animal. But what is really most exciting about this figure’s head is the dentition: The jaws are full of crisply sculpted teeth.

Left side of the head. The small ammonite adds a beautiful detail to the figure.

Right side of the head.

The figure’s jaws are holding an ammonite by its tentacles. This little ammonite figure – only 18 mm in diameter – is a small gem itself with shell ribs and knobs, a circumferential keel, and a dorsal head shield. Some of its arms are clutching the ichthyosaur’s jaws. However, this may reduce the playability for kids and possibilities to create groups for dioramas which would look strange when all of them have that ammonite in the same position.

One question remains: Which ichthyosaur does this figure represent? A lot of ichthyosaur renditions are actually based on Stenopterygius quadriscissus from Southern Germany, which, however, would be more or less edentulous and more thick-bodied as an adult. Generally, the different thunniform ichthyosaurs are mostly separated by quite inconspicuous details, many of them (like e.g. the number of phalanges and digits in the limbs) would only be visible in skeletons. So I had to compare the shape of the head with drawings from ichthyosaur publications (e.g. Maisch & Matzke 2000). Surprisingly, the head in fact most closely resembles that of Ichthyosaurus communis Conybeare, 1822, so the figure’s name seems appropriate. I. communis has been reported to grow to a maximum skull length of over 600 mm – compared to the 45 mm from tip of snout to ear opening this would result in a scale of approx. 1/10th to 1/14th for the figure, representing an animal of approx. 2 to 3 m length, just about what one would normally find to be stated as the length of Ichthyosaurus.

Carnegie Ichthyosaurus in oblique view.

The high level of subtle detail is what makes this figure so appealing. Its elegant pose, its exquisite head that was obviously sculpted with regards to the proportions of a real specimen’s skull, its toothy jaws holding an ammonite that would not be bad as a mini figure on its own, and its vivid but not too fancy colouration emphasize that this is certainly the opposite of a sloppily made ichthyosaur figure. It is a well-considered rendition of a thunniform ichthyosaur – probably of Ichthyosaurus communis itself – instead of just a simple, somehow torpedo-shaped figure which would have equally been possible. It looks excellent from whatever angle one looks at it. The ammonite is a nice detail but probably lowers the playability of the figure as it cannot be detached (without damaging the figure) if one should prefer the ichthyosaur without it. Of course, for a collector of prehistoric figures there would be little excuse for not getting it…

Available on eBay and on Amazon.com (here)

The spinosaur Baryonyx was big news when it was unearthed in England in the 1980s, so it’s understandable that Invicta would have wanted to produce their own model of ‘Claws’. This 1989 plain-coloured toy is (sadly) still one of the best spinosaur toys yet produced, in spite of its outdated posture.

Back in the day Baryonyx was noted for its robust forelimbs, leading some to speculate that it might have been an occasional quadruped. This is now regarded as at best highly unlikely, and at worst impossible (wrist rotation and all that). Still, a few manufacturers have produced quadrupedal Baryonyx models over the years (Safari, Schleich et al), none of which have been anywhere near as good as this fishing beauty of a beasty. Unlike in the case of the weirdo Schleich model, it could be argued that this guy is just leaning on a hand while fishing, which may well be physically impossible (not that CollectA have realised it yet – they seem to have a few hand-leaning theropods coming out this year) but at least looks a little better.

In terms of anatomical proportions it’s difficult to think of a Baryonyx toy that’s topped this one. The Carnegie wasn’t bad, but was a little skinny and comparatively crude in appearance; efforts from other manufacturers have tended to be lumpen monstrosities (I did mention the Collecta here, but it’s come to my attention that the Schleich is much, much worse. Obviously I’d erased it from my memory to prevent further trauma).  It’s superior when it comes down to the fine details, too – the head is near spot-on, with a lone crest rising from the skull and the characteristic spinosaur ‘fish trap’ jaws. The animal has its mouth closed, but the teeth are just visible. Elsewhere, the animal has been given a covering of scales, with bulging musculature and not a single unsightly unnecessary skin fold, which is very pleasing to see.

Noteworthy for  Invicta dinosaur collectors is that this is the only model given a prop (unless you count the Troodon‘s base), in this case a fish that acts as the fourth point to lean on. The fish is just as finely detailed as the dinosaur, with a covering of scales and puncture marks where the Baryonyx has grabbed it. Unfortunately it doesn’t detach, which limits this toy’s use as, er, a toy, but it displays nicely. Also, some refinements in the production process are noticeable here – unlike its theropod forebears in the Invicta line, Baryonyx has separated digits on its hands and feet.

Carnegie 2008 Spino shown for scale/comparative purposes. Also 'cos it's cool.

Ultimately, and in spite of the pose looking dubious to modern eyes, this is probably still the best Baryonyx toy yet produced, and even one of the best spinosaur toys, comparing favourably with the modern Carnegie Spinosaurus. It’s slightly too large for the Invicta line’s standard 1:45 scale (it’s more like 1:40), but don’t let that put you off. If you’re a fan of theropod dinosaurs in general this is definitely a figure you’ll enjoy – it’s well-sculpted and even the mono version looks great sitting among other models. You’ll have to go on eBay of course, but it can be bought relatively cheaply when it pops up and is well worth the effort.

Review and Photos by DinoLord.

In 1994, the Boston Museum of Science released a line of dinosaur figures produced by the toy company Battat and sculpted by professional paleo-artists. While new figures were released in 1996 and 1998, the project was scrapped in 2002, and the line remained discontinued. Commonly referred as “battats” or “battat dinosaurs” in the dinosaur collector community, the figures from this line are considered as some of the rarest dinosaur figures ever. The Styracosaurus was released in 1994, and it is one of the best and most beautiful renditions of this unique and recognizable ceratopsian.

The Styracosaurus is in a pretty calm pose, looking as if it is slowly strolling along. The sculpt is very detailed, with nicely done wrinkling and scales. For a 1/40 scale figure produced in the 90’s, this is pretty impressive. All of the proportions appear to be correct. The plastic the Battat figures are made of is rather flexible, and the Styracosaurus is no exception. One must always be careful not to accidentally bend the horns backwards.

One of the things the Battat line is famous for is its superior accuracy. This figure is one of the most accurate toy renditions of Styracosaurus. The number of horns on the frill is correct, with smaller horns on the bottom half of the frill, a feature that some other Styracosaurus figures leave out. Even the number of toes is correct, with five on the front feet and four on the back. As mentioned before, all the proportions are correct, and the tail is small compared to the body as it should be. The only inaccuracy is that it is now believed that ceratopsians had their wrists facing each other instead of facing backwards. However, this is an extremely recent discovery. The amount of accuracy this figure has managed to keep for over 15 years is extremely impressive.

Another feature that makes this figure so beautiful is the wonderful and detailed paint job. The paint job is very striking yet natural at the same time. Most of the body is a Carolina blue, accompanied by midnight blue stripes. The frill has two large golden yellow spots, and this color is also found on the tips of the horns, albeit in a more subtle form. The bases of the horns are colored the same midnight blue as the stripes. The bottom half is a dark arylide yellow. The eyes are a solid black, and the nostrils are a fleshy pink. Though some other Battat figures have a slightly sloppy paint application, the Styracosaurus has a very detailed and precise paint job. Only the toe claws are a bit sloppy in paint application. However, like all other Battat figures, the paint is prone to smudging, so treat this figure well.

Sadly, the Styracosaurus, like all other Battat figures, has been discontinued for quite some time. The Boston Museum of Science no longer carries this line. Fortunately, the Styracosaurus is one of the more commonly available Battat figures. You could try contacting Gregory Wenzel or Dan LoRusso, the sculptors of the Battat line, to see if they still have any left. However, your best bet to get one is on eBay, where they are usually sold for no more than $20. This is truly a great Styracosaurus figure, and I highly recommend it to all ceratopsian fans and dinosaur lovers alike.

Tsintaosaurus was a duck-billed dinosaur, or Hadrosaur, that lived in China about 84 to 71 million years ago.  Like many Lambeosaurs, Tsintaosaurus is believed to have sported a fancy crest on its head.  In this case, the crest is a skinny rod that stuck out above of the dinosaur’s face much like a mythical unicorn’s horn.  A while back it was believed that this crest is actually just a piece of the animal’s top jaw that had broken and become bent upwards.  Then another specimen was found with the exact same feature, thus leading most people once again to believe that this animal indeed sported a unicorn crest.  Today I will be reviewing for you CollectA’s rather interesting rendition of this unicorn dinosaur.

Well let’s get it out of the way because I know you are only staring at one thing right now.  It looks like the figure has a man’s genitals sitting atop its head. This is mainly due to the fact that the sculptor of this piece (who had to have been in a spiteful mood that day) decided to add on two air sacs under rod-shaped crest.  Air sacs are commonly depicted on hadrosaurs for the sake of the animals being able to produce loud noises much like the inflatable sacs on modern day frogs, toads and Frigate Birds.  Now for other species of hadrosaurs this looks perfectly fine and I have even seen renditions of Tsintaosaurus itself with little balloon sacs that simply differ in size or placement that look completely innocent…but this?  Come on!  Somebody had to be in on it.  They even went so far as to paint the crest and balloons a uniform differentiating color!

Okay, got it out of our system now?  Probably not and I totally understand.  I have had this little model for several weeks now and I still can’t look at it and keep a straight face.  How about now?  Eh, whatever I’m moving on.  On to the rest of the sculpt!  This little figure is actually pretty accurate for the most part.  Its fingers and toes have of the right number and length of digits.  All hadrosaurs had four digits on their forelimbs.  Digits one, two and three were of equal size and were most likely used for walking while digit four was highly reduced and likely was just along for the ride.  This is emulated in the figure quite nicely.  The face is also good.  It sports a nice flattened mouth which matches the actual skull.  The tail is the right length and sticks out straight and rigid behind it and there is a ridge of elongated neural arches going down the back.  The only complaint I have is the fact that the critter’s legs and ankles look awfully skinny.  Also, there is recent belief that ornithopod dinosaurs would have had their palms facing inward, much like all theropod dinosaurs did.  This figure has its palms facing back.

The detail on this guy isn’t bad.  It’s completely covered in little pebbly scales, which we know at least certain hadrosaurs actually had in life from actual fossil evidence.  It also has some nice wrinkles on the underside of its neck and two really nice, deep wrinkles going along either side of its belly.

The colors are nice too.  The dinosaur has a base color of very pale greenish yellow with bolder green colored soft pattern all over the body.  The finger tips and toes are dark brown and the eyes are orange with that same stupid vertical slit pupil that CollectA seems to love so much.  Annnnd the phallus crest is painted a bright traffic-cone orange as if it didn’t grab your attention enough already.

So all in all…this figure is pretty good.  That is of course if you don’t mind the fact that the crest looks the way it does.  It’s a little smaller than 1:40 scale but it still looks at home in a 1:40 scale collection.  It can easily be bought at any place that already sells CollectA dinosaur models for a low price.  Oh yeah did I mention its crest looks like genitals?  Because it does…okay just making sure.

Special thanks to forum member, Postsaurischian, for providing me with this figure to review!

[NB: The crest in newer versions of this figure has been redesigned to look less insinuating - Ed]