The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Parasaurolophus walkeri is one of the  most widely recognised and much-loved hadrosaur species, and no dinosaur toy line is complete without it. (Sorry, P. tubicen and P. cyrtocristatus.) It’s only proper, then, that Favorite include it among their ‘soft model’ lineup. As (almost) always, they’ve done an excellent job.

I’ve critcised the Favorite ‘soft’ dinosaurs in the past for their bland, uninspired paint jobs – tending towards greyish brown and brownish grey (with dark green as an occasional special treat). As if to make up for it, their Parasaurolophus is an absolute colour riot. The bright red pompadour is, of course, just traditional, but I absolutely love the vibrant greens and yellows and spotted  back on this model. The only thing stopping this figure from receiving top marks in the paintjob department is a slight sloppiness with the fine details – specifically, on the hands. While all the digits on the left hand have painted claws, the right hand lacks them entirely (see below). Still, this is only a very minor fault, probably peculiar to the one that I own.

Anatomically, it’s hard to think of any mass-produced plastic Parasaurolophus figures that are better than this one, or even the equal of it, except for the sadly long-discontinued Battat. Unlike many Parasaurolophus figures, this one does not have a super-skinny, swan-like neck, and is therefore more in line with modern thinking on the anatomy of these dinosaurs. The proportions are excellent, although the spine may be a little lower than it should be over the hips. In addition the shoulder girdle might be rather too high – see this Scott Hartman skeletal from last year – although this sculpt is a few years old now (I was going to credit Niroot for pointing this out to me via Twitter, but have you seen the size of that guy’s ego? It’s ENORMOUS).

I’ve always liked the Favorite models for their very crisp detailing and clean finish. As is common to all the Favorite ‘soft’ models of scaly-skinned dinosaurs, this Parasaurolophus has all-over scalation. One could argue that since the scales on the real dinosaur would have been much, much smaller than this (to scale), such detailing is actually unrealistic. In the past I have tended to view the scales as a plus in that they help give a better impression of the scaly nature of the animal’s hide, and fade into obscurity when viewed from a distance anyway; however, it’s all a matter of personal taste. This is also true of the creature’s mouth, which on this model has been rendered cheek-free. I’ve always favoured ‘cheeks’ for no particularly good scientific reason, but that issue would appear to be unresolved for the time being. In any case, since the mouth is closed this hardly detracts from the figure overall.

I’m waffling far too much about tiny, nitpicky things again, though. Taken as a whole, this is an excellent figure and a worthy addition to anyone’s hadrosaur collection. What’s more it is, as a plastic figure, cheaply available where sold. Recommended.

For many western paleo-enthusiasts, the world of Japanese miniatures is chock-full of wonders both common and rare. The fact that Japan produces so many outstanding prehistoric replicas is made even more jarring by their tendency to be packaged with manufactured candy, a marketing move that would make both products seem casual or cheapened to an American consumer of disposable goods. Fortunately, the collecting bug transcends time and space. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of acquiring a miniature dinosaur from Japan knows there is nothing casual or cheap about these beautiful little treasures.

Like the popular Kaiyodo Dinotales, the Furuta series was originally sold with candy and requires some minor assembly. Snapping the pieces together is quick and easy, certainly a pleasurable ritual for collectors of any age. The Furuta figures are slightly larger, but consist of only a small number of species. Today we are privy to a glimpse of the ultimate duckbill dinosaur, Parasaurolophus. In this example, the elongated crest is highlighted in orange, lending a decidedly masculine quality to the appearance (by hadrosaur standards, that is).

Properly configured on all fours with an uplifted right forearm, this naturalistic reconstruction reveals a living animal that isn’t simply a mindless prey item for big carnivores. The broken patterns of green at least offer some hint of camouflage, though these animals were probably more dependent on herds for protection. In any case, it’s nice to see the effort in paint application, which is sometimes ignored by manufacturers who assume hadrosaurs are inherently dull animals. Also owing to the popularity of Furuta is their sculptor, renowned paleoartist Araki Kazunari, who is known for his work on the Favorite Co. line.

At just 3.5 inches long and fairly inexpensive, he can be added to any collection with minimal risk to wallet or real estate. The “DinoModels” line from Furuta is not exactly commonplace, but they do make appearances on eBay from time to time.

Now here’s a company whose products have yet to experience the nerdy scrutiny of the Dinosaur Toy Blog. COG Ltd, manufacturers of educational toys, produce a line of dinosaur-themed gubbins named ‘Dino Horizons‘ (beware: site contains horribly inaccurate life restorations and the phrase “T-Rex”. And loads of Flash). For whatever reason the company produces very few flesh-on figures among its plethora of unlikely prehistory-themed products, but does churn out an awful lot of skeletal models – which brings us to this snap-together Parasaurolophus.

First impressions are good, especially as this is an inexpensive item. I obtained mine in the Natural History Museum, London, for £6 (just under 10 USD), and the museum is hardly the cheapest place to buy, well, anything (£2.50 bottle of sparkling orange drink, anyone?). The skeleton is sold in a plastic ‘test tube’ and fits together easily, with the limbs able to rotate and the head on a ball-and-socket joint, which allows for a small variety of poses. The jaw is also articulated. The quadrupedal pose, with the tail kept straight and elevated behind the animal, is pleasingly modern and indicates that the sculptor did some research, which can only be considered a Good Thing given the educational remit of the toys.

Unfortunately, while everything is basically in proportion, the skeleton overall better resembles a hadrosaurine – like Edmontosaurus – than the real Parasaurolophus walkeri, which had notably taller neural spines and a shorter tail than portrayed here. The leg bones could also do with being somewhat more robust, and the scapulae are positioned too low (there’s also a load of bones missing around there, but we’ll excuse that on the basis that museum mounts are often incomplete too).

Still, all these complaints seem a little unreasonable when one considers the cheap ‘n’ cheerful nature of the product. While somewhat flawed, it makes for a decent enough model to display alongside similarly-sized Parasaurolophus figures – the Schleich and Battat, if you are lucky enough to own one (SWINE!), would make good partners. This is also by far the best of an otherwise rather bad lot of skeletons in the range, which also includes a giant-armed Tyrannosaurus, a giant-headed Stegosaurus and a Veloci-wrong-o-raptor. A rose among the rather slapdash thorns, if you will.

Overall, I often run out of things to say about skeletons really quite like it, mostly because it’s quite rare to come across decent-ish dino skeleton models at a price within reach for the common borderline alcoholic humanities student. And as an ignorant humanities student, I am quite happy to put up with its flaws. Bravo, COG – a model that makes the Toyway-stuffed nightmare that is the Natural History Museum’s dinosaur gift shop worth a visit.

Available on eBay here

Famous among dinosaur figure collectors for their excellent Dinotales figures, Kaiyodo also produced a lesser known set of dinosaur figures in 2001, following the release of Jurassic Park III. The set, sponsored by Coca Cola, consisted of 12 dinosaur figures and a secret figure (a Spinosaurus skull). Today we will have a look at one of the best figures from the set, the Parasaurolophus.

There’s just something about this figure that calls out to the viewer. The pose is the best and most exciting I’ve ever seen on a hadrosaur figure. It’s widely known that the crests of hadrosaurs like Parasaurolophus were most likely used for loud vocal communication. This is emphasized by the figure’s pose. The Parasaurolophus rearing up on its hind legs and raising its head high in the air invokes a powerful image. One can just imagine the majestic animal rising in a forest to triumphantly call out to his herd mates. However, the purpose of this call is still not too clear. Perhaps it is to stake claim to his mating rights, or perhaps it could be to warn its herd of an unseen predator. It’s amazing how the simple posing of a figure can create such an interesting back-story.

This figure’s pose isn’t its only great attribute. Figures from the Kaiyodo Dinotales series are famous for their great detail and accuracy in spite of their tiny size. The figures from this set are no exception. While not perfectly true to the real animal, this Parasaurolophus figure is an almost spot on replica of the movie monster animal it is intended to represent. The paint job represents a male Parasaurolophus in the Jurassic Park universe, but is missing a few brown markings on the arms. Exquisite detailing makes this figure very lifelike, with realistic musculature and skin textures. These details, along with the rearing pose, give the figure a marvelous sense of majesty and realism. This is quite amazing for a figure that is only around 2 inches (5 cm) long.

Even though I am not the biggest hadrosaur fan, this figure is still a great one to have. It invokes a powerful image and has a majestic essence. In addition, it has the characteristic detailing and accuracy of Kaiyodo figures. Unfortunately, the set was only sold in Japan, and is most likely long retired by now. Luckily, the whole set can usually be found on eBay for around $35. Individual figures are occasionally available for a few dollars, around the same price as a Dinotales figure. It’s well worth the effort though, as this figure is worthy for the collection of any dinosaur enthusiast, hadrosaur fans in particular.