Prehistoric Times - 2017 Winter

PT #120 covers_PT #73 covers 1/3/17 9:35 AM Page 1

PT #120 covers_PT #73 covers 1/3/17 9:35 AM Page 2

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:37 AM Page 1

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:37 AM Page 2

Writers in This Issue:

www.prehistorict

imes.com

Another typical PT Office Wrap Party after finishing issue #120

Please Subscribe today!

Phil Hore

Ed Pell

Mike Fredericks

Robert Telleria

Pat Schaefer

Tracy Ford

Steve Brusatte

Kenneth Carpenter

Randy Knol

John R. Lavas

Greg S Paul

Artists in this issue: Mike Fredericks

Sergey Krasovskiy

Quentin Brendel

Andrew Wong

Fabio Pastori

Kevin Hedgpeth

Jozabad Abi-jaja Caldwell

Ruben Portillo

Nick Paradimitriou

Matt Wileyto

Tracy Ford

Tallack Refshaw

John Sibbick

Carter Gatewood

Jim Martinez

Jan Sovak

Giovanni De Benedictis

John C Womack

John Sibbick

Mike Landry

Josh Cotton

Greg S. Paul

Zhao Chuang

Bruce Horton

Robert Nicholls

Todd Marshall

John Trotter

Nathan E Rogers

Henry Sharpe

Julie Kitzes

Pierce Jackson

Joschua Knuppe

Betty Reid Martin

Jorge Blanco

Warren Tyler Tufts

James Kuether

Meg Bernstein

Ryan McMurry

Travis Nolan

Clinton Harris

Sean Cooper Hector Garcia S. Eivind Bovor Phil Brownlow S. Davis

Subscribe Today! Visit our web site and use your credit card (through Paypal only) to

www.prehistorictimes.com Join the Prehistoric Times group for free on Facebook All payments in U.S. funds. Credit card payment through our site only Or mail your check/MO/cash to our address. Subscription Information below: Prehistoric Times • 145 Bayline Circle • Folsom, CA • 95630-8077 Table of Contents Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017 subscribe, resubscribe or buy back issues

$35 U.S. Only (one year, 4 issues) third class postage. $40 U. S. first class postage and Canada $50 South of the border & across the Atlantic

Concavenator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

$55 Across the Pacific

How to Draw Dinosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Publisher/Editor: Mike Fredericks

A Long-Spiked Stegosaur from Wyoming . . Carpenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

145 Bayline Circle, Folsom, Ca 95630-8077 (916) 985-7986 between 8-5 PST M-F business hours only please.

FAX (916) 985-2481 [email protected]

www.prehistorictimes.com

Don’t forget PT is also available as an app for your phone or computer Advertising: Full page - $150 b&w - $400 color; 1/2 pg - $100 b&w - $300 color;

4

Burian Paleozoic Fishes and Invertebrates. . . Lavas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Collectors Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fredericks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Dinosaur Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Knol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Wrinkle in Time-ing - Marx . . . . . . . . . . . . . Schaefer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 What’s New in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fredericks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Toxodon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Beware Verizonsaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Dinosaur field Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

1/4 pg - $75 b&w - $200 color

John Sibbick Reader Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

PT logo by William Stout Redone above by Thomas Miller Front cover graphic design by Juan Carlos Alonso

Mesozoic Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fredericks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Paleonews year of 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brusatte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Sound of Mesozoic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telleria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:37 AM Page 3

FROM THE EDITOR

Before you ask, no, I can’t believe this is Winners for PT PIX 2016!! our 120th issue of Prehistoric Times Best Prehistoric Animal model kit - Fabio Pastori’s magazine. Wow, but I sure am happy to be here and I know that it is because of all Cryolophosaurus bust of you that it is possible. I can’t thank you enough. Oh, and happy 2017. I hope you and your families had a fantastic holiday season. Best Prehistoric Animal toy figure - Wild Safari We are super happy to have John Sibbick’s artwork on our front cover and thank Ceratosaurus, Iguanodon (Safari Ltd.) him profusely. See pages 50-51 for more of John’s recent paleoart. John tells me he Thescelosaurus, but more Best Prehistoric Animal Book - Ancient Earth has “8 PT covers before this one - only 3 dinosaur images and the rest are mostly exotic genera from marine animals.” Which I believe is more than any other artist. John tells us he is around the world are also Journal, The Late Jurassic by Gregory S Paul and Juan keeping busy, mainly drawing in ink and pencil - he recently finished upgrading the represented Carlos Alonso e.g. 3rd edition of Dinosaurs - A concise Natural History (from Cambridge University E p i d e x i p t e r y x , Best Prehistoric Animal Discovery - Tongtianlong press) - by adding about 30 new pen drawings (each time he ruins another pen, he C o n c a v e n a t o r , limosus “Mud Dragon” fossil discovery says!) That should be published by the time you are reading this. He enjoys working Deinocheirus. Each card with his sculpting friends at 10-Tons in Copenhagen, Denmark with pure drawings of back dorsal views, usually with a tight, short has an aged paper background, showing a side view of deadline! That is where he did his Tongtianlong, the poor “Mud Dragon” was voted each dinosaur, all facing the Horshamosaurus art and others. He is also workPT reader’s favorite discovery of 2016 right side. Gregory Paul ing on an ichthyosaur painting this winter. John supplied the images: the life is playing around with acrylic paint in a looser restoration predominantly, style, landscapes and plant detail. He has a great usually with its tail "off botanical garden on the island which supplies card", underneath a smaller him with superb reference for but full skeletal restoration. Jurassic/Cretaceous landscapes. The facts are divided up by Hey, artist Tracy Ford and myself have just finMass, Length, ished illustrating a dinosaur coloring book for all C l a s s i f i c a t i o n / Fa m i ly, ages. We will make the formal announcement in Location, Habitat, Age, the form of an ad next issue but it should be Geological Formation and ready by the time you are reading this. If interDiet. As the back of the ested in purchasing a copy, please contact myself tuck box reads: "Deal out a or Tracy. hand and you'll devour dino data in spades!" Well, we offer you another wing ding whamcarddeck.jpgcarddeckback.jpg mer jammer issue of PT this time. John Lavas MOVING?? PLEASE let us know your new address continues to decorate our pages with beautiful when you plan to move. The magazine is NOT forwarded art from Mr. Burian along with John’s great and it costs us to resend the magazine later to your new knowledge of the man. Most everywhere you “digs.” Also, if you subscribed to PT by sending your look, if you are reading about a new dinosaur, payment anywhere except directly to us, please know that then paleontologist Steven Brusatte is probably quoted in the article. We are most for- we only received a small percentage of that payment. The people you sent the paytunate to again have Steve write our annual best paleonews for 2016 inside. Dinosaur ment to got the majority of your money. When you (hopefully) renew your subscripexpert and artist Gregory S. Paul has an awe-inspiring new book out titled The tion, PLEASE do it by sending your payment directly to us. We are a small business Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs 2nd Edition. I’m sorry to break the news to you and could really use your support. Thanks so much to many of you who have started but you do not own a dinosaur library unless this book is a part of it. I review it inside renewing directly with us. Would the rest of you please stop your automatic renewal and Greg was kind enough to write an article specially for us describing the workings with an internet subscription service? We sure thank you! that went into creating his book. Also, world famous paleontologist Kenneth ARTISTS! PT does not pay for submissions but many artists whose work is seen Carpenter wrote an article for us describing a very cool new stegosaur. 2017 is start- in Prehistoric Times get paying work from other sources. Please send jpg files of your ing off great, eh? And that’s only the beginning. artwork scanned at 300 DPI resolution. Send as an approx 4” jpg with your name in Our own Phil Hore describes the interesting dinosaur Concavenator as well as the the title of the image--example--Triceratops by John Smith.jpg to our e-mail prehistoric mammal Toxodon (with plenty of artwork from all of you.) Tracy Ford address or send good copies (that you don’t need returned and that aren’t larger than asks you to “open wide” when he tells us how dinosaurs held their mouth. Both our 9 x 12 scanner bed) to our mailing address in California. We need your art and Randy Knol and I talk about recent prehistoric animal figures on the market in our info. For #121 Metriacanthosaurus & Estemmenosuchus (Mar 10, 2017) For #122 columns. Pat Schaefer continues his writing on the Marx prehistoric playsets for those Edmontosaurus & Kronosaurus (June 10, 2017) Thank you! of you interested in the tiniest of details that you will find nowhere else. Ed Pell is back from a long hiatus, by popular demand, to present us with the lighter side of dino movies; this time; Jurassic World. Do you love music as much as I do? Then you will enjoy part one of Robert Telleria’s writing about dino soundtracks. I tell ya folks, it’s another potpourri of prehistoricness (that’s a word, right?) I do so hope you enjoy it. When PT was in its infancy back in the early 90s and really through the entire life of this magazine, Mike Evan’s Lunar Models and then Alchemy Works were a big part of it. Mike was always so generous sending us a review kit of the latest prehistoric animal resin kit that Bob Morales, Jeff Johnson and others had created for his company. Of course Mike’s pioneering model company made resin kits of other subjects too making it a major part of the modelling world. Well, it is truly the end of an era as Mike told me that he has completely retired from casting model kits. Thanks for everything, Mike. Your work will be direly missed. Artist William Stout tells us he is part of an exhibition on prehistoric Antarctica taking place at Augustana College. He says, “I painted five new oil paintings (2 Triassic, 1 Jurassic, 2 Cretaceous) especially for the exhibition with Antarctic paleontologist William Hammer as my advisor. The paintings will appear in Dr. Hammer's new book on prehistoric Antarctica. The exhibition is titled “Polar Studies in Antarctica” and covers both the prehistoric and contemporary wildlife of Antarctica. It ends February 10, 2017. Augustana College, Augustana Teaching Museum of Art, 639 38th Street, Rock Island, Illinois 61201 Bill also just published a dinosaur coloring book for all ages, (reviewed within this issue of PT) The Smithsonian partnered with artist Gregory Paul to release dinosaur merchandise throughout 2017 which happens to be Paul's 40th year in the paleoart field. Playing cards are on "deck" first, creatively advised by Robert Telleria. Posters, puzMANY MORE DINOSAUR DESIGNS AVAILABLE TOO! zles, calendars, trading cards and other items with Paul's artwork are also in the ALL COLORS OF SHIRTS PLUS CAPS, MAGNETS, works. Some of the cards were intentionally assigned to certain dinosaurs based on WATER BOTTLES, MUGS, BAGS, GLASSES AND MORE! physical traits. Since predatory dinosaurs likely ate them, they are Hearts, with T. rex appropriately as the King of Hearts. Each card is a different dinosaur. There's an AVAILABLE ON-LINE AT WWW.CAFEPRESS.COM/PRETIMES emphasis on Smithsonian's famous fossil collection like Camarasaurus, Diplodocus,

PREHISTORIC TIMES SHIRTS, etc.

a ck + M a n y B is s u r u a s o t B ro n saurs! D if f e r e n t d in o

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

5

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:37 AM Page 4

MESOZOIC MAIL

Hi dear Mike, I want to express all my gratitude for your generosity and for the honor that I feel in having you as a friend, my number one fan and my first real mentor. Wow it’s unbelievable that 20 years have passed since the first time you published my illustrations (1997) and 12 years since my first PT

cover (2005) and 8 years since your PT interview with me. After your question you wrote: “If I thought eating pizza would help me paint as well as you, I’d happily be much fatter than I already am.” Ah, that sweet personality that you have Mike! I remember how hard it was for me to answer in your language (you wrote under the title “The PT interview Fabio Pastori” by Mike Fredericks -who helped Fabio with his English a bit-) ahhh hahhh

far too quickly (so enjoy every day, as I try to do.) You now know that your Cryolophosaurus bust very deservedly won best prehistoric animal model of 2016 so congrats on that. Your BFF and number one fan, - editor (who again helped Fabio’s English - a bit) Hi, I loved the Acrocanthosaurus article, but I was disappointed by the sparse news section. I know the main focus at PT is model kits, but this Summer was a CORNUCOPIA of juicy dinosaur discoveries! There were only a couple of stories featured in the fall issue. This has been one of the greatest years in dinosaur discoveries I can remember. I felt that this month's issue didn't do the recent developments their due justice. I know this isn't a perfect world where everyone gets what they want, but I was really hoping for more than that. Forgive me, I hope I don't sound rude. To recap what has happened this year in paleontology... The largest theropod footprint ever was found in Bolivia. This discovery has enormous implications for the future of paleontology because it shows that there were some theropods that are as of yet, unknown to science, that were much larger than the largest known carnivorous dinosaurs. http://www.history.com/news/largest-ever-carnivorous-dinosaur-footprint-discovered-in-bolivia A new Megaraptorid named "Murusraptor" was the first dinosaur of its kind to have any skull material recovered with its remains. We are now one step closer to finding out exactly what these Megaraptors were. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/deadthings/2016/07/20/meet-murusraptor-the-supermodel-of-megaraptors/ If all this wasn't enough, yet another new large theropod from South America was found named "Gualicho." It's the first non-Abelisaur with tiny arms discovered in South America. http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/gaulicho-shinyae-dinosaur-t-rexsmall-arms/2016/07/15/id/738852/ And now there is even a small aquatic Ankylosaur that was found with fish scales in its stomach, hinting at it having a piscivorous diet.

For those of you who didn’t get enough of Fabio Pastori’s art last issue, here is the man himself next to his Captain America painting.

Not a bit… a lot!! I was only 30 years old when I introduced myself to you. After my career 25 years long as hyper-realistic illustrator in the advertising world, thanks to you I quickly obtained popularity in the paleoart and paleontology world. So, I was very lucky to be able to mix together my two main passions: drawing and dinosaurs! Great. After my first illustrations (that now have become scientifically obsolete) I have produced, more or less, 130 paintings, some big canvas, around 200/300 sketches and countless roughs, quick sketches, studies and projects. Ah, and recently one sculpture, as you know. Well, dear Mike I will never stop thanking you! With love and respect, Ciao mio caro amico!! Fabio Pastori, Milan, Italy

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/laelaps/this-tiny-ankylosaur-atefish/ A new species of Megalosaur was found in Germany named Wiehenvenator. http://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.uk/blog/_archives/2016/08/31/wiehenvenator-albati-the-monster-of-minden.html Another new sauropod was found in Russia with a very distinctively "star" shaped rib cage. http://en.news-4-u.ru/russian-scientists-have-discovered-a-new-speciesof-titanosaurs-that-lived-in-western-siberia.html I'm excited about these things! Aren't you? Sean Slaughter, Thayer, MO © Warren “Tyler” Tufts

One more thing: please, actually the talented sculptor of my Cryolopho bust is not me, but a young fan of mine named Francesco Salerno, who made the sculpture reproducing my dated Illustration working under my suggestions and my teaching. Oh, and the Bronze is a unique piece of real bronze - 13 Kilos! , it was privately commissioned. What a nice letter to receive. Thanks so much. I’m sorry I dragged you out of the high paying world of advertising art into the low paying world of paleoart! I am very happy that our long distance relationship has lasted and grown and I am so proud of how you have prospered. Time goes by 6

This Concavenator origami is folded from one 9.5 inch square - no cuts or glue the model is constructed purely by folding by Travis Nolan

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 5

I apologize for a Short Paleonews in the Fall issue, Sean. Other items I wanted to get in that issue left little room. Plus in the back of my mind I knew that paleontologist Steve Brusatte would be recapping the dinosaur news for all of 2016 in this Winter issue.

Cretaceous Children’s Art Concavenator by Pierce Jackson Age 7

Of course we all get excited here for the latest paleonews. We are very fortunate to live in a time of so many great discoveries on a regular basis. I thank you for all of the paleonews you sent and here it is in print for others to enjoy and get caught up on - editor

Jeff Tribby of Lakewood, Florida shows off his Christmas yard of dinosaur inflatables.

Hi Mike, Just returned from a 28 day cruise from Los Angeles to the Hawaiian I s l a n d s , American Samoa, Western Samoa and French Polynesia (Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti) before cruising back to L.A. Fortunately, the latest issue of Prehistoric Times Xmas card to PT from William and Andrea arrived in time to Sawyer of Boise, ID travel with me. Here's proof.....taken from our balcony on the cruise ship in the South Pacific. BTW.....someday, I plan to write a book on the dinosaurs of Hawaii and the South Pacific Islands....likely will be highly acclaimed but bereft of text, figures, photos and dinosaur paleoart. LOL! As always, loved the issue. Regards, Art Israel, Intrepid explorer Bellvue, Wa. Art Israel with PT in What a relief it must the South Pacific. have been for your PT to arrive to lighten what would surely turn out to be a dull, arduous ocean cruise through the South Pacific (known for dinosaur discoveries too numerous to count.) I think you have done your due diligence for the sake of your family, Art. Next time they want to go on a cruise through the islands, please send me your ticket instead and let me lighten your load - editor Hi Mike, What a great magazine for dinosaur enthusiasts! A magazine for average folk who love all things dinosaur. So many magazines with dinosaur articles seem to have an elitist bent that are a turn off to common people. It’s Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

like they try to cater just to an elite cabal of people who share common secrets of p a l e o n t o l o g y. Your magazine is a m a z i n g . Beautiful art, science articles and collectible information found nowhere else. My fear is that when your magazine finally folds there will be nothing to replace it. Ernest Tu r r i z i a n i , Wo o d b r i d g e , Ontario, CANADA

Concavenator by S. Davis

Toxodon by S. Davis

Hi Mike: Just renewed my subscription (not to worry - as long as I'm breathing I'll subscribe). So much prehistoric related merchandise coming out now that I can't possibly keep up. The quality is dramatically improving also. I was a little alarmed to read of your bout with pneumonia this past year but it sounds like you have made a full recovery. I think I speak for many when I say I hope you don't take chances with your health. There's no reserve quarterback waiting in the wings to take your place and with that being said I truly hope you outlive me so I can continue reading Prehistoric Times till the very end. Take care Mike (really). Your doing a great job with the magazine! Randy Garlipp Omaha, NE Thanks so much to you Randy and Ernest (letter before yours) That should be the mag’s slogan “As long as I’m breathing I’ll subscribe.” Of course I hope to be around for a long, long time still -editor

7

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 6

The PT DinoStore

Vintage dinosaur collectibles for sale from PT magazine 18. hollow dinos 1. “Dinosaur Collectibles” price guide co-written and signed by PT editor $49 1. Collectibles 2. Linde 1950s Coffee Premium plastic dinosaur figs 7 from Austria. $12ea. book 3. Rare 8th Linde figure to complete above set: Rare Rhamphorhynchus $45 4. Marx orig. sm/med 50s/ 60s dinosaur toy figs (green, brown, gray) $5 5. Marx orig. Krono, T-rex (pot-belly or slender) $39, Brontosaurus $34 6. Marx original second series dinos/mammals $12 each, set of 8 - $79 7. Marx 45mm cavemen (6 diff) $7 ea Marx 6” cavemen (6 diff) $15 ea. 8. Multiple (MPC) dinosaur plastic figures many colors $5-10 each (inquire) 9. JH Miller waxy plastic 50s Dimetrodon, Tricer, Sloth, Mammoth/Mastodon or 10. Sinclair banks Stego $49 (all have damage) JH Miller Bronto (complete) $69. 19. SRG 10. Sinclair 1960s green plastic 10” brontosaur bank $19 16. Sinclair bagged set 11. Sinclair 1934 Dinosaur book $25 & Sinclair1964 Worlds Fair booklet $15 12. Sinclair 60s colorful Hardback “The Exciting World of Dinosaurs” $44 13. Sinclair hollow dinosaurs ‘64 NY World’s Fair dinos in several colors @$35 27. Palmer 14. Sinclair rare hollow NY Worlds Fair Brontosaurus looking backward $76 15. Sinclair album and complete stamps set 1935 $40 or 1959 $30 16. Sinclair 60s solid Worlds Fair dinos (6 diff. various prices) (bagged set $129) 27. Palmer 17. Sinclair Oil 1960s dino chrome metal tray $55. 18. Hollow, dimestore plastic dinos, 60s/70s six different $8 each (see photo) 2&3. Linde 19. SRG Small metal dinosaurs T. rex, Tricer, Tracho, Bronto or Stego $35 ea. SRG sm. Caveman, Dimetrodon, pterosaur or Plesiosaur $49 ea. 11. 1934 Book SRG Large metal Stegosaurus, Trachodon, Bronto, Tricer or T. rex $59 each 20. Nabisco silver prehistoric mammal cereal premiums 60s $10 ea. All 8 $75 21. Nabisco/Fritos dinosaur premiums, gray (60s) $5 each,50s green & red $10 13. Sinclair hollow dinosaurs 22. Nabisco 1950s cereal mailaway dino wheel guide for toy figures $49 23. ROM (Royal Ontario Museum)plastic dinosaur figs. $15 ea, Pteranodon $25 24. View Master Prehistoric Animals 1960s comp. 3 reels/booklet $24 25. Teach Me About Prehistoric Animals Flash cards (boxed) 1960s $39 26. Brooke Bonde 60s dinosaur trading album w/ set of cards attached $44 27. Palmer 1960s Mastodon skeleton or Brontosaurus skeleton $44 each MIB 20. Nabisco cereal prehistoric 28. Marx Linemar 1960s 1” metal dinos. T. rex, Stegosaurus or Brontosaurus $19 ea. mammals 29. Golden Funtime 1960s Dinosaur punch out (unpunched in book) $89 30.Timpo (England) 50/60s plastic 4” Dimetrodon (black or brown) or Triceratops $35 31. Dinosauriana-The Essential Guide to Collectible Dinosaurs disc $25 8. MPC 32. Napco brand 6” 1960s “Brontosaurus” bone china porcelain figure. Multiple dinos PT back issues 31, 41, 42, 52, 66, 74-76, 78, 93-102, 104-118 $9 each or $13 each foreign. (PT issue prices include shipping) Please add $6 shipping in U.S. • Call or e-mail me 32. Napco 1960s 6” porcelain dinosaur figure

about condition.

Mike Fredericks Prehistoric Times 145 Bayline Cir. Folsom, California 95630-8077

17. Sinclair chrome tray 1960s

(916) 985-7986 [email protected]

29. 1960s Golden Dinosaur funtime punch out in book

27. Marx Linemar tiny metal T. rex, bronto & Stego 25. Flash cards

22. 1950s Nabisco cereal dino wheel guide 13. Sinclair 1960s hardback

21. Nabisco dinos

30. Timpo Dimetrodon or Triceratops

31. Dinosauriana disc 26. Brooke Bond 25. 60’s Viewmaster 7. 6 inch Marx large cavemen

23. ROM plastic dinos 16. Sinclair 1959 Oil dino stamps & album

8

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 7

1. Introduction Although the origins of life on Earth lay in the depths of the Precambrian, it was within the primeval oceans, lagoons and swamps of the Palaeozoic Era that invertebrates and vertebrates underwent major evolutionary radiations, with the latter eventually conquering the terrestrial realm as they followed in the wake of the land invasion by vascular plants (see PT issue 119). The celebrated palaeo-artist Zdenék Burian (1905-1981) painted an important series of monochrome and colour images of Palaeozoic aquatic life, amongst which can be found some of the most memorable reconstructions from the classical era of palaeo-art. Readers in many countries will recall, as youngsters, being enthralled by the lucid plates in Josef Augusta’s book Prehistoric Animals (1956) revealing Burian’s portrayals of trilobites foraging like overgrown wood-lice amidst colourful tapestries of spheroid corals and sea-lilies, human-sized sea-scorpions lurking amidst the Silurian seaweed, and a giant armoured-placoderm scattering sharks from its marauding passage through the Devonian waters. This evocative imagery forms the subject of Part 4 in the ongoing series analysing Burian’s palaeothemed paintings. Once again I thank my fellow Burian enthusiasts Jan Kopecky and Paul McFarland for their assistance.

2. Burian’s collaborators Almost all of Burian’s early Palaeozoic images were completed under the supervision of the palaeontologist Dr. Josef Augusta (1903-1968) of Prague’s Charles University during what I consider to be the most notable period of Burian’s career (1940s - 1960s). Following Augusta’s death, Burian collaborated with Augusta’s successor Dr. Zdenék Špinar (1916-1995), after which his artistic flair and freestyle technique was restricted and he was directed to produce far more stylised reconstructions of greater definition and illumination. At that same time Burian also adopted brighter and less natural hues for his colour palette, a factor which is especially evident in his later Palaeozoic benthic images. While his Augustanian era Palaeozoic paintings were composed in a ‘natural history’-like interpretive manner showing fauna set amidst murky backdrops and shadowy, moody silhouettes (Fig. 4), by 1970 such scenes had become a thing of the past and his benthic depictions became increasingly encyclopaedic and prescriptive in composition (Fig. 5). A curiosity associated with this change was that dorso-ventrally compressed species such as trilobites and bivalves were sometimes shown

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

in direct dorsal aspect even when the ocean floor was at an oblique view. In addition, the organisms tended to be positioned in a somewhat contrived manner, giving the viewer the impression of observing life in a recently-cleaned and arranged aquarium. On the positive side however, Špinar supervised Burian to reconstruct a number of early aquatic vertebrates which had largely not been considered by Augusta, including armoured and jawless Palaeozoic fishes (placoderms and ostracoderms) and the earliest jawed-fishes (acanthodians). Several Palaeozoic amphibians were also depicted at this time, and will be reviewed in Part 5 of this series. Interestingly, Burian’s Špinar era ichthyological subjects were reconstructed in a less stylised manner than were his invertebrates painted in the same period. As was the case with a number of Burian’s palaeo-themed landscapes, several of his benthic images represented regional reconstructions of his native Czechoslovakia, that part of Europe having been inundated during much of the Palaeozoic.

3. Publication Burian’s first formal Palaeozoic image depicted the Permian amphibians Archegosaurus and Branchiosaurus (1935), and was also his first official palaeo-themed work. Completed before he had met Josef Augusta, it was published in the geological section of The Great Illustrated Natural History of all Three Kingdoms. Once their collaboration was initiated, Burian painted seven Palaeozoic images for Augusta’s landmark 1942 reference text Divy Prasveta (The Wonders of the Prehistoric World), one of which was used as the frontispiece (Silurian Ocean; Fig. 4, upper). The other six images were as follows: ‘Naosaurus’ (1942; colour), Moschops (1941; monochrome), Stegocephalian amphibians (1941; colour), Pleurocanthus and Amblypterus (Fig. 10, inset), Meganeura and Carboniferous forest (1942; colour), and the trilobites Ellipsocephalus and Paradoxides (1942; Fig. 3). Other than the Silurian Ocean and trilobite images, the remaining five paintings were again reproduced in Augusta’s subsequent title Prehistoric Animals. Being a larger-format work aimed at the popular market, this book was widely translated in numerous countries including Russia, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Japan (amongst others). US palaeontologist Stephen J. Gould described Prehistoric Animals as being amongst the three most influential popular palaeontology titles of the 20th Century but, given its distribution, I would not hesitate to rank it at the top of the list. Thirteen of Burian’s 60 landscape-format plates in Prehistoric Animals featured Palaeozoic subjects, of which six were aquatic and seven were terrestrial. Their order of appearance was as follows: The Cambrian Ocean (Fig. 2), The Silurian Ocean (Fig. 4, lower), Pterygotus & Eurypterus (Fig. 6), Dinichthys & Cladoselache (Fig. 8, inset), The Lower Devonian landscape, The Middle Devonian landscape, The primeval Carboniferous forest, Pleuracanthus & Amblypterus (Fig. 10, upper), Meganeura and Carboniferous forest, The Stegocephalians, Edaphosaurus (which was a re-painting of ‘Naosaurus,’ a genus originally incorrectly assumed to have been carnivorous), Moschops and Mesosaurus. Seven of these images would not be reprinted in editions of the later title by Špinar & Burian, Life before Man, although Burian updated five of the images for inclusion in those editions including three landscapes (two Devonian and one Carboniferous, see PT issue 119) and two faunal images (Pleuracanthus & Amblypterus, and Edaphosaurus). Burian modified the Mesosaurus image for Life before Man by painting out its intended fish prey. Interestingly, Špinar chose to include the older (1942) version of the Silurian benthos rather than the more detailed 1951 ‘School painting’ from Prehistoric Animals. Both the original

9

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 8

1972 (hardback) version of Life before Man and the later 1995 (soft-cover) edition featured the same 31 aquatic and terrestrial Palaeozoic images. Of these, 25 had not appeared in Prehistoric Animals, the majority having been painted subsequent to that title. Burian’s final Palaeozoic image, Life in the Ordovician Sea (1981) was painted shortly before his death and was the last of the Josef Vágner series to be completed (from a total of 22 large-format canvases, see PT issue 117). This image appeared in Czech language booklets but neither it nor Burian’s two other Ordovician images painted in 1970 (for the Geological series) were amongst his best works. In addition to the illustrations for books authored by Augusta or Špinar, Burian painted three images of Palaeozoic invertebrates and fishes for inclusion in the multi-volume Animal Life Encyclopaedia (Tierleben; 19671972) compiled by the renowned German zoologist and conservationist Bernhard Grzimek (1909-1987). Although these were translated into English in 1975, the three supplementary volumes on prehistoric life that contained a total of 13 Burian images only appeared in the German edition. I thank Jan Kopecky for sending me scans of these images, the Palaeozoic examples of which are very highly-stylised and purely encyclopaedic in purpose.

4. Cambrian Ocean In Prehistoric Animals Augusta alluded to the fact that traces of the earliest Precambrian marine organisms still remained only very poorly known by the 1950s. They consisted of fragmentary evidence of algae, worms, primitive brachiopods, molluscs and possible crustaceans. By the dawning of the Palaeozoic (specifically the Cambrian Period), the oceans had witnessed an explosion of organismal diversity and an abundance of invertebrate types that were not only already advanced but also well-differentiated. The most characteristic members of the Cambrian fauna were the trilobites, unusual segmented arthropods so named because their carapace was divided lengthwise into three parts. With ventrally-positioned mouths and a pair of compound eyes often featuring on the dorsal side, trilobites are thought to have moved over the benthic sediments feeding on minute organisms and debris, although some may have been agile swimmers. Trilobites shared their Cambrian world with primitive brachiopods, echinoderms (especially the genus Cystoidea), worms, hydrozoa, and sponges. At this time the sea encroached 10

into parts of Central Europe including Czechoslovakia, and Burian’s 1951 painting of the Cambrian Ocean (Fig. 2) represented a typical Central Bohemian benthic scene. Large medusas are shown floating above beds of algae and siliceous sponges, while crawling about on the ocean floor is the spiny trilobite Paradoxides gracilis (the larger of the two) along with the smaller Ellipsocephalus hoffi, both of which had originally been depicted for Divy Prasvéta (Fig. 3). As an aside, a trilobite fossil was used to ‘initiate’ the prehistoric adventure experienced by four boys in the popular 1955 film Cesta do Praveku by celebrated Czech film-maker/animator Karel Zeman (1910-1989). Burian’s palaeo-artwork was used as a guide for most of the animated models used in the film’s production, for which Josef Augusta was enlisted as a ‘technical advisor.’

5. Silurian Ocean By Silurian times, marine invertebrates had experienced another major evolutionary radiation compared with the fauna of the Cambrian and Ordovician oceans. In addition to trilobites and graptolites, other groups had attained a wide distribution including primitive gastropods, lamellibranchs, brachiopods and bryozoans. Crinoids were the most common echinoderms, and grew on long stems each of which carried a cup-like structure with a wreath of moveable arms. The precursors of present-day corals were also to be found forming extensive and multi-coloured colonies on the sea floor. Numerous types of early cephalopods (which were related to the present day spiral-shelled Nautilus), were a major faunal component, and all possessed straight or only slightlycurved shells that were often brightly patterned. Burian's 1951 reconstruction of the Silurian benthos (Fig. 4; lower) was one of the 'School painting' series of largeformat canvases depicting life through the geological ages. From 1949 to 1967 Burian produced a total of 44 paintings for this series, in collaboration with Josef Augusta as part of a Czech state education project (sadly, only 34 are known to have survived). The School painting image is a more illuminated and detailed version of Burian’s earlier (1942) depiction of the Silurian benthos (Fig. 4; upper) and represents a rocky shelf area of Central Bohemia based on fossils from the Budñany Beds at Kosor and Velká Chuchle near Prague. Amongst the beds of algae and the slender crinoid Scyphocrinus excavatus are loaf-like mats of extinct Tabulata corals and solitary calyces of Tetracorralla corals. Two genera of trilobites (left foreground) are the spiny Cheirurus and the smaller Aulacopleura, while to the right of them are two brightly-coloured cephalopods; the straight-shelled Orthoceras and Cyrtoceras with a slightly curved shell. The half-buried gastropod shells to the forefront are the helix-coiled Murchisonia (left) with the spiral-coiled Cyclotropis to the right. At lower right are two types of clam-like brachiopods. Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 9

Burian's 1955 monochrome canvas of the scorpion-like Merostomata arthropods that flourished in the murky Silurian ocean invokes a suitably haunting imagery that one might readily associate with that distant period (Fig. 6). Augusta's accompanying text was typically informative, and much of what he wrote at the time remains valid today. At 2 m in length, the larger genus, Pterygotus, was one of the most formidable predators of its day (although a similar genus Stylonurus grew to over 3 m) and may have preyed on the earliest vertebrates. Its body was composed of a relatively small cephalothorax attached to a long abdomen of 12 segments terminating in a spiny appendage (telson), while the two front appendages were equipped with pincers not unlike those of a lobster. The top of the cephalothorax featured compound eyes as well as separate individual eyes (ocelli) and on the underside were six pairs of appendages used for feeding and 'walking' over benthic surfaces. The smaller genus in the image (Eurypterus) was less than 0.3 m long and had the sixth pair of appendages modified for rowing. Augusta mentions yet another genus (Carcinusoma) that was even more scorpion-like in that it vanquished its unfortunate prey by stabbing it with its sword-like telson. 6. Armoured fishes Because the waters of the Devonian hosted such a significant expansion of ichthyological diversity, it is often referred to as the Age of Fishes. Most of Burian’s Palaeozoic ichthyology images were produced during his collaboration with Zdenék Špinar, two of which are reproduced in Fig. 7. The left image shows various armoured types including the jawless and long-snouted Pteraspis scattering as a primitive bony freshwater fish of the lobefinned genus Osteolepis enters the scene. Osteolepis possessed rudimentary air sacs and was positioned at the base of the evolutionary line that would eventually lead to the tetrapod vertebrates. To the left of the painting are two ostracoderms, Psammolepis and the armoured and flat-bodied Drepanaspis.

Ostracoderms The ostracoderms were very likely the earliest types of fishes to evolve, and were the dominant vertebrates during the Silurian and part of the Devonian. They were characterised by the lack of jaws, absence of paired fins, the presence of bony armour (which was the first true bone to evolve within the vertebrate lineage), an internal cartilaginous skeleton, and what is termed a 'heterocercal' tail. All these features in combination suggest that these were benthic dwellers that fed on organic debris and small benthic invertebrates. In 1978 fragmentary ostracoderm material was found in a North American marine deposit dated as early as the Upper Cambrian. However, it was dur-

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

ing the Silurian Period that the group underwent significant diversification with several groups being recognised. Complete ostracoderm fossils are also known from freshwater Ordovician deposits of several parts of the world including the US, Brazil and the Baltic region. Ostracoderms all possessed a very similar body morphology which may have limited their ability to diversify ecologically, and the group eventually died out. The origin of the ostracoderms impacts on major questions surrounding the earliest evolution of fishes. It is assumed that the chordate ancestors of fishes (and therefore of all vertebrates) were sessile forms that had a free-swimming larval stage upon which they depended for dispersal. Eventually, larvae capable of reproduction evolved (= neoteny) leading to the loss of the sessile adult stage altogether. Whether this evolutionary significant process occurred in marine or freshwater habitats is unknown, although some ichthyologists believe it might have eventuated in both environments, the early stages within the oceans with the later stages in freshwater.

7. Jawed-fishes - Placoderms The placoderms (= 'plate-skinned') made up another major fish group that evolved after the ostracoderms. It has been suggested that the recognised list of genera may possibly represent an artificial grouping of different types that are poorly-known from the fossil record. Having said that, most assumed placoderms exhibit similar features including true jaws, an internal ossified bony skeleton, paired fins, and a dorsoventrally compressed body sheathed in ossified dermal plates. The first three of these features were also characteristic of the bony fishes that would later replace the placoderms. Nonetheless the placoderms’ compressed bodies and dermal plates probably limited them to a largely benthic existence (although there may have been some exceptions). Within that role, they were very successful, and became far more ecologically diverse than the ostracoderms. In addition their jaws permitted them to adopt predatory habits and reach very large sizes. The right image in Fig. 7 shows two types of heavily-armoured Devonian placoderms, Pterichthyodes and Bothriolepis. Both genera, which had been contemporaries of the ostracoderms, possessed armour plates over the head and body and are believed to have been benthic dwellers, propelling themselves with thick paddle-like limbs. Placoderm remains were first discovered by the Scottish quarryman Hugh Miller and were originally distinguished by whether their pectoral fins were composed of one segment (Arthrodira) or several (Antiarcha). The earliest representatives of the Arthrodira were characterised by very large heads with anterior bodies encased in regularlyarranged bony plates, and are thought to have inhabited brackish Devonian lagoons of Europe, North America and Australia. Burian's rarely-reproduced

11

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 10

1967 School painting (Fig. 8) depicts one such giant Arthrodiran genus, Dinichthys, whose head alone was over a metre in length. The smaller fish in the image is a contemporary shark Cladoselache. Having earlier painted a very similar scene in monochrome in 1955 (inset) for inclusion in Prehistoric Animals, Burian’s coloured Dinichthys displays a more torpedolike morphology, with a second marauding example bursting out from amongst the seaweed. This image was one of the very few times that Burian managed to infuse almost as much pathos and drama into a re-painted colour version of an existing monochrome image.

Acanthodians The freshwater rivers and lakes of the Palaeozoic were inhabited by other types of primitive bony fishes; the acanthodians (sometimes referred to as 'spiny-sharks’). Acanthodians arose in the mid Silurian, diversified greatly in the Devonian, and died out in the mid Permian. They are believed to be the oldest known jawed-vertebrates, having an origin that likely predates that of the placoderms. The origin of vertebrate jaws remains a mystery but studies of the embryological stages of modern fishes suggests one possibility. Fish possess thin rods of bone or cartilage that support the gill slits and these occur in hinged pairs (each with an upper and a lower element). At some stage the front gill support may have become attached to the skull, the upper and lower sections giving rise to the upper and lower jaw sections, respectively. Acanthodians are known from many parts of the globe and most were no more than 10-15 cm in length, although species that migrated to the oceans were far larger. They had large eyes, internal skeletons that were partially ossified, and flexible streamlined bodies protected by scale-like bony plates (Fig. 9). Their most distinctive features, however, were rows of ventral paired 'fins', each of which was preceded by a stout spine. In Life before Man Špinar commented that for a predator to dare to try and consume such a fish would be akin to swallowing an open Swiss army knife. One theory holds that acanthodian 'fins' represented an intermediate stage between the less developed lateral folds that were likely used as stabilisers on tadpole-like primeval fish types, and the paired fins that are typical of today's fishes. 8.

Carboniferous

sharks The rivers and pools of the dense Carboniferous forests hosted a rich fauna; worms and lamellibranchs inhabited the muddy benthos, while gastropods and crustaceans crawled amongst the sunken, tangled vegetation, between 12

which flitted the larvae of numerous insects. Unlike the preceding Devonian waters where the top predators had been giant placoderms, with sharks assigned to a subordinate role, the placoderms had almost all died out by the end of the Devonian. Thus the main predators of Carboniferous freshwaters were small sharks that included the genus Pleuracanthus (Fig. 10). Remains of this fish are particularly well known from Upper Carboniferous and Lower Permian Czech strata (at Nýrany and Broumov, respectively) and much of what is known of this unusual fish comes from the work of the zoologist/palaeontologist Antonin Jan Friç (1832 – 1913) who specialised in studying Carboniferous and Permian ecosystems. Pleuracanthus had a cartilaginous skull and endoskeleton (the latter studded with irregular calcareous prisms), five gill arches, many small needle-like teeth, a long dorsal fin extending along most of the body's length (up to 71 cm), and paired pectoral and pelvic fins. The most unusual feature was an aerial-like spine with ridged sides that protruded from the top of the skull. These diminutive sharks shared their world with shoals of smaller fishes from the families Palaeoniscidae and Platysomidae, both of which possessed markedly laterally-compressed bodies clad with large rhombic scales. The most common genus known from Czech deposits was Amblyterus which was represented by many species. Burian's monochrome image of Pleuracanthus and Amblypterus (1941) first appeared in Divy Prasvéta and was re-painted in colour in 1964.

9. Conclusions Burian’s reconstructions of Palaeozoic fishes and marine invertebrates formed an important component of his palaeo-themed collections. Five of these images were part of the Geological Series and at least two were School paintings. As was the case with many of his palaeo-themed subjects, the most accomplished and memorable examples of his Palaeozoic scenes date from the Augustanian era. At this time Burian was still employing his special technique of b & w gouache rendering, which proved an ideal medium for depicting underwater scenes as it conveyed an impression of translucent depth and blurred movement (as evident in figures 3, 6 and 8; inset). Burian also used this technique to good effect in reconstructions of marine reptiles (to be considered in a future instalment of this series), as well as numerous illustrations for popular adventure novels set on the high seas. As mentioned in Burian’s biography (PT 116), several years after Prehistoric Animals was published he largely abandoned monochrome as a medium for palaeo-subjects, most likely due to contemporary publishers’ preference for colour printing. Following Augusta’s death, Burian’s style soon changed again and the rather formal and more systematic format in which he painted his Špinar era images is particularly discernible in his Palaeozoic benthic canvases. In comparison, his Palaeozoic ichthyological reconstructions from the same period managed to retain an Augustanian aura (particularly if converted to monochrome). In spite of these stylistic variations during his career, Burian’s Palaeozoic reconstructions convincingly portray the primeval Earth in imagery that is not only scientifically accurate but also aesthetically pleasing. Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 11

Concavenator by Phil Hore [email protected]

There is no cover; there is nowhere to hide. Instead the theropod adopts a whole new method to hunting, the casual approach. Although many of the flock were aware of the approaching carnivore and watched it carefully, because the Concavenator is walking and shows no sign of aggression or the hunting behavior that millions of years of evolution have hard wired the ornithomimosaurs to react to, that’s all they did. Through the huge flock the carnosaur walked, keeping its movement to a minimum. It did not even move its head that much; instead it used what motion its eyes have to scan for an opening in the wall of thousands of pink dinosaurs, waiting for any sort of opportunity.

© James Kuether

The flock of Pelecanimimus squawked and gabbled as they moved about the shallow edge of the lake. They had been coming here for centuries, not only to feed but also because of the tiny pebbles that made up the beach running along the water’s edge. These were a perfect size, and most of the larger adults dipped their heads and scooped up a beakful of the stones before standing back up and, with a flick and twist of their heads, swallowed them. These stones would sit in their stomachs and help grind up one of their favorite foods, which, thanks to the recent rains, had just come into season. Billions of cysts, the eggs from brine shrimp, had lain dormant in the soil for nearly two years as the region had recently suffered a mild drought. The return of rains farther inland, however, was enough to flow down from the distant highlands and fill the vast salt plain below. This water soaked into the parched earth and hydrated the eggs, which soon began to hatch. Within hours the short-lived river was teeming with brine shrimp, feeding and mating and living their microlife in the days or weeks before the waterhole dried up once more. Although these crustaceans were too small for most predators, the hundreds of tiny teeth lining a Pelecanimimus jaw meant they could suck in vast amounts of water, which they then pushed out through their closed beak. This allowed the teeth to filter the water and retain the tiny creatures inside their mouth. The flock had answered the call of these distant rains; some ancient biological imperative could recognize the sign and urge thousands of animals to head toward the salt flats.

It happened quickly, almost too quickly for an inexperienced eye to see. The theropod was just walking past one large group of nervous Pelecanimimus, which flowed like water as animals tried to get out of the way of the predator by hiding behind the only cover available, other flock members. When one of the gangly dinosaurs tripped over a juvenile and fell into the shallow water with a splash, the Concavenator suddenly came to life.

Powerful leg muscles allow it to spring into a full sprint, and the theropod charged through the water and leaped onto the struggling animal before it could clamber back to its feet. Its prey squawked and squealed and wriggled as it tried to get break free of the attack, but the carnivore had no intention of allowing this. Teeth as long as fingers snapped down on the Pelecanimimus’s elongated neck, and with a single, swift bite it was all over. As the rest of the flock ran

Wading through this brackish water, time and again the dinosaurs drop their heads, suck in water to fill the large fleshy pouch hanging under their lower jaw and along the front of their neck, and then spit the water back out again with a whooshing sound. They ate as fast and as much as possible because they have the same biological fear as the brine shrimp—the water drying out and forcing them back to the more normal hit-and-miss hunt for fish. This short-termed diet had another effect on the dinosaurs as well: their feathers and skin were hued with a deep pink color. These bird-like dinosaurs were not the only ones whose biological predisposition answered the call of this windfall. Watching the flock feed were the hungry eyes of a predator. Unlike other theropods, which prefer the hideand-dash method to hunting, this Concavenator had adopted an entirely new style. Stepping onto the flat plain stretching out to the horizon, the theropod walked slowly toward the distant shimmering lake.

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

13

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 12

away, the carnivore picked up the dead dinosaur and, with unnatural ease, walked out of the pool with its meal hanging limply from its jaws.

© Henry Sharpe

Back on dry ground, the Concavenator dropped the Pelecanimimus, looked around to make sure it was not going to be interrupted by another © Quentin Brendel

predator wanting a piece of its prize, and then lowered its head to feed. It began by first tearing away the annoying feathers covering the dead animal’s body to get at the soft flesh beneath, before biting into the thick thigh with a loud crack of bone. Back along the plain, the flock settled down and soon also returned to feeding, safe once more until the next h u n g r y predator appears.

seems to have something unusual about it, and the 2010 discovery in Spain was no different. Concavenator corcovatus, the ‘hump-backed hunter from Cuenca’, was a medium-sized theropod (around 20 feet long and 12 feet high and weighing a little over 1 ton) that lived during the Early Cretaceous. A single, nearcomplete skeleton was unearthed in Cuenca, Spain, contained in lithographic limestone. Nicknamed Pepito, this fossil was discovered in the 1980s when a pine-

A dinosaur called Pepito © Gregory S. Paul

The more we find, the more unusual the world of dinosaurs seems to become. Every new discover y these days

14

tree digger cut through the richest vein of fossils ever found on the Iberian Peninsula. Even today many of these fossils lay unprepared, and when roadworks through the region uncovered even more fossils in 2007, they revealed a new theropod skeleton that quickly caught the world’s imagination. Thanks to its fantastic state of fossilization, numerous features not normally seen—including the impressions of plantar pads (the pad tissue that cushions the foot bones from impacts with the ground), the corneous

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 13

© Tallack Refshaw In the last issue we talked about Acrocanthosaurus, that strange American carnivore with the long neural spines running all the way down its back, giving the theropod an unusual crest. Concavenator had something a little different. The paleontologists studying the fossil discovered an unusual series of elongated vertebrae along the spine, specifically the two just before the hips and several smaller ones down the tail. This would have given Concavenator a small hump or sail jutting above its rear legs, with a smaller ridge then running farther down the tail. Depending on the reconstruction, the dinosaur either resembles a weird, camel-like creature with a hump or that something bigger had just taken a bite out of its back. Either way, it was a strange-looking dinosaur.

© Eivind Bovor

It turns out this strange distribution of tall spines is not that unusual or unknown in paleontology. It also means I may have jumped the gun when I said this was a new species to science.

© Hector Garcia S.

In the 1850s, unearthed in the UK was a fossil that was then sent to the world’s leading expert on all things prehistoric at the time, Richard Owen. The specimen contained only three vertebrae, and two of these contained elongated spines—with the third slightly shorter but still elongated compared to a normal vertebra. Since there Model by Sean Cooper were so few dinosaurs known at the time, Owen believed that the fossil was from the shoulder of Megalosaurus, possibly explaining why the croc-like reconstruction of the theropod still in the Crystal Gardens today possesses a hump. These vertebrae have undergone a few name changes over the years as more theropods were uncovered— including Altispinax and Acrocanthosaurus—before being named Becklespinax in 1991. It may, however end up being another specimen of Concavenator. Note: In comparison to a magazine that embraces pride and thankfulness and constant amazement at the contributions from so many awe-inspiring paleoartists out there, I would like to take this moment to tip my hat to the skills of the artists who illustrated so many of the fossils during the nineteenth century. With no photography and minimal casting skills, the only

© Jacob Micallef

sheaths (the horn-like structure that makes up the claws), skin scales with hexagonal shapes, and, along the tail, the outline of the body—were found. Because of these preserved features, only one side of the block has been removed, and it’s highly unlikely the limestone will ever be cleared from the other side of the specimen to uncover what might be contained there as this very act will destroy many of the preserved impressions. It took some time to figure it out, but it’s almost certain Concavenator was an early carcharodontosaurid,a group known for their enormous size and bizarre physical features. This means the Spanish specimen is also the most complete member of this group ever found, missing only part of its jaw and tail. Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

© Mike Landry

15

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 14

way to present a visual image of the specimen you were researching was to create an illustration, and here you can see Joseph Dinkel’s amazing lithograph of the Becklespinax fossil. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becklespinax#/media/File:Becklespinax.jpg Normally a nice-looking hump or sail on the back would be enough to make a dinosaur interesting, but paleontologists working on Concavenator were in for a surprise as they continued investigating the specimen. Along the forearm (ulna bones) they noticed small bumps, all arrayed in a direct line. These had been seen before on dinosaurs that had feathers, an indication that this early carcharodontosaurid had quills or perhaps even feathers running along its arms. What these were used for is anyone’s guess, though likely they were for mating displays like those on many male birds today.

Crystal Palace Megalosaurus with hump

The presence of either feathers or quills would have been considered

© Clinton Harris © Andrew Wong

unusual a few years Safari Ltd. figure drawn ago in a dinosaur that by Mike Fredericks is not part of the Coelurosauria line (the theropod branch that led to birds) but no longer. Such features have been found in numerous nonavian dinosaur species, including Psittacosaurus, an ornithischian dinosaur at the bottom of the ceratopian family tree, meaning it had no relationship to birds at all. © Bruce Horton The discovery of these features tells us that feathers and quills were more prevalent than we have previously believed. The presence of Concavenator quills is suggestive that most theropods may 16

© Ruben Portillo

© Matt Wileyto

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 15

© Nickolaos Papadimitriou

well have had some form of featherlike structure covering their bodies. I should also point out that not everyone agrees with the significance of these bony knobs. There are suggestions that they were little more than scars where muscles attached to the bone. Whatever they were, Concavenator is proving to be an amazing specimen, and we

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

© Ryan McMurry © Ryan McMurry

© Henry Sharpe

have to wonder what might be hiding on the other side of that slab. Concavenator is still a newly discovered dinosaur so you wouldn’t expect there to be any figures of it being produced yet, but you would be wrong. All three of the fine toy companies that advertise in Prehistoric Times magazine (Safari Ltd., CollectA, and GeoWorld) already offer their own beautiful figures of this peculiar-looking dinosaur.

17

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 16

GODZILLA FANS! www.g-fan.com

Subscribe Today! Important Announcement!

Dinosaur Playsets

An Illustrated Guide to the Prehistoric Playsets of Marx and MPC Expanded Edition Response to this book has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are sorry to say that this book is now completely SOLD OUT! Rather than printing up a new batch of copies, author Jeff Pfeiffer has created an Expanded Edition to his first book. All of the information from the first volume is here but with the addition of many new and improved photos and a new chapter devoted to the prehistoric figures from such “easily confused with Marx” companies as Ajax, Nabisco, TimMee, and Ja-Ru! Playsets and other items that were not available during the production of the first volume are included as well! This new edition features over 250 full color photographs, encompassing even more boxed playsets, carded sets, and bagged sets than before! The new addition will be available this fall or early winter. If you would like to be put on the waiting list, contact Jeff Pfeiffer - [email protected]

T!

U LD O

SO

Perhaps the most endearing of dinosaur collectibles to many people are the lines of figures and playsets produced by the Louis Marx Toy Company. The figures have attained a near iconic status among collectors of dinosaur toys and memorabilia. Frequently considered something of a “baby sister” to the Marx dinosaur line is the series of prehistoric figures and playsets put out by the Multiple Products Corporation (MPC) at roughly the same time period. Often confused with one another, the dinosaur output of these two companies has shaped the perception of what these prehistoric beasts were like in the minds of generations of children and adults. Author Jeff Pfeiffer has been an avid collector of Marx and MPC prehistoric playsets for over a decade. In that time he has amassed an extensive collection of playsets from both companies. His passion for dinosaurs began in childhood, when he was given his first set of MPC dinosaur figures as a birthday present, and continues to the present day. Jeff presents Dinosaur Playsets to devotees of the dinosaurs of Marx and MPC as an indispensable tool in their own collecting passions!

The book will be available from the author for $42.00 + $3 shipping & handling, via PayPal to: [email protected], or email Jeff at [email protected] for an invoice. As a special offer, if you purchased the first edition of “Dinosaur Playsets”, you can buy this expanded edition at a 30% discount at the price of only $30 + $3 shipping, as a way of saying "thank you" to all those who supported and purchased the first edition of this book. If you don’t use PayPal, Jeff also accepts money orders (email first for details). 18

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 17

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 18

How to Draw Dinosaurs By Tracy Lee Ford

Figure 1. Two different feeding styles of metoposaurs (after Ford 2000).

[email protected]

Open WIDE! on substrate with their lower jaws resting on the hard substrate. Even when the crocodilian is attacking prey as it ventures too close to the shoreline, it is the upper jaw that does the majority of movement. This is not to say that the lower jaw doesn’t move; the lower jaw moves to a lesser degree than the upper. The jaws need a quick closure to trap or catch its prey. This is also seen in temnospondyls (such as metoposaurids, capitosaurids) (Figure 1). The buzzard has a shallow gape, 50.5 degrees (Figure 2). He found that Erlikosaurus had an even shallower gape, 43.5 degrees. Tyrannosaurus had a large gape, 63.5 degrees, whereas Allosaurus had a much larger gape, 79 degrees! Why such a large gape? Biting sauropods, stegosaurs? This is not to say that they always opened their mouths that wide, just that if they needed too, they could. The jaw muscles mainly are to close the jaws, which is why you can use duct tape to keep an alligator’s mouth closed, even though it has hundreds of pounds of force to close its jaws. The same is true for dinosaurs, though I doubt using duct tape on a Tyrannosaurus rex would keep its mouth closed (Figure 2). I don’t know if all allosauroids were able to open their mouth as wide as Allosaurus could, and I don’t think research has been done on how wide Carcharodontosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Acrocanthosaurus, etc., could open their mouth. Figure 2. A, B, Gape in the American alligator. C, D, Gape in the common buzzard. (A-D, After Lautenschlager 2015.) This is my 98th article for Prehistoric Times, and I’m looking forward to my 100th article. I was thinking that the topic of the jaw gape in theropods would be an interesting topic for this issue and would lead to intriguing illustrations. It’s been known for quite some time that Allosaurus had a large gape. Last year Stephan Lautenschlager published his research on jaw muscles and the gape in theropods: Lautenschlanger, S., 2015, “Estimating cranial musculoskeletal constraints in the theropod dinosaurs,” Royal Society open science, published online, 14 pp., which is open access (http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/royopensci/2/11/150495.f ull.pdf). He studied living animals (American alligator and common buzzard) and compared them to three theropods (Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, and Erlikosaurus). The American alligator has a gape of 56 degrees. It should be noted though that crocodilians open and close their jaws differently from that of other animals, in that the lower jaw is stationary, and it is the upper jaw that has the most movement as it opens and closes, whereas in other animals it is the lower jaw that opens and closes. The only animals that have this kind of jaw closure are animals that lie in wait (ambush hunter) mainly 20

Another thing to look at is if the skull was kinetic or akinetic. Kinetic means the skull elements moved. In many modern birds, their skull is loosely held together, and so they have a kinetic skull. A parrot’s skull is the most kinetic bird skull. That is why they are able to manipulate food with their beaks so well. It has been suggested that Tyrannosaurus had a kinetic skull, with the nasals and maxilla moving as one unit. McClelland (1990) wrote his thesis on the kinesis of an Allosaurus skull: “Anatomy and kinesis of the Allosaurus skull” (freely available on the Internet: https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/ttuir/bitstream/handle/2346/10437/31295005871131.pdf%3bsequence=1). He showed that the skull is kinetic and that the lower part of the skull moves along with the upper skull, especially at the posterior end of the skull. The lower jaw has a joint near its mid-area (where the dentary, splenial, angular, and surangular meet) and a loose attachment where the dentaries attach. The dentary connection was loose and could separate slightly allowing the animal to take a larger piece of meal, similar to how a snake eats. This would allow the skull to have a wider gap than usual to swallow large pieces of meat. The mandibular joint is also seen in nearly all theropods, though there is no the loosely fitting dentary joint. Frazzetta et al. (2002) suggest the skull of Allosaurus was movable. Its skull had a movable or sliding basal joint, and there was a transverse “hinge” across the back of the skull, which would functionally separate the bones between the braincase and lower jaw. Allosaurus has unfused nasals and premaxillae, which allowed each side of Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 19

the skull to move slightly or independently while biting down. Just imagine a n

Don’t forget to visit my two websites; my original Dinohunter (http://www.dinohunter.info) and Paleofile (http://www.paleofile.com). Paleofile has several areas and an easy index (just click on the name, and it will take you to the systematic list), or you can go directly to the systematic list (eggs and ichnology included). Click on the name in the list, and it will take you to a more compressive listing: genus, species, etymology, holotype (lecto-, para-, etc.), locality, horizon (formation), biostratigraphy (faunal zone if known), age, material, and referred material. There will be two faunal lists, one in which you can check your area or any area in the world to see what animals were found there and the other will be ages. If you’re interested in Biostratigraphy, you can see which animals lived with which at that time from around the world.

Figure 4. Kinesis in the skull of Allosaurus. A, B, Nonkinetic skull. C, D, Kinetic movement of the skull. (A-D, After McClelland 1990.)

Figure 3. Gape in theropods. A, B, Allosaurus. C, D, Tyrannosaurus. E, F, Erlikosaurus. (A-F, After Lautenschlager 2015.) Allosaurus swallowing whole a small dinosaur or some other small animal it lived with or latching onto a sauropod with its jaws open wide. However, this ability is not universally accepted, since Rayfield et al. (2002) disagree with a movable skull in Allosaurus. Although Allosaurus had a wider gape, it had a lesser bite force than Tyrannosaurus. Allosaurus was a biter; Tyrannosaurus was a crusher.

Two possible appearances for this issue’s featured dinosaur Concavenator. The bones found are in white. © Tracy Ford

Both my volumes of How to Draw Dinosaurs is available on Amazon.com, and my Generic Dinosaur Skull a Day Calendar, (2 volumes), and my novel Dinosaur Isle. Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

21

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 20

A long-spined, shorttailed stegosaur from Wyoming By Kenneth Carpenter Prehistoric Museum, Price, Utah 84501 [email protected]

In his 1914 description of Stegosaurus, Charles Gilmore named Stegosaurus longispinus for a partial stegosaur skeleton in the University of Wyoming dinosaur collection. The specimen was collected from the Morrison Formation in 1908. The exact spot is unfortunately no longer known, except that it was found about 1.5 miles east of the small town of Alcova in central Wyoming. That would place the site on the north side of the Alcova Anticline. The site became a brief attraction for the locals.

1. A meeting of two Alcovasaurus longispinus in a dry riverbed. Background vegetation consists of various juniper-like conifers and Auracaria, both adapted to dry climate. The field photographs were probably take by William Reed, the same Reed who was one of the collectors for O.C. Marsh. Reed worked at the University of Wyoming from 1899 to 1915, building up their dinosaur collections. We do not know how Reed came to excavate the stegosaur, but it was one of many dinosaurs he excavated during his life. The field photographs were taken on glass plates, a rather cumbersome process. They show that the bones were widely scattered and not articulated. One important photograph shows the tail spikes as they apparently lay relative to one another, although none of the tail vertebrae are present. So why does Alcovasaurus longispinus warrant being a separate genus from Stegosaurus where it was originally placed by Gilmore? The short answer is that it has a weird tail! Besides the two pairs of really long spikes (90% of the femur length), the tail itself was apparently shorter to compensate for the increased weight. It did so by shortening the front-to-back lengths of the vertebrae. Admittedly there are gaps of missing vertebrae, but all that remain do indicate a proportionally shorter tail. Biomechanically, this makes sense if the spikes themselves are so much longer (they increase

2. Print from a damaged glass plate showing visiting school teachers and possibly their chaperone (dark suit) on the left, behind the femur of Alcovasaurus. On the right is the man and his son(?) who helped with the excavation. Courtesy S.H. Knight Collection, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. Gilmore lists the specimen as consisting of 42 vertebrae from all parts of the backbone, fragmentary sacrum, two ischia, portion of one pubis, right femur, several ribs, and four tail spines, two of which are fairly complete. He characterized the species as having unusually long tail spikes (hence the species name) unusual vertebrae from near the end of the tail; these were low, circular in end view, had nubbin-like processes projecting from the side of the vertebrae, and the front and rear ends of the vertebrae were mushroom-shaped (meaning the rim was expanded out passed the body of the vertebra), producing a rolling surface. Unfortunately, the only known specimen was largely destroyed when an overhead steam pipe where the specimen was exhibited burst in the late 1920s. The heat and moisture wreaked havoc on the fragile bones and whatever glue was used on the fragments undoubtedly gave way. All that remains today are the femur and two plaster of Paris casts of two spines; another set of the same spine casts is housed at the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution). A chance discovery by dinosaur paleontologist Peter Galton and me of photographs taken during the excavation and as it was displayed at the University of Wyoming Geology Museum caused us to reevaluate this spiny dinosaur. From new information, we were able to rename this dinosaur Alcovasaurus longispinus in 2016 (email me if you want a pdf of the publication). 22

3. Photograph showing a scattering of bone on the quarry floor. The femur originally lay across the two ischia. Courtesy S.H. Knight Collection, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

the amount of mass, or "stuff" at the end of the tail; here mass and weight mean the same). The "why" of the shorter tail you can understand by holding some moderately heavy object (like a hardback book) straight-armed away from you (parallel to the floor). You'll notice you have to counter the downward pull (that gravity thing). Now shorten your arm by bending at the elbow, keeping your forearm parallel to the floor. You'll note how much easier it is to hold the book. There is actually a lot going on in the two positions, but underlying them is that what is called the lever-arm (your arm or the tail) wants to rotate (at your shoulder or base of the tail) downwards in response to the force of gravity; this is called torque. If you have ever tried Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 21

5. The original display of Alcovasaurus in the University of Wyoming Science Hall museum. In the background are four dorsal vertebrae characterized by their tall neural arches and a single cervical vertebra to the right of them (the perspective makes it look like part of a tail vertebra). In the foreground are the tail vertebrae. The abrupt change in vertebrae height shows that some vertebrae are missing. The two longest tail spikes are held precariously by string. The mass to the left includes vertebrae and the to loosen a nut from a bolt, you know that a longer wrench makes this work pelvis. Courtesy S.H. Knight Collection, American Heritage Center, easier. That is because a longer lever arm can direct more force of rotation University of Wyoming. at the nut. In the case of the tail, shortening the lever-arm allows the tail to to get an 8½ inch, 14-pound bowling ball hold more mass (weight) at its end. This rolling with one finger than an equalexample shows why understanding sized 1-pound basketball. Why? Because basic physics does have practical use in the solid stuff of the bowling ball is dinosaur paleontology, something I did denser, so has more mass (and more not fully appreciate in high school and weight), than the air-filled basketball. college. Likewise, it takes more force to get the mass of the tail spikes moving, so Back to Alcovasaurus, other differpulling on the entire length of the tail can ences include the projections, called make up for the increased mass. This is transverse processes, from the sides of like choking-up on a bat or hammer to the tail vertebrae. We know from crocomake it easier to swing. diles that these processes are connected to one another with sheets of parchSo now you know what makes ment-like tissue, called appropriately Alcovasaurus unique, but leaves unanenough, connective tissue. The processswered the question of why the long es also separate the upper and lower tail spikes in the first place. For that we must muscles, the most important of which is understand the purpose of the tail spikes the caudofemoralis longus muscle in stegosaurs. Elsewhere I have along the underside. This muscle typidescribed a tail vertebra of the carnivore cally pulls the hind leg backwards, Allosaurus that shows a partially healed which then pushes the body forward in puncture wound into which a a step. But the caudofemoralis muscle Stegosaurus tail spike fits nicely. This can also move the tail, which is how specimen supports the long-held notion crocodiles can whack you or how that stegosaur tail spikes served as Stegosaurus and Ankylosaurus can defensive weapons. With Alcovasaurus, aggressively use the weapons on the the longer spikes allow for a longer reach ends of their tails against predators with less movement of the tail, and once looking for dinner. In most dinosaurs, moving would have greater force behind the processes tend to disappear somethe blow because of the greater mass. where near the middle of the tail, which It is unfortunate that no one has found in crocodiles also marks the end of the another specimen of Alcovasaurus caudofemoralis longus. In because there is so much about this aniAlcovasaurus, the processes extend mal that we do not know, such as the size clear to the end of the tail, suggesting 6. Skeletal reconstruction of Alcovasaurus longispinus in top (A) and shape of the back plates or the shape that part of the caudofemoralis extend- and side (B) views, compared with Stegosaurus stenops also in top of the head. I have no doubt that someed that far as well. This raises the ques(C) and side (D) views. The front pair of spikes have wider bases day another specimen will be found – tion of why Alcovasaurus needed such a and so presumably were longer than the rear pair. In addition, the and that will be really cool. long caudofemoralis. This again goes angles of the bases indicate that the spikes did not sweep backwards back to the mass (weight) imposed by as much as in S. stenops either. Scale is 1 meter on a side. S. stenops the long tail spikes. It takes more force courtesy of Greg Paul. 4. Another photograph showing a scattering of bones, including the tail spikes. Note that they appear to lie in natural position relative to one another. If true, the front pair of spikes were proportionally farther from the rear pair than in Stegosaurus stenops. Courtesy S.H. Knight Collection, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

23

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 22

Dinosauriana,

The Essential Guide to Collectible, Figural Toy and Model Dinosaurs

With over 9000 full color photos and a wealth of information on dinosaur and prehistoric animal collectibles from the 20th century by expert Joe DeMarco and a half dozen other experts, this ely v i s n e t disc allows you to also become the x E w d o e N t expert with just a touch of a pd U your computer mouse. Pick up your copy of this computer disc direct from the author. Please note it is a PDF format so you must have Adobe Reader. The disc sells for $25 including shipping. Contact Joe at [email protected]. Joe accepts Paypal.

24

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/5/17 10:28 AM Page 23

LEFT: I thought this was a fun collectible,

even though homemade. Probably, either a child made this or an adult made this for a child but they cut up an ad for Nabisco Wheat Honeys and Rice Honeys cereal, out of a newspaper, that advertised a free dinosaur toy being given away in every box. They glued the paper pieces to a postcard and mailed it in August of 1957 (It costs 3c) to Cincinnati, Ohio. Little did Nabisco know the effect these dino toys would have on so many children who grew up to be lifelong dinosaur fans and even famous paleontologists.

By Mike Fredericks

y

ABOVE: You know what I always say, it wouldn’t be Collector’s Corner without a Sinclair Oil dinosaur collectible. This 1960s era paperweight is made of a 5” long alabaster base with a metal “Dino” the Sinclair dinosaur mascot attached. It reads, “Sinclair” on this side (as you can see) and “Go Dino” on the other side of the metal base that Dino stands upon. This is a strange combination. I have seen this metal “Dino” on metal trays and a different metal “Dino” looking backward on an alabaster base but never these two together before now.

ABOVE: I have always loved these bone china,

ABOVE: Jurassic Park script signed by most of the cast and Michael Crichton

ceramic dinosaur figures of the 1960s made in Japan. There are many varieties. A larger (5”) version of these figures is more common but this set of six is much smaller at about 2-3” long. Each has its name written on the bottom and a foil sticker on its side that reads, “Mitaki Bone China Japan.” I also show a close-up of the Stegosaurus above.

ABOVE: Do you collect dinosaur stamps? These are two nice examples of first day of issue envelopes ABOVE: Handsome, old flyer for the classic silent movie “The for the U.S. stamp celebrating the Jurassic Park movie. The envelope Lost World” from 1925 based upon the story by Sir Arthur on the left had gold foil on it. Conan Doyle. In the film, Professor Challenger and his intrepid crew discover a world of prehistoric monsters (effects created by Willis H. O’Brien) long thought to be extinct.

LEFT: Recently, the Topps Company had a

Kick Starter Project on the internet that produced a new set of Mars Attacks cards titled “Occupation.” It included a beautiful nine card subset of newly designed “Dinosaurs Attacks” cards, some of which even included art by William Stout.

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

ABOVE: It has been a while since I showed these in PT (from my own collection.) They are 1960s metal, friction toys (with wheels underneath) made in Japan by the Louis Marx subsidiary company Linemar. I’m pretty sure six is a complete set (although I’m very surprised they didn’t make a Brontosaurus) The Stegosaurus had rubbery plates on its back that melted away with time. They were obviously designed with the plastic Marx figures in mind.

25

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 24

Dinosaur Collector News by Randy Knol [email protected] www.dinosaurcollectorsitea.com Masiakasaurus was a noasaurid; small predators that were found in Gondwana in the Late Cretaceous that lived in Madagascar. It was distinct, with teeth that protruded from its jaw almost horizontally. It was about waist height to a human. It is best known to the public from the PBS Dinosaur Train program character “Bucky, the buck-tooth dinosaur”. Tomy produced a colorful figure for preschoolers. The Wild Safari figure is a sophisticated figure made for mature dinophiles. The Wild Safari figure is dark green that fades to a lighter green on the undersides. The torso has black stripes from the back of the head to the end of the tail. The head is very detailed, with the teeth individually painted. It has red eyes, black nostrils and ear holes. The hands have fourWild Safari & Tomy clawed fingers; Masiakasaurus a characteristic of ceratosaurs and the theropod three-toed foot. The mouth is wide and pink. The scale is large following the popular trend for smaller dinosaurs. A few years ago I would have called this an obscure dinosaur but it is showing up regularly in children’s shows. Shunosaurus is from the Middle Jurassic of China. Very few Middle Jurassic figures are made, but Safari ltd offers one of the widest ranges. It is a relatively small sauropod at 9 – 10 meters in length. It is an attractive looking figure with a short neck and a spiked tail club. The simple gold and white pattern is surprisingly eye catching. There is a fringe along the spine, the mouth and feet are detailed, and there is a cloaca. Wild Safari kept the figure small so that the size difference relative to their other sauropods is visible. This is an excellent figure and is another good candidate for figure of the year. CollectA Deluxe released their feathered and articulated Tyrannosaurus at the very end of 2015. Originally it had been intended as a 2016 release. This outstanding Geoworld release got lost in all the noise about the new Stygimoloch spinosaur figures. This is a large figure at least 1/40 scale similar in size to the Papo walking T rex. It is mounted on a base so the feet are very avian; the Papo figure needs bigger feet to keep its bipedal stance. The CollectA figure has a covering of dino fuzz that bulks out the body. The naked skin on the Papo figure gives a shrink wrap appearance that is dated. Interestingly I could not find a Papo stamp on the figure. The figures share pronated forearms and detailed teeth. On the Papo figure the forearms are longer where the CollectA body envelopes the upper arms as is reconstructed by most paleontologists. Both have extended and raised tails. The CollectA figures’ black crocodilian eyes are strongly stereoscopic where the Papo figure’s is less so. They make an interesting contrast with the CollectA pushing the boundaries of the evidence with a fully feathered look and the Papo figure representing the older minimalist look. You need to get the Deluxe figure with a trio of the baby tyrannosaurs. The Popular series tyrannosaurs are all painted in the 26

same Woodpecker pattern the Deluxe figure uses. Together they make a convincing family group. This is a very successful concept and a favorite of mine. Dean Walker of deJankins.com, a great collector resource, tells me juveniles are very popular and he has been selling them out. The CollectA Popular Metriacanthosaurus is a choice that reflects the company’s designer’s roots, englishman Anthony Beeson. Metriacanthosaurus was a Late Jurassic CollectA Deluxe feathered Tyrannosaurus rex theropod found in England. The fossils are fragmentary, so any reconstruction is based on related animals like Sinraptor. There are references to Metriacanthosaurus in the Jurassic Park books and games, so there is some name recognition among the public. The figure is mounted on a base; a standard that is spreading among figure makers but pioneered by CollectA. The dinosaur is narrow-bodied and active with a spotted blue gray color scheme. The hands are pronated and the tail has a feline flex. There is a dorsal fringe and slight rise along the spine and lots of skull details. The ridges of the skull are touched in gold. The teeth and mouth are detailed. The 2017 releases have been posted; Gigantspinosaurus, Einiosaurus, Styracosaurus, Regaliceratops, Deinocheirus, Kronosaurus, Basilosaurus, Excalibosaurus, Dimorphodon, Uintatherium and the Prehistoric Sea Life Minis. The GeoWorld Stygimoloch was released as part of the Dino Dan TV series from Nickelodeon. A popular theory is that Stygimoloch and Dracorex are actually early growth stages of the much larger Pachycephalosaurus. The Dracorex releases by Wild Safari and CollectA are just enough smaller to pass as younger versions. The GeoWorld figure is robustly constructed and is mounted on a base. There is an off-yellow base color that is air brushed with an ocher color on the top, giving the figure a two-tone look. There are prominent neck spikes, and a dome on the head with a series of bumps along the snout. The original paint reflects the preschool market of the TV program, but the medium is very paint-friendly. This would make a good custom paint project. The Schleich Barapasaurus is part of their “Prehistoric Giants” release. I found this one very distinct, because this is outside the expected range of figures we normally see from Schleich. The releases of the past few years have consisted of variants of previous releases or figures with public name recognition. In other words; they have been playing it safe. Barapasaurus is an Early Jurassic sauropod from India. The only other dinosaur toy figure from India is the much later CollectA Rajasaurus. Barapasaurus is a basal sauropod, and no skull is known. The model torso is brown with elephantine folds. The sauropod has the chunky Schleich style. The head is strongly built like Camarasaurus with an open mouth and the back has large fleshy spikes and a red wash. It has what look like osteoderms painted blue. The tail is carried low, but does not drag. The figure is the most original we have seen from Schleich, and the 2017 releases seem to be back to the cautious strategy with a new Allosaurus, CollectA Metriacanthosaurus

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 25

Schleich Baraposaurus & Wild Safari Utahraptor and Brachiosaurus. The stegosaur pointing to the rear like modern birds, where it Shunosaurus from the volcano play set will be sold indepenshould point more forward. The PNSO figure dently. lacks accuracy of the Wild Safari figure, but more Peking Natural Science-art Organization so than the Schleich. Schleich, Papo and Wild (PNSO) is a scientific art research institution, Safari have a tripod stance for their Archaeopteryx producing beautiful prehistoric animal figures but I like that PNSO uses a Pheasant like pose with (as well as modern animal figures). They offer the tail erect. The playset comes with a vine-covsmall attractive figures packaged with mini ered cave, a black and white Microraptor, a very posters. One of these is Archaeopteryx. collectable pterosaur, a repainted Compsognathus, Coincidently, Schleich has released an a baby theropod and the standard Carnotaurus, Archaeopteryx as an accessory of the dinosaur and Quetzalcoatlus. The Microraptor is being cave playset. Schleich’s best work is their accessories. It is an interesting released independently for 2017. comparison between the two figures. The Schleich Archaeopteryx has bright Kinto catalogues list their figures with a charter string staring with the letblue and red jungle bird plumage whereas the PNSO figure is a mix of ter “F” followed by a unique number. The 13 figures of the My Favorite, browns and whites like a modern game fowl. FDW series, are the best known Kinto dinosaur line Kinto Ankylosaurus Ironically, recent work with the fossil melanosomes outside of Japan. The FP Prehistoric Life, a new suggests that it was a black raven-colored animal. Cambrian series, the mini-series and the 21 figures The key features that distinguish Archaeopteryx are of the FD series plus others are all sold in Japan. I a long bony tail, teeth, with three claws on the recently obtained The Kinto FD305 Ankylosaurus; wing, hyper-extensible second toes, and a partially the style of the series is very retro but has color reversed first toe. Most recently, a fossil shows leg schemes like the My Favorite. It is scaled to the My feathers like those on Microraptor. Both figures Favorite; it’s based in steel blue, with ivory armor have a bony tail and three claws. The Schleich figand a black club. The club is four bony nodules with ure has small teeth, but the PNSO figure has a the tail reared up like the Papo figure. This is in an closed mouth so teeth are improbable posture; the club was restricted to a side-to-side swing. There not visible. Neither figure are rows of knobs and plates on the back and spines projecting to the side Schleich & PNSO Archaeopteryx has the raptor claw as seen from the body like a nodosaur. The effect generates a ghost of the Marx toy. in the Wild Safari figure. For all their different series, pretty much the same dozen plus dinosaurs are The upper thighs on the done over and over again like Marx. Perhaps that is why they are not exportPNSO figure are ed, and we do not know much about them. trousered, but not the whole leg. Both figures have the first toe or hallux

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

27

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 26

A NEW WRINKLE IN TIME-ING MARX SETS by Pat Schaefer

In PT #107, we borrowed concepts from the science of geology to create our own “outcrop” of Marx playsets. We examined this outcrop to deduce the history of the Marx Stegosaurus dinosaur figures. Outcrops of rock are what geologists interpret to tell the history of the earth. In geologic outcrops, the exposed rock layers make an ordered stack; the oldest rocks are at the bottom and the youngest on top. Each stack of rocks is a chapter in the history of the earth just waiting to be read. In geology, each layer is called a strata, and the study of these layers is known as stratigraphy, and not, as in our transposed terminology, “stackigraphy”. We created a Marx outcrop by choosing sets and putting them into an ordered stack, with the oldest set on the bottom and the youngest on top. We chose to determine the order of the sets based on their sightings in commercial toy catalogs. We bemoaned the fact that unlike in geology, the stacked boxes in our Marx “stackigraphic record” cannot be timed with radioisotopes. It is the isotope readings that directly connect the ordered strata of the geologic outcrop to the calendar year, as if these rocks were laid down 100 million years before present (MYBP). Well, we have discovered a sort of analog to the use of radioisotopes in geochronology. We call them timing marks. In this article, we will be timing Marx with timing marks. But first, we need to get on the same page with a couple of asides. Trademark aside. There is an official US trademark database online. Much of the info in this article has been cribbed from there. The following is quoted in abbreviated form from this site (http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-getting-started/trademark-basics/trademark-patent-or-copyright), “A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. Unlike patents and copyrights, trademarks do not expire after a set term of years. Trademark rights come from actual “use”. Therefore, a trademark can last forever, so long as you continue to use the mark in commerce to indicate the source of goods. A trademark registration can also last forever, so long as you file specific documents and pay fees at regular intervals. Must all trademarks be registered? No, registration is not mandatory. You can establish “common law” rights in a mark based solely on use of the mark in commerce, without a registration. Each time you use your mark, it is best to use a designation with it. If registered with the USPTO, use the ® symbol after your mark. If not registered, you may use TM for goods, to indicate that you have adopted this as a “common law” trademark.” Naming convention aside. We are working on an article about Marx P(aper) products, no room here, but want to begin to use its new naming convention. We will identify a few Marx sets by combining the ad copy on the paper product, with the Marx P (aper) product identifier. So one set, now commonly referred to as the P-1078, translates into three sets: the “Prehistoric Monsters & Cavemen” on card No. P-1078, the “Prehistoric Monsters” on card No. P-1078, and the “Prehistoric Monsters First Series” on card No. P-1078. Now we are ready to talk about the Marx timing marks. That is, the 28

MAR(x) mark, MARX mark, MARX Tire mark, HERCULES mark, H (ercules) mark, the K (rypton) mark, and there will be just a nod to our old friend, MARXIE. The MAR(x) mark: 10/1/1925 - 9/14/1959. The familiar MAR(x) mark is the oldest of this group, It graced toy packaging for 34 years, identifying the product as one of the many toys made by Louis Marx & Company. Mar(x) ® is a registered trademark: registered: 4/25/1939; first commercial use: 10/1/1925; reassigned: 11/8/1960. Marx products displaying the MAR(x) mark: Nos. 3389, 3390, 3391, & 3392; “Prehistoric Animal Set 13 piece set” in box No. P-913, “Prehistoric Monsters & Cavemen” on card No. P-1078, “Prehistoric animals and cavemen 16 piece set” in box No. P-1029. Comment: Why pick an end date like “9/14/1959”? Well, it ties into the beginning of the next Marx mark, AND it marks the end of the 1958 Toy Year. Toy Year aside. What is a Toy Year? Some of you may remember, the School Year. You know, when school started in September, just after Labor Day, and ran, into the next calendar year, to the end of May. After reading articles in PFPC (Plastic Figure & Playset Collector Magazine) about the Louis Marx toy company and how it operated, we decided to make this calendar distinction. The 1959 Toy Year ran from August 1959 thru August 1960. Sears catalogs followed a similar course. The 1959 Toy Year began with the Sears 1959 Christmas Wishbook and ended with the 1960 Sears Toy catalog. Here, available until September 1, 1960, were the same toys as in the Xmas catalog: the same toys!, the same catalog pages!!, even the same page numbers, no matter what the actual page count of the Toy Catalog!!! The MARX mark: 9/15/1959 - 12/31/1974. This second mark is probably the one, we are all most familiar with, and, the one, we hoped was on the box of ALL our presents. MARX ® is a registered trademark: registered: 11/8/1960; first commercial use: 9/15/1959; used in another form: 10/1/1925; filed: 2/29/1960; cancellation date: 2/27/1991. Marx products displaying the MARX mark: Nos. 3392 & 3398, the 0645, “Prehistoric animals and cavemen 16 piece set” in box No. P-1029, “Prehistoric Monsters” on card No. P-1078, “Prehistoric Monsters First Series” on card No. P-1078, “Prehistoric Monsters & Mammals Second Series” on card No. P-1292, No. 3398 (1971 - 1974). Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 27

Comment: First commercial use: 9/15/1959. Why this date? This date reveals the Marx philosophy of just in time manufacturing. Ok, maybe not the modern “just in time” manufacturing, but it is just in time for Christmas. This date was the start of the 1959 Toy Year. Last commercial use: 12/31/1974. Timing marks can be found on almost anything Marx produced. We will take advantage of this to determine the last usage of the MARX mark, based on what we see in Marx and Sears catalogs. The last products displaying the MARX mark: 1973 Marx catalog: The MARX mark is on the back cover; 1974 Marx catalog: The MARX mark can be seen on product packaging, next to products sporting a new Marx mark. For example on page 31, we see the “DRIVE BOSS”, rifle, pistol & holster set, with the MARX mark, front and center. To the right of it, are products displaying the new MARX Blue & Yellow Ribbon mark; Marx No. 3398 (1971 - 1974): This product was sold in a box that had the MARX mark displayed on both side panels along with the ® mark; 1974 Sears Christmas catalog: This catalog offered the Marx No. 3398 for sale; 1975 Marx catalog: This catalog does not use the MARX mark and neither does any item pictured therein. The MARX Tire mark: 1961 & 1962. There is an early and rare variation on the MARX mark. The mark is essentially the same as the MARX mark but with the addition of a “MADE IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” tire, wrapped around the central circular MARX mark hub. I must say the addition of the made in USA label is a bit puzzling. Marx Toys was an international company, almost, from its inception. Is the MARX tire ® a registered trademark or TM a common law trademark: we did not find this mark in the registered trademark database. Marx products displaying the MARX Tire mark: 1961 Marx catalog: on cover; 1962 Marx catalog: on cover (as reported in PFPC #2). Comment: On the other hand, the cover of the 1963 Marx catalog sports a MARXIE mark which is the topic of our next discussion.

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

The MARXIE mark: 9/15/1959 - 1966? We did NOT find the Louis Marx & Company MARXIE mark in the trademark online database. We DID find a MARXIE look alike, first registered by another company in 2006, but, that is a story too tedious to tell. Despite having his own TV show in 1962, the reign of MARXIE was relatively short lived as compared to other Marx marks. MARXIE ® is a registered trademark: we did not find this mark in the trademark database but it is displayed on set boxes with ® as seen in picture. Marx products displaying the MARXIE mark: Nos. 3392, 3394, 3398 & 2650; #3388, No Marx No.; “Prehistoric Monsters” on card No. P-1078, “Prehistoric Monsters First Series” on card No. P-1078, “Prehistoric Monsters & Mammals Second Series” on card No. P-1292, 1963 Marx catalog: on cover; 1964 Marx catalog: on a product in the import division section (page 77); 1965 Marx catalog: on back cover, and on a product in the import division section (page 68); 1966 Marx catalog: on products in the import division section (pages 61, 64, & 66); 1967 Marx catalog: no usage of the MARXIE mark and no import division section. Comment: Since the mark incorporates the MARX mark in its design, we suggest that the date for first commercial use is the same as for the MARX mark.

29

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 28

Marx Products with either the MAR(x) or the MARX mark. You may have noticed that only two products are on both the MAR(x) and the MARX mark lists. We note, for the purpose of this article, that the Marx P(aper) product, “Prehistoric animals and cavemen 16 piece set” in box No. P1029, can be found with either mark, just so we can move quickly to the Marx No. 3392, and see what interesting things it reveals. Marx No. 3392 with MAR(x) mark. The MAR(x) mark is on the lower right corner of the top of the box, the face with a prehistoric scene. Marx No. 3392 with MARX mark. The MARX mark is on the lower right corner of the top of the box. But, this set also adds a MARXIE mark in the top left corner. Of course, this means that the older set can also be identified by the missing MARXIE. So we know this set is no older than 9/15/1959. It may surprise you to learn that we also know this set can be no younger than 9/1/1960. Stick around and find out why. On the back of the box, there is a surprise that will lead us to our next timing mark. The HERCULES mark: 1959 & 1960? The Marx No. 3392 is one of the Marx products that straddles the MAR(x)-MARX boundary. It is also the basis of our next timing mark, the HERCULES mark. On the top of the box, we see the MARX mark. When we turn the box over, we find a new mark on the back of the box. This is an entirely new kind of mark because the date (year) is included. So, what you see is what you get, the box for this product was made in 1959. No range of possible dates, sometimes 1959 is just 1959. HERCULES TM is a common law trademark: we did not find this mark in the registered trademark database. Marx products displaying the HERCULES mark: No. 3392. Comment: The same sources we used earlier to define the Toy Year suggest that it is unlikely that a box, manufactured in 1959, was stored by Marx to be used the following Toy Year. We have seen a 1959 HERCULES mark but, as will be seen in the next section, at this time, we cannot rule out usage of this mark in 1960. The H (ercules) mark: 1960? 1962. We think the HERCULES mark transformed into the H (ercules) mark. The HERCULES mark has been simplified. What we see in 1961 is just the letter “H” on the shield, and the last two digits of the year at the bottom of the shield. There are other symbols along the shield’s edge. We have no idea 30

what they might signify, maybe month, month & day, or an operator code. We are not sure of the date range as we saw more H (ercules) marks than we could read. We expect to find a mark to bridge Hercules products from 1959 to 1961, either a “H60” mark, or a HERCULES mark with a date of 1960. H (ercules) TM is a common law trademark: we did not find this mark in the registered trademark database. Marx produ c t s d i s playing the H

(ercules) mark: No. 2650 green box: H61, with MARXIE mark only, No. 2650 orange box: H62, with MARXIE mark only; No. 3398: H61, with MARX and MARXIE mark. Comment: While some Marx No. 3398 products are without a H (ercules) mark, more were discovered with one. Unfortunately, most of these same boxes have an unreadable number. Unreadable?, the H (ercules) marks were only unreadable on the photos where I found them. This listing of Marx products is limited by our access to sets. We do not have access to enough of these Marx products to determine the full picture and could use some help here from our readers. The K (rypton) mark: 1959? - 1962? There is no clear evidence, like in the case of “HERCULES” to “H”, but, the “K” in the shield is suggestive and causes us to propose a K (rypton) timing mark. Admittedly the “Krypton” name is an invention but the K shields are real enough and their value as timing marks seems to hold up under scrutiny. As with the H (ercules) mark, there are other symbols along the edge of the shield. We have seen stars and balls. We have no idea what they might signify. K (rypton) TM is a common law trademark: we did not find this mark in the registered trademark database. Marx products displaying the K (rypton) mark: No Marx No.: K60 with Wards 48-2748; No Marx No.: K60; #3388: K61 with Wards 48-2709; #3388: K61. Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 29

Comment: All K (rypton) marks are found with a MARXIE mark but never with a MARX mark. We did not see a K59 or a K62 mark, but expect they exist based on the evidence of the Wards catalogs. We have a Marx No.3394 with Wards 48-2748, but a shipping label covers the spot where the timing mark should be. PT #102 - Oops! In PT #102, we suggested a chronology for the Marx square box sets, based on sightings in the Montgomery Wards catalogs. In our discussion, we assumed for a new product, a box with no number, would proceed a box with any number. We also assumed that, in a given year, no one set would come in boxes with two different Marx identifiers. So, we

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

postulated the order was No Marx No., No. 3394, #3388. That would seem to have been a mistake. Based on the K (rypton) marks on the sets used in that previous article, we need to switch the order of the first two sets. We now suggest the No. 3394, proceeds the No Marx No. It is possible we may have to revise again, but this new order brings clarity to two other patterns. Now, we no longer have to puzzle over why square box sets went from a white paste board box to a plain brown box and then back to white again. It also abuts the 3394 identifier with the set identification couplets, 3389 & 3390, 3391 & 3392, used in 1957 and 1958, respectively. As near as we know, no product identified as “No. 3393”, “Series 500” or “Series 1000”, was ever manufactured, and also, we know that the box containing Marx No. 3394 does not have “Series” anything printed on it. But, having a 3393 & 3394 couplet, in 1959, seems like a fit with previous patterns. In addition, possible use of the 3393 identifier has been widely reported in other sources. We invite all our readers to take out your sets, put the flora and fauna aside, and check out those boxes. Who knows what wonders you will find, what stories they will tell!

31

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 30

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 31

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 32

What’s New in review

By Mike Fredericks

Mark Kreiss and his company Prehistorix have long been a good friend of PT. He sends us review kits of his many resin models to go along with the old 1970s Aurora Prehistoric Scenes theme of model kits. This is what he said to me about his latest: “Here are some pics of our newest release, the ‘Ghoulishly Groovy Garden!’ This is our first crossover kit to the Monster Scenes. For added fun and excitement, you can place the plant in the one base and use it for Dr. Deadly's Garden or, you can take it out and have it connect to the Jungle Swamp (from Prehistoric Scenes.) Remember... it's rated "X" for "Excitement!"” Aurora not only made a line of prehistoric animal model kits but also a line of monster models in a series titled Monster Scenes. As Mark said, this kit can go with either/both. As with Mark’s other models, the

Let’s talk about new prehistoric animal figures for 2017. There are many beautiful figures on their way for this year. Are you ready? CollectA is coming out with three new ceratopian dinosaur figures, Styracosaurus (a personal favorite of mine) Einiosaurus, and the recently discovered Regaliceratops. I hope that CollectA won’t mind that I show my illustrations of two of these toys and will show photos when we have them in-hand. British designer Anthony Beeson of CollectA sent us photos and descriptions of their 2017 line. Since we don’t have any of the new 2017 figures from any of the companies yet, I will let Anthony talk about some of the CollectA figures here. He says, “The first is the Supreme series Dimorphodon...a good old British pterosaur and one that Mary Anning is credited with discovering. Some fossils were also found at Aust not far from here. As a boy I always loved that Burian painting of it flying at dusk that was in Augusta's Prehistoric Reptiles and Birds that I had when it came out in 1961. The head looked particularly nasty! I have wanted to do it for a long time but the small size was always a hindrance until our Supreme series started. The mouth is articulated.”

Three views of Prehistorix’s ‘Ghoulishly Groovy Garden!’ which can go with both the Aurora Prehistoric Scenes swamp kit or with Aurora Monster Scenes kits.

“In the Deluxe Prehistoric Animals series I have chosen Uintatherium which, for an amazing animal, I think has been strangely neglected by toy makers in recent decades. I decided to give it hair as I have never really liked the hippo style appearance of many reconstructions.” “In the Popular range, is a local Somerset favorite of mine; Excalibosaurus. The holotype is in the Bristol Museum and so, being local to me, I have been able to spend some time studying it at leisure. I think that both the

resin kit comes boxed with full color box art plus a nice assembly instruction sheet. When building you can place the tentacles facing any way you wish and the collar that the "jaws" attach to can be rotated so that the jaws could be sideways instead of straight up and down. The 1/13th scale model is very nicely sculpted and cast. It would be a lot of fun to paint. Looking at the built model, you can’t help but think of Rick Moranis and his man-eating plant Audrey in the 1986 film, Little Shop of Horrors. “Feed me Seymour!” This beautiful kit costs $70.00. E-mail Mark at [email protected] and visit his website! prehistorix.wix.com/prehistorix. Their next release will be the AroarA Protoceratops currently being molded.

name with its allusions to King Arthur's magic sword and the animal's own unusual swordfish-like upper jaw, make it a fascinating ichthyosaur and one that is not well known. It is certainly one of Bristol Museum's star attractions, even if the subsequently discovered, and more impressive adult was nabbed by the Royal Ontario Museum. One of the reasons for making it this year is as a homage to the exhibition of Pliosaurs and the Jurassic seas that my ex-colleague, Curator of Geology, Deborah Hutchinson is organizing for the summer of 2017 at Bristol Museum.” “Also in the Prehistoric Animals range is another animal that I have been

34

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 201

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 33

intending to produce for some time. It is Basilosaurus the strange colossal early whale, with its vestigial back legs and evolving front flippers. The color scheme again veers away from the ubiquitous black and white of many reconstructions and towards the coloring of sperm Uintatherium whales, dolphins and dugongs. The body bears patches of barnacles. As Basilosaurus seemingly was incapable of diving to great depths and spent most of its life undulating as a near-surface swimmer in the regions of the sea inhabited by barnacles it seemed logical to give the model some infestaDimorphodon tion. The colossal size of a fully grown Basilosaurus

Cryolophosaurus, Papo Cave Bear (good looking figure), Papo Roaring Smilodon and Papo Acrocanthosaurus. A number of good meat-eaters that should make this a popular addition to the Papo Polacanthus Papo line.

Papo Acrocanthosaurus

New from Safari Ltd for 2017 in their Wild Safari prehistoric Papo cave bear Excalibosaurus animal series are no less than 13 new figures includCollectA ing a feathered Tyrannosaurus rex, Einiosaurus (traces of feathers are becoming so Styracosaurus common on recently discovered fossils that paleontologists are wondering if many more dinosaurs might have had feathers too.) Wild Safari Feathered Mike Mike Velociraptor (a beautiful looking feathFredericks Fredericks ered Velociraptor, the star of Jurassic Park, Wild Safari Coelophysis (the CollectA Mini Prehistoric Basilosaurus has meant that for Marine Creatures small triassic dinosaur found in huge practical reasons, although the Papo numbers at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico), model is still 35.3cm in length we Cryolophosaurus Wild Safari Deinocheirus (the dinosaur that were unable to make it to the used to be known only by two impossibly same scale as the terrestrial modlarge hands/arms but recently a couple of els in the Prehistoric animals more complete fossils were found showing series.” us what this weird dinosaur actually looked “We also have 12 new CollectA like), Wild Safari Diplodocus (the well Box mini models of Prehistoric Marine Creatures. These are of course not known, huge Jurassic sauropod, Wild Safari to scale but can be used in play and dioramas along with our other models Einiosaurus (the recently discovered ceras immature animals where we have already produced models of the same atopian dinosaur), species. The new models include the giant ammonite Parapuzosia and the Wild Papo Ceratosaurus Safari little trilobite Olenoides serratus and other prehistoric fish and cephalopods Kronosaurus (the that I thought might be enjoyable and educational. I always particularly huge marine reptile liked the elegantly uncurled Australiceras (ammonite) after coming across from Australia feafossils at Dinosaur Isle museum on the Isle of Wight. The collection also tured in an upcoming includes the giant turtle Archelon, plus Pliosaurus, Temnodontosaurus, issue of this magaBaculites, Diplomoceras, Xiphactinus, Cameroceras, Leedsichthys, and zine), Wild Safari Dunkleosteus. Microraptor (the beautiful little Papo roaring Smilodon What’s new this year from Papo of France? No less than nine new pre- dinosaur that even had feathered legs), Wild Safari Psittacosaurus (we know saber-toothed cat historic animal figures, that’s what! (well, two are repaints, actually) Papo is getting a lot of mileage out of their Velociraptor. The new version is the Blue alot about this dinosaur, even that it was Velociraptor for 2017, an obvious reference to the movie “Jurassic World.” lighter colored on its underside than on top), Wild Safari Also coming from Papo is a Ceratosaurus plus Quetzalcoatlus (the Wild Safari feathered T. rex a Papo Polacanthus (the English ankylosaur), North American Papo Dimorphodon (competing with pterosaur that was one CollectA?), a Papo Blue Oviraptor, Papo of the largest flying animals to ever live), Wild Safari Tylosaurus (the largest of the mosasaurs), Wild Safari Wild Safari Giganotosaurus Parasaurolophus (everyone loves this amazing Wild Safari feathered Wild Safari Diplodocus duckbill with the huge horn on Velociraptor the back of its head), and Wild Safari Giganotosaurus (one of the Papo largest meat-eating dinosaurs.) Dimorphodon All descriptions are mine so don’t Regaliceratops

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

35

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/5/17 10:28 AM Page 34

blame Safari Ltd if I gave any incorrect information. So, we are really being treated this year with such a large group

Wild Safari Kronosaurus

Wild Safari Deinocheirus

Wild Safari Tylosaurus

Wild Safari Quetalcoatlus Wild Safari Einiosaurus

Psittacosaurus

Microraptor

Parasaurolophus

of always beautifully and accurately sculpted prehistoric animals from the Wild Safari line

Wild Safari The latest specimen in Sideshow’s Coelophysis Dinosauria Collection is Gastonia, a member of the ankylosaurian family of herbivores, Gastonia roamed North America around 125 million years ago. Most notable about this 2-ton tank of a dinosaur is the sacral shield and large shoulder spikes that run the length of its body. Sideshow’s team of artists have crafted a statue 19” long from head to tail and covered in recognizable armored plates - ready for display in your collection. The Sideshow exclusive version will have the option of displaying their Gastonia with a small Pterosaur on a removable back spine. Look for it in late 2017. Sideshow Gastonia

w w w. s i d e s h ow toy.com

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 35

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

37

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 36

TOXODON

used his famed hunting skills to suggest a position that was near enough to water for us to drink and bathe yet not near any sort of animal track, which would have brought danger to us all. It also had a good field of view, and behind us was a rocky outcrop where we could retreat if things got dangerous. After the recent attack on the Indian caves by the enormous predators we have been calling “Stoa,” we believed it was a good idea to have somewhere high to fall back to in case they returned, especially because our rifles had proved so ineffective against them during the earlier encounter.

By Phil Hore [email protected]

During the night we heard some large creatures moving around us, and the howls and shrieks of those hunting and being hunted will haunt me until my final days. It was only when Professor Challenger got up to find, shall we say, some comfort that the true precariousness of our location became apparent. ©Jorge Blanco

Mike got the mail and looked through the various letters and flyers, many containing queries about previous issues of his magazine, but one letter caught his attention above all others. There was no return sender, which was not the fact that made the letter stand out; it was the name of the sender.

©Jorge Blanco

Inside were numerous photocopies of what looked like an old journal along with a cover letter. Mike scanned this, stopping when he read one line to go back and reread it just in case he was mistaken. “Please find enclosed pages from the second journal. This had been lost for some years and only recently discovered in an old table I had in storage. I think you may appreciate it. Ed Malone” Mike put down the letter, picked up the first page, and started to read: The morning broke with a gloriousness that only a true poet could describe. Fiery reds and deep streaks of purple heralded the appearance of the sun. As the morning light banished the darkness of the night, so too did our fears bleed away, just like the blood of those great reptiles that populated this wondrous land. We even now were moving into this first light, and our bravery and pluck were reinvigorated by the sun’s warm, illuminating rays. The night had been a long one, with our carefully selected camping ground proving not so well carefully selected after all. Lord Roxton had 38

The first we knew of our danger was when the professor came dashing through the forest with a great running bird hot on his heels sporting a cruel head. It would seem we had camped in the hunting grounds of the Phorusrhacos—a predatory bird, far taller than an ostrich—that almost caught Challenger after we all ran for the cover of the rocks. The professor was scrambling into safety just as the bird, in one savage motion and with its great curved beak, sheared off the heel of his boot as though it had been cut with a chisel. Now, with a little distance between us and this great creature, Lord Roxton lifted his rifle and, with a single shot, showed how modern weapons could prevail over even the most dangerous of these prehistoric creatures. The bird collapsed in a flurry of waving feathers and kicking limbs, with two remorseless, yellow eyes glaring up at us. With supplies low, Professor Summerlee, whose tall, thin frame had rabbited up the side of the rocks during the attack as though he were some native spider monkey, asked if the Phorusrhacos would be good eating? Lord John shook his head in the negative. No matter what country he had hunted in, the one rule he stood by was never to eat a carnivore. He noted several reasons for this, including the fact that they never tasted good. No, the great hunter had his sights on something else to fill our grumbling bellies, and he intended to take one the next morning. The sun was now high above the skyline, and hundreds of little winks of reflected light shimmered off the lake’s surface. What little breeze there was blew into our faces, an important point Lord Roxton pointed out because it Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 37

meant our prey would not catch wind of us and become alarmed.

© Jorge Blanco

I watched as my friend lay on the bank beside me, slowed his breathing, and, with one eye closed and the other staring intently down the barrel of his rifle, waited for the perfect moment to shoot. Before us, stepping out of the morning’s long shadows came a bunch of creatures, tentatively moving down to the water’s edge for a drink. As big as hippos, we had seen the herd of creatures that Challenger had identified as Toxodon days earlier. When the professor pointed out they were likely related to guinea pigs, Lord John immediately perked up, stating he had eaten roast guinea pig Sculpture by Jim Martinez many times during his travels through South America and found its flesh fine eating.

© Julie Kitzes

The first Toxodon crouched before the lake, and like some unfit man trying to do push-ups, lowered its enormous head to the water and drank deeply. Beside me Lord John leaned his shoulder into his rifle and, with his finger on the trigger of his elephant gun and his eager hunter’s soul shining from his fierce eyes, he fired a single shot. The distant Toxodon shuddered once and then slumped to the ground, dead, while the rest of the herd fled back into the forest. We soon had the animal butchered, and slabs of meat were sitting over a fire. After some time Lord John took his large hunting knife and started slic-

plateau.

Toxodon “1832 The Beagle arrived here on the 24th of August and a week afterwards sailed for the Plata. With Captain Fitzroy’s consent I was left behind to travel by land to Buenos Aires. I will here add some observations, which were made during this visit and on a previous occasion, when the Beagle was employed in surveying the harbour. The plain, at the distance of a few miles from the coast, belongs to the great Pampean formation, which consists in part of a reddish clay and in part of a highly calcareous marly rock. Nearer the coast there are some plains formed from the wreck of the upper plain and from mud, gravel, and sand thrown up by the sea during the slow elevation of the land, of which elevation we have evidence in upraised beds of recent shells and in rounded ing slivers of the cooked meat, which he placed on the large leaves he’d collected for use as plates. He handed us each one in turn. The meat was hot, juicy, and delicious. If this is what guinea pig tastes like, I am unashamed to admit that I am a fan.

© John Trotter - Paintmonkey Studios

With breakfast over, we cleaned, packed, and were soon on our way to explore more of this fascinating Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

39

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 38

pebbles of pumice scattered over the country. At Punta Alta we have a section of one of these later-formed little plains, which is highly interesting from the number and extraordinary character of the remains of gigantic land-animals embedded in it. These have been fully described by Professor Richard Owen in The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S.Beagle and are deposited in the College of Surgeons. I will here give only a brief outline of their nature. © Clinton Harris

© John C Womack

L a s t l y, t h e To x o d o n , perhaps one of the strangest animals ever discovered: in size it equalled an elephant or megatherium, but the structure of its teeth, as Mr. Owen states, proves indisputably that it was intimately related to the Gnawers, the order which, at the present day, includes most of the smallest quadrupeds: in many details it is allied to the Pachydermata: judging from the position of its eyes, ears, and nostrils, it was probably aquatic, like the Dugong and Manatee, to which it is also allied. How wonderfully are the different Orders, at the present time so well separated, blended together in different points of the structure of the Toxodon!”

creatures. Toxodon means ‘bow tooth’, partly because of the large, bowed chisel-like incisors that led its describer, Richard Owen, to suggest the species was aligned with rodents such as guinea pigs. This is not an impossible thought it turns out because there have been enormous rodents unearthed in South America recently. Owen also covered his bets though by pointing out they might also be “referable to the order Pachydermata,” or even “Edentata, and herbivorous Cetacea.” Recent genetic work has finally provided an answer to the identity of Toxodon. Instead of using DNA, which unravels within a few hundred years, scientists studied collagen, a protein that lasts much longer than DNA. This work Sculpture by Quentin Brendel

Charles Darwin Science is all about using the best information and technology of the day and trying to come up with a cogent answer. This answer is never definitive because new discoveries, new technologies, even new methodologies may lead to future directions and occasionally a new answer. This is a process ongoing today with Toxodon, an animal that resembles Australia’s platypus, a creature that seems to be made up from parts of other

© Mike Landry 40

revealed that Toxodon was neither a rodent nor some form of unknown elephant or hippo. Instead they were closely related to odd-toed perissodactyls, so horses, rhinos, and tapirs. A large megafauna species from a land of large megafauna species, Toxodon was around 9 feet long, 5 feet tall, and weighed 3 tons, making it as large as any modern hippo or rhino, which it physically resembled. For a time this similarity led scientists to believe it was also hippopotamus-like in nature, living a mostly aquatic life. The way the animal stood, as well as the low position of the head, made this aquatic idea unlikely because a Toxodon would have had trouble lifting its nose up and out Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 39

of the water to breathe. Instead it likely lived like a rhinoceros, walking the vast South American Pampas, either in herds or by themselves. In support of this idea, the regions where Toxodon fossils are found were inland at the time. The limb proportions are also unusual, with impressively robust forelimbs and elongated rear ones. This unusual ratio made the animal look like it was constantly doing push-ups and would have given them an unusual gait, perhaps similar to something like that of Triceratops. Like so many mammals with large skulls, the Nikolaos vertebrae just behind the neck were enormous and Papadimitriou elongated, likely providing the muscles needed to power such a large head. The jaw was also large and full of robust teeth; © Giovanni De Benedictis indeed these teeth are so tough they are often found by themselves. Toxodon would have relied on its size for protection against any predator because it had no sort of weapon, though a close relative, Trigodon, did sport a horn in the middle of its head. At least one skull bears a pair of marks across it, possible bite marks placed there during a fight with another Toxodon. Perhaps two males had fought over breeding rights with the females, or they had battled each other over resources. These marks show that they were capable of putting up resistance against a large predator. It’s not often we know exactly when a species was discovered, but with Toxodon we know the exact date thanks to Darwin’s journal from his time sailing aboard the Beagle. While visiting Uruguay, the young naturalist wrote:

This was the speech given by the President of the Geological Society of London, William Whewell, when he presented Owen with the Wollaston Medal for geology, along with his work on Darwin’s fossils, including Toxodon. Previous winners included names like Agassiz, Falconer, and Mantell.

© Josh Cotton

“November 26th. I set out on my return in a direct line for Monte Video. Having heard of some giant’s bones at a neighbouring farm-house on the Sarandis, a small stream entering the Rio Negro, I rode there accompanied by my host and purchased for the value of eighteen pence the head of the Toxodon. When found it was quite perfect; but the boys knocked out some of the teeth with stones and then set up the head as a mark to throw at. By a most fortunate chance I found a perfect tooth, which exactly fitted one of the sockets in this skull, embedded by itself on the banks of the Rio Tercero, at the distance of about 180 miles from this place. I found remains of this extraordinary animal at two other places, so that it must formerly have been common.” One last thing (and not exactly to do with Toxodon, but I found interesting): “I have peculiar pleasure in presenting you with this medal, awarded to you by this Society, for your services to fossil zoology in general, and in particular for the description of the fossil mammalia collected by Mr. Darwin. I trust Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

it will be a satisfaction to you to receive this our testimony of the success with which you have cultivated that great science of comparative zoology, to which you have devoted your powers. I trust it will add to your satisfaction, to consider, that the subject which we more peculiarly wish to mark on this occasion, the study of fossil zoology, is one to which the resources of your science were applied, while the subject was yet new, by that great man, John Hunter, whose museum and whose reputation are so worthily assigned to your care. I trust also that this medal, thus awarded to you, at the outset, if I may so say, of an enlarged series of investigations, will convey to you the assurance, that in your progress in such researches, you carry with you our strong interest in your endeavors, and our high esteem of your powers and your objects; and will convince you, that in all your successes, you may reckon upon our most cordial sympathy in the pleasure which your discoveries give.”

© Bruce Horton

The 1839 copy of The American Journal of Science and Arts, which carried the above speech, also included the following: “. . . results of his observations on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, that a speed much greater than the present twenty five miles per hour, may be used with safety. The question is, whether with a velocity of three or four times the usual rates, the engineer can preserve perfect command of the powerful locomotives required . . . that with the velocity of twenty five miles an hour, even when exposed to the current of air, there was not the slightest approach to any feeling that would lead me to suppose that four or five times the velocity would disable the engineer from directing and managing the train.” We are so used to dealing with the monumental distance of time with fossils we sometimes forget the monumental distance of time between us and those who began the science we love so much. In 1839, not only was there no science called paleontology, humanity was afraid of going at speeds greater than 25 mph, which could create a danger that engineers would not be able to control a train because of air currents. 41

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 40

42

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 41

Cretaceo us Cl assif ieds Free to subscribers but must be updated each issue Wanted: I am looking to purchase a Sideshow Collectible Apatosaurus. There were two different sculptures released. Please let me know asap. My email is [email protected] For Sale: Large Collection of plastic prehistoric figures, hundreds of different Marx, Invicta, Safari & various other figures and accessories plus prehistoric themed books, comic books and issues of Prehistoric Times #60 - #99 are included. Asking $599.00 for all. Please contact Gregory Flanagan, 268 7th St., brooklyn, NY 11215, (718) 499-1939 Wanted: in the neverending quest to make our reference book "Dinosauriana - The Essential Guide to Collecting Toy, Figural and Model Dinosaurs" totally complete, we are looking for images of figures of the following: 1) IMAI Nessie figure 1969 2) Elgate dinosaurs 3) Bandai large vinyl T rex 1993 4) Gakken Allosaurus kit 5) Kokoro single dinos 6) Sapporo Boy 7) Nissin 8) Mesalands Dinosaur Museum bronzes 9) Wai Fong 10) Silver Dolphin 11) Equity Promotions 12) Doris Dotz set info 13) Argeal metal figures 14) Life-Like Hobby mini figures from "World of..." model kits 15) Magma Terra ceramics 16) Nagasakiya 17) Jurassic Stones chase Archaeopteryx 18) Bandai Great Animal Kaiser figures. Contact Joe DeMarco at [email protected] Wanted: I lost my copy of PT #56 with my 1st art printed in it. Can anyone help me find another copy? [email protected] FOR SALE from FRANCE : WM OTTO La Brea Tar Pits (American cave bear, ancient bison, Smilodon, Colombian mammoth, Teratornis ), HENKEL / OVOMALTINE numerous figures including rare Scolosaurus, Pterichthys and Pteranodon , YOPLAIT (yellow scolosaur), STARLUX (possible complete set and many figures), very rare CAFE BOCA (= mini Starlux 35 millimeters : Brontotherium, Deinotherium, Baluchitherium, Saltoposuchus), PANINI, SCHLEICH (classics series), LINDE (several complete sets with the Rhamphorhynchus from Austria), BASEL MUSEUM Tsintaosaurus, WAGNER dinosaurs (like Shreddies), NABISCO cereals (complete sets of mammals & dinosaurs). Please contact me (Jean-Marie LEONARD) at: [email protected] Wanted: Dinosaur Studio, Dan LoRusso Pachyrhinosaurus Bronze Statue. Contact: [email protected] WANTED: Bullyland Dire Wolf figure. If you have one I shall offer you a higher price. If you find one, please tell me and I will pay you some commission. MY EMAIL IS: [email protected] I AM WAITING FOR YOUR GOOD NEWS Zdenek Burian souvenirs- Post cards, coffee mugs, posters and more! See website at- http://www.zdenekburian.com/en/ e-mail: [email protected] For Sale or Exchange: UK dinosaur toys and cards from the 1950's to the 1970's Timpo, Cherilea, Shreddies, etc. I will exchange for Sinclair, SRG, etc email [email protected] for my list. WANTED: offering $600 for the SRG large Neanderthal woman. Also looking for certain of the original descriptive cards that came with the SRG dinos. I am also interested in any magazines containing ads for SRG products. I have for sale some of the small SRG figures, including some of the rarer pieces such as Neanderthal man, the mastodon, and the mosasaur. Please respond to [email protected] Large Fossil Collection for sale. Selling as one lot. Many unique and hard to find..Serious inquiries only please. Call after 8:00 PM EST and leave message..I would be more than happy to email pics upon request. Call Mark (704-763-8401) FOR SALE: Complete collection of Prehistoric Times #1 - 113 plus the next eight issues. Collection of Indian Artifact Magazines 1982 - 2012; all in binders. Complete collection of Dinosaurs The Encyclopedia Vol. 1 plus all seven supplements (Don Glut). Complete set of

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Dinosaurs (Atlas Addition) All 103 volumes in original binders plus 3-d glasses. Many books on dinosaurs, fossil and other dinosaur magazines. 80 volumes of National Geographic magazines that cover dinosaurs and origins of man. Complete collection of CollectA dinosaurs 2006 - 2014. All standard and deluxe models plus plants, all new. Please contact Bobby Goodman at 727-424-7881 or email me at [email protected] if you are interested in anything. Prehistoric Planet Store. “The Museum Where You Can Purchase Every Exhibit”. We have over 1000 dinosaur skulls, skeletons, models, fossil, rock and mineral items at PrehistoricStore.com. Like our Facebook Page and post on our wall why you like dinosaurs.....We’ll enter you in our monthly drawing for a free replica dinosaur claw. https://www.facebook.com/prehistoricplanetstore.com. WANTED: Aurora Prehistoric Scenes model kit pink instructions from Canada (litho in Canada): Neanderthal man (729), Cave (732), Tar Pit (735), Cave Bear (738), Jungle Swamp (740), Three-Horned Dinosaur (741), Wooly Mammoth (743). Please send infos to: [email protected] 1000+ MODEL DINOSAURS shown in The Visual Guide to Scale Model Dinosaurs, 2012, softcover, 300 pages. Contact: eonepoch@aol .com Wanted: Louis Marx 6” cavemen, Miller dinosaurs, MPC World of Prehistoric Monsters playset, any MPC dinosaurs, Marx Prehistoric Times #3988 playset, Marx Prehistoric Mountain playset, Marx Prehistoric playset #3398 w/ waxy figures, Marx World of Dinosaurs Storage Box set, Marx #2650 Prehistoric playset (The holy grail) and Ajax dinosaurs. James J. Berger, 3515 Howard St., Park City, Il 60085 1-847-625-1807 Wanted: I am interested in any playvisions animal figures but especially the African Forest Buffalo, Chital (Axis Deer) and Dhole. I am also looking for Jeols Bushpig, Safari Vanishing Wild Gemsbok (adult and calf), and ELC Kob. I would be interested in almost any mammal figures, prehistoric and modern. Please email me at [email protected], you can call at 801 597 8875 or write to Keith Brown, 3032 S 5990 W, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84128 For Sale : Complete set of Battat dinosaurs for sale, as a set. I also have one of the few JP full size raptor promotional pieces. This piece is unreal. I'm also downsizing a very large collection of various pieces amassed over 20 years of collecting. I have many unique and extremely hard to find dinosaurs and mammals that are no longer in production. Most of these are sets, all are in mint condition and never used other than for display. Call and or e-mail for more information on what's available. [email protected] 513-737-6695 For Sale or trade: I offer all the large J H Miller prehistoric animals/dinosaurs, caveman, cavewoman and cave. I have many SRG, both large and small, including the caveman, a complete set of Linde dinos, complete set of Battat (Boston Museum) dinos, Castagna dinos, Alva Bronto, Marx, Chialu, Starlux and more. Call Jim Van Dyke 616-669-3897 [email protected] WANTED: RAY HARRYHAUSEN & STOP-MOTION RELATED 'ZINES Colossa #1 (1993) / Hollywood Horror Classics #4 (1996) Cinemagram #1 (1964) / Cinefantastique #2 (Mimeo - Apr 1967) Mystification #6 (1965) / Animals Magazine (Aug 1969) - British Wonder #2 (Summer 1989) / Box Office Vol. 90 #16 (Feb 6 1967) Spectre #18 (Mar/Apr 1968) / Photon #1, 7, 13 (1963, 1965, 1967) Vampire's Crypt #8 (Dec 1963) / Amazing Screen Horrors #6 (1966) Just Imagine #4 (1977) - British / Cosmos Aventuras #9 (May 1964) Ray Harryhausen Journal (1973) / Animation Journal #4 (May 1965) Stop-Motion Monsters of Filmland #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 Japanese (1990’s) King Kong: Unauthorized Jewish Fractals in Philopatry (1996) Contact: Scott McRae ([email protected]) Wanted: PT issues 1-22 & later back issues no longer available through PT, Marx dinos in metallic green and gold, Pom Poms candy boxes w/ Aurora Prehistoric Scenes art on them, Revell Quick Snap tiny dinos Allosaurus and T. rex, SRG metal Dinychthys fish, Chialu (Italian composition) Brachuchenius & Pteranodon, La Brea (Wm Otto) T. rex, For Trade/Sale: vintage dinosaurs of most manufacturers. I’ve got a ton of old dinosaur figures for sale. I’m always buying pre-1970s dino collectibles --Please contact Mike Fredericks 145 Bayline Cir, Folsom, Ca 95630-8077, (916) 985-7986 [email protected] WANTED: Prehistoric Times issues 79, 81, 83, and 84. Also looking for any books, magazines, and/or DVDs on whale evolution/extinct whales/dolphins, ancient marine reptiles, elephant evolution/extinct elephants, and shark evolution/extinct sharks. Will pay by money order only. Also looking for any information on fossils in Alabama, Mississippi, and the rest of the southeastern US. Please call 205-269-7054. For Sale: 3/4'” cloisonne lapel pin that states: REUNITE GONDWANALAND and depicts Pangea and Laurasia united

in one huge continent. Only a limited number are available. $8 includes the pin and postage. Contact Lynne Dickman, (406) 728-5221, [email protected] Wanted: Hobby Trading Post (Nu-Card) DINOSAURS cards (B&W, post-card size) #'s 7, 13, 15, 28. I will gladly purchase these but I also have many duplicate cards available for trade. I would prefer "nice" condition cards (e.g., VG+ to Mint) without major creasing or other significant defects. Please contact me (Mike Riley) at: [email protected] or at 303-566-1267 (weekdays, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, MDT). MODELERS: PT build up writer, Sean Kotz, now has a national hobby column on line at the Examiner. I am committed to bringing paleo models, sculptors and kits to the forefront on a regular basis, as well as all other forms of modeling from plastic kits to rocket ships. Go to www.examiner.com and search for "Model Building Examiner" or my name and bookmark or subscribe. You can also search out the Facebook Fan page Playset Magazine Plastic heaven, America's best info on vintage playsets by Marx and others from the Atomic Era and Beyond. Battleground, Zorro, news, classifieds to buy, color glossy. Complete website listings too! www.playsetmagazine.com, email [email protected], or call (719) 634-7430 J H Miller repaired - your broken and incomplete vintage J H Miller plastic figures -expertly repaired. Ask for Nick Lamanec (484) 274-0315 FOR SALE: Looking for awesome paleontology-themed Tshirts? Visit www.cafepress.com/dannysdinosaurs! Featuring clever dinosaurian designs on everything from shirts to coffee mugs to bumper stickers, www.cafepress.com/dannysdinosaurs is a great place for all your dinosaur apparel needs. TOP DOLLAR PAID for prehistoric animal postcards including diorama scenes, statues, fossils, museum displays, etc. I also would like to purchase prehistoric animal museum or excavation site brochures and posters. If you have vintage dinosaur or prehistoric animal books or photographs from the 1900's up to 1980 please let me know since I also collect these. I have lots of paper ephemera such as this for trade if that is preferable. Please contact Stephen Hubbell (253) 851-7036 or email me at [email protected]. PALEODIRECT.COM Your direct source for the finest and rarest fossil specimens along with tools and weapons of primitive man. With several thousand pages of fossils and primitive man artifacts displayed online, PaleoDirect.com is truly one of the largest online paleontological suppliers across the globe. Categories include a BROAD DIVERSITY of both INVERTEBRATE and VERTEBRATE fossils. We also specialize in genuine TOOLS and WEAPONS of PRIMITIVE HUMANS from the Lower PALEOLITHIC through the NEOLITHIC Periods up to and including the Iron Age. PALEO DIRECT, Inc. is a full-time, professional supplier and a member of the American Association of Paleontological Suppliers.We acquire specimens direct from the source regions of the world through exclusive affiliations with the diggers and their management as well as conduct several of our own international collecting expeditions each year. Furthermore, many of our rare specimens are prepared in-house by our own conservation facilities and staff. This explains our consistently better quality fossils than is usually found in the marketplace. In addition to what is shown on the site, an even greater inventory of specimens are either yet to be listed or in various states of preparation. New material from around the world is constantly being added. If you wish to be added to our email list for when new specimens are updated to the website, please email or call us and let us know. PALEO DIRECT, INC. P. O. Box 160305 Altamonte Springs, FL 32716-0305 (407) 774-1063 www.PaleoDirect.com [email protected] Supplying museums, educational facilities and collectors around the world.

PT Subscribers! Did you check the address label on your PT envelope? If the number after your address is 120, it is time to re-subscribe!

43

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 42

Beware the Verizonsaurus, My Son! by Ed Pell The jaws that bite, the claws that catch, the inept management of a zoo! Somewhere in the Caribbean, there is a happy island, where children ride baby dinosaurs and hardly anyone remembers how badly InGen Corp. screwed up in the past. Far away from there, in the cold and snow of America, a lovesick teen and his whiny little brother are being exiled to Jurassic World (™, all rights reserved, I acknowledge that this visit could cause me, or others around me, harm, including, but not limited to, bodily injury, damage to property, emotional distress, or death from sharp pointy teeth, copyright InGen Corp., so there). It appears their

parents are getting divorced. Mom is played by Judy Greer, and she’s leaving them for a much cuter family in the movie AntMan. Meanwhile, cute as nails and hard as a button corporate executive Bryce Howard (AntMan’s wife’s sister and Opie’s daughter) is taking Verizon executives on a behind the scenes tour of the island. She wants to sell them a dinosaur which may well be called the Verizonsaurus, as soon as the contract is signed. After all, she says, people get bored with ordinary dinosaurs, which is why the park is packed to the rafters with tourists paying big bucks. Elsewhere on the island, StarLord poses as a former swabbie, a graduate of the Navy’s famous animal training program. When a teen worker topples into the Velociraptor pit, StarLord confronts Rocket Raccoon, I mean, Blue the Velociraptor and her sisters Charli, Delta and Groot, er, Echo. It is a tense and gripping scene I almost hate to make fun of. Almost. “Didn’t you wonder why there was a job opening?” Star Lord asks the rescued kid, further reminding us that InGen isn’t necessarily the best place to try to have a career. InGen executive Vincent d’Onofrio and Star Lord argue about using the raptors for military purposes. Star Lord is offended because the Navy never does anything for military purposes. By the way, everything Vince wants to do with raptors could be accomplished just as efficiently and much cheaper with cheetahs or really fast dogs. InGen executives must hold board meetings around a solid gold conference table, wondering why profits aren’t up to snuff this quarter.

"Vroom! Vroom!"

the star attraction is nowhere to be seen, including between the two stars. Opie’s daughter taps on the glass, mistaking the dinosaur for a tropical fish.

“Were those scratches always there?” asks StarLord. Perhaps they were part of the basic design. The Verizonsaurus cannot be found on the paddock’s thermal imager. With that crack planning for every contingency that InGen has always been famous for, the scientists have put a radio tracking chip in the beast and made sure there’s no way to actually use that radio tracking chip to see if it’s in the paddock, except by leaving the paddock area and driving several miles back to the corporate command center. So that’s what Opie’s daughter does, pausing only to argue with AntMan’s new wife first. StarLord and two edible extras go into the paddock, and as even small dull children knew it would, the Verizonsaurus leaps out from behind a bush and tries to gobble them up nom, nom, nom. StarLord escapes by sliding under a truck and soaking himself with gasoline, but the other two are just so much kibble to be gobbled down. And off the great beast goes, intent on mayhem. Back at the command center, Opie’s daughter assembles a team of tough looking hombres and sends them out to get the monster, armed with feeble looking cattle prods and a net. Does that go well? Oh no, it does not go well. Time for another “Help Wanted—Immediate Openings” want ad. By the way, StarLord warns us that the Verizonsaurus remembered where it was chipped and clawed the ID chip out. When my vet chipped my dog, she put the chip on the back of the dog’s neck where the dog couldn’t reach it. Not only would this have solved that problem, but it “Man, these might have meant we’d get to see the Verizonsaurus clomping around Jurassic World high heels are hard to run in” with a giant plastic cone of shame around its head. Now that exciting things are finally happening, it’s important to rush away from the actual adventure to see what tedium is happening with the whiny nephews. Even the woman whose job it is to watch them has gotten bored, and so they have run off to see the Mosasaurus (and why would you need a puny Verizonsaurus when you have that?) Next, the pair go to another InGen death trap, climbing into a giant glass Xmas ornament to go rolling out among the dinosaurs. Jimmy Fallon has recorded a message for the entrees, er... tourists: “Your safety is our number one concern,” he lies. Fallon himself knows better than to go anywhere near the park.

By the way, nobody’s cell phone works. The new boss, who has replaced John Hammond, arrives, demonstrating The Verizonsaurus makes short work of an Ankylosaurus and the glass his inability to fly a helicopter. Together, he and Opie’s daughter go to see ball, but the nephews, disappointingly, get away. They stumble across the the Verizonsaurus, which has been cobbled remains of the first Jurassic Park and hotwire together like a quilt from odds and ends of a jeep. other animals. They are suitably impressed, although all we see is the Verizonsaurus givMeanwhile, StarLord and Opie’s daughter ing them the stink-eye while hiding behind a have discovered a bunch of dying bush. New boss has insisted that StarLord be Brontosauruses, one of which dies in their brought in as a consultant on the new arms and is still more engaging dead than dinosaur, so Opie’s daughter goes to see him. they are alive. Then they almost get eaten by She finds him repairing a motorcycle and the Verizonsaurus. The new boss has decided drinking a soft drink while carefully holding that what the theme park really needs is a the label and logo toward the camera, and flaming helicopter crash, and he’s enlisted that’s why he’s a big hotsy-totsy movie star two guys and added a machine gun to his and you and I are not. Jealous, who me? Well, “If you dinosaurs are going to evolve into birds, copter (but not a seatbelt, because safety the pair get to the Verizonsaurus paddock, but it’s time I taught you how to fly.” comes last at InGen). They stampede the 44

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 43

Verizonsaurus into a glass cage full of pterosaurs, killing themselves but leaving the dinosaurs unharmed. There are two types of pterosaurs now loose in the park. Ramphorhynchus and Pteranodon. Together they fly like winged monkeys to Jurassic World, where they swoop down on tourists and have merry fun ripping and tearing flesh and destroying souvenir shops (I had my flesh ripped to the bone at Jurassic World and all I got was this lousy t-shirt). One of them grabs the woman who was supposed to watch the nephews and feeds her to the Mosasaurus. Opie’s daughter and her nephews are reunited, and with StarLord, they all head to the raptor cage because why not? Vincent has decided to increase the danger to tourists by letting the raptors loose. In what is the greatest scene in movie history ever, StarLord leaps on his motorcycle and rides off through the night with the Velociraptors, like Hell’s Angels from actual Hell, followed by some of the never-ending supply of delicious extras InGen has on hand. However, the Verizonsaurus is part raptor itself, and tells the raptors to attack the extras, in much the way that you can speak fluent Mandarin because you share chromosomes with a Chinese person. More munching and screaming ensues. So it’s back to what’s left of Jurassic

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

"Give us a kiss!"

"Arg! The in-flight movie is an Adam Sandler film!"

"These Jurassic rush hours are the worst!"

World, where the Velociraptors munch on Vincent and a terrific fight breaks out between the raptors and the Verizonsaurus. StarLord finally gets to shoot the gun he’s been lugging around for the entire film; predictably, it doesn’t harm the big monster. Opie’s daughter lets the Tyrannosaurus out of its cage, which allows her to pose, cowering at its feet and glistening prettily with perspiration, while the Tyrannosaurus protects her from the Verizonsaurus. Roger Corman would have made that the movie poster. Well, what’s left of the park gets destroyed, and the big expensive Verizonsaurus gets eaten in one gulp by the Mosasaurus. And even though hundreds, if not thousands, have been killed and mutilated and the island is a smoking ruin, StarLord and Opie’s daughter are having an awkward flirt, so it must be a happy ending. So what have millions of years of evolution taught us, as Vincent asks before he gets devoured? We’ve learned that the star attraction should have been the Mosasaurus, that B.D. Wong is still the jolliest mad scientist ever, that helicopters really ought to have mandatory seatbelts, and that if your relatives suggest you go to work for InGen, they’re likely trying to get your inheritance. All photos are probably copyright Universal/Amblin so don’t mess around with them.

45

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 44

The Second Princeton University Press Field Guide to Dinosaurs By Gregory S Paul All artwork © Gregory S. Paul

Well back in the last decade, when the Dinosaur List was more active (it’s still useful), Ian Paulsen complained about the absence of a high quality field guide to dinosaurs, and this directly led to the production of such via Princeton University Press as discussed in my fall 2012 article in Prehistoric Times. At the time I was skeptical concerning the financial potential of the project, in that adult, nonfiction dinosaur books generally do not sell enough copies to generate substantial revenue (that I was able to publish Predatory Dinosaurs of the World via Simon & Schuster – edited by the same person who handled the Watergate books – happened at the end of a pre-Web publishing era that shall never return). My first Field Guide was published in late 2010. I was therefore surprised and pleased when in 2014 a modest royalty check arrived, apparently the book had generated sufficient income to exceed the very large advance I had received to do the lots and lots of illustrations as well as the text. Even better was when a short time later the editor informed me that the guide had sold over 15,000 copies. Later research indicates that makes the guide probably the best selling grownup dinosaur book of the century, and it looks like it will approximately match Predatory Dinosaurs of the World at 20,000 total sold. Also very good was the very large royalty check last year, followed by a nice payment this year. It followed that it made excellent sense to produce a second edition. All the more so because – unlike most creatures and plants covered in field guides – the body of known dinosaur species and the research is expanding with unprecedented rapidity. We at long last know what Deinocheirus looks like, Brontosaurus is back, some dinosaurs had bat wings, etc., etc. About a hundred new species are in the second edition. Plus I wanted to do more skeletals, improve and add to the other illustrations, correct boo-boos, change some of my thinking and add new ideas, address some but by no means all criticisms, and so on. First some basic points. I repeat in replyto prior criticism of the guide tha it’s a popular field guide. It is not a massive technical book packed with specimen numbers, holotypes and lectotypes and refered specimens, intricate technical anatomical details and descriptions of the shape of the maxilla and ilium, body dimensions and masses tied to specific specimens (for those go to http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9287.html), scale bars and so on and so forth. If you want all that go to a technical book or the websites that list that stuff. Think about it. What field guide has scale bars? What field guide lists holotypes and specimen numbers? What field guide includes (the often biologically vacuous) translations of genus-species names? Here is the entire qualitative description in the Princeton Field Guide Sharks of the World for the Whale Shark Rhincodon typus. “Unmistakable huge filter-feeder with checkerboard pattern of yellow or white spots on grey, bluish or greenish-brown back (white or yellowish underside), Broad, flat head, short snout, huge transverse almost terminal mouth in front of eyes. Prominent ridges on body, lowest ending in a keel on the caudal peduncle. Lunate, unnotched tail fin.” 46

And some of the shark descriptions are even shorter. And they mainly detail color patterns which are rarely preserved in dinosaurs. If you think you can produce better nontechnical descriptions for 860 taxa (736 species and the groups they are within) of fossils, often based on very fragmentary remains, with species often hardly differing from one another – think Albertosaurus libratus versus A. sarcophagus -while keeping the overall length of the text within reasonable limits, then you get a contract to do a field guide and good luck. Nor did I include all named dinosaur species. Even a fair number of diagnostic taxa were left out. That’s because I was not about to include lots of species based on say a single cervical. For one thing there is a need to keep a popular work from being too long. Where this practise is problematic is that it’s not possible to be perfectly consistent in choosing what to include/exclude. So if you are going to review or comment on the second edition, then review it for what it is -- a popular field guide. If you crave an updated Predatory Dinosaurs of the World, or a Sauropods of the World, much less a Dinosaurs of the World that would be impossibly massive, both in bulk and the effort required in producing it; while making essentially no money because it would sell maybe a couple thousand copies to the few dinophiles that would purchase the darn thing, well that was the last century. Such is not happening in the world of Wikipedia and Amazon. That said, I did throw in a few new group names. For example, it makes no sense that there is not a tag for the coelurosaurs above tyrannosauroids, so I coin neocoelurosaurs to fill in what has been an awkward taxonomic gap. For the rest that I coined you will have to get the book. I also use some titles I previously designated that have been largely ignored. For example, most workers use neotheropods to tag theropods with tridactyl feet. I use avepod that first appeared in my Dinosaurs of the Air in 2002. The latter is more anatomically and phylogentically descriptive, but it is also more stable over the long term. Neotheropod is node based, so it does not include all tridactyl footed theropods within the avian clade – there were tridactyl theropods basal to the neotheropod node, and some will be discovered someday (note that avepod and neotheropod are not the same group, the latter is within the larger former clade). When that happens neotheropods will no longer cover the entire known group, and another title will have to be used. Which should be Avepoda because it’s derived character plus clade based – a perfectly legitimate modern method -- so avepods will always include all theropods in which metatarsal 1 does not participate in the ankle (or that’s the ancestoral condition) and that belong to the clade that includes Aves. It will always work. Likewise, almost certainly some tridactyl trackways from the Triassic were made by theropods basal to the neotheropods, so all three toed theropod trackways should be placed in Avepoda rather than the more exclusive Neotheropoda (it is, however, possible that a small group of theropods independently evolved tridactyl feet independently of avepods). And talking about the function and evolution of the neotheropod leg and foot will never make sense when the clade excludes the first tridactyl theropods. Over all the phylogenies and taxonomies presented in the second edition are more in accord with conventional cladistic results, in part because they have become somewhat more settled than when the first edition was under Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 45

production. Even so, in a number of cases there is not yet a consensus on the relationships of some groups – in such cases sufficient data remains unavailable and will often always will be lacking -- and in such cases I often made choices that are either arbitrary in my view, or reflect my opinions since it’s my book. And I continue to propose that the most bird-like of the avepods, including therizinosaurs and oviraptorosaurs, were probably the descendents of flying birds. Oviraptorosaurs are obvious candidates for descent from birds close to sapeornids, and I note that the anatomically diverse groups within oviraptosaurs may have independently evolved from fliers. Since the first edition it has occurred to me that therizinosaurs are likely to have descended from fliers similar to jeholornids, again perhaps more than once. I also continue to contend that the designation of dinosaur genera remains chaotically inconsistent, with absurd oversplitting in many cases – Corythosaurus and Lambeosaurus still separate genera, really? – and overlumping in others. For example the reactionary tendency by David Norman to continue the tradition of making European iguanodonts into wastebasket taxa by joining partial iguanodont skeletons into one taxon when overlapping diagnostic elements are absent, and they may be from temporally distinct levels, and then tossing fragmentary remains into the resulting few species, is leaving the over 30 million years of large ornithopod evolution in Europe with about the same amount of diversity found in the hadrosaurs that lived in the mere 1.5 million years that it took to form the Dinosaur Park Formation. The Early Cretaceous European Huxleysaurus, Darwinsaurus, Seallcoxa and Dollodon are likely to be distinct taxa, and continuing to toss very fragmentary remains from widely distributed in time and geography into Mantellisaurus and Iguanodon is probably misleading in various regards. Badly oversplit are the big tyrannosaurids. Every species is being assigned its own genus, this in a group known for its anatomical uniformity, this when Canis, Panthera and Varanus each incorporate far more variation. What I cannot decide upon is whether the gracile half sized specimens from the Hell Creek and Lance are the juveniles of Tyrannosaurus, or distinct taxa (similar to alioramians and tarbosaurs sharing the same habitats). We just do not yet have the data needed to determine the situation – either small individuals that are clearly juvenile Tyrannosaurus distinct from nanotyrannians, or fully developed adults of the latter. What I do point out is that T. rex has probably become a wastebasket into which are being tossed a couple of other species. One gracile and the others robust (the stratigraphic distribution is not in accord with boy-girl dimorphism) and that the only semi-decent specimen of T. rex is the semi-complete holotype. One way or another, we all need to cease saying T. rex automatically! One of the most scandalous recent events in dinosaurology is the throwing together of an array of incomplete spinosaur specimens from all over northern Africa, and probably from over a few million years worth of time, into Spinosaurus aegypticus, and from that producing a bizarrely very short legged, supposedly semi-quadrupedal avepodian version of a crocodilian. It should never have passed review, and National Geographic jumped the PR gun on this one. A Moroccan set of remains that supposedly shows the arm/leg proportions may well be two different individuals. It has since been shown that there was a diversity of spinosaurs in the Cenomanian of north Africa. Ergo the only postcrania that can be confidently assigned to S. aegypticus is the holotype, although the legs may have been rather on the short side it’s very unlikely that they were hyperabbreviated, and that spinosaurs used their typical, theropodian, grasping hands for walking is harebrained (http://comPrehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

ments.sciencemag.org/content/10.1126/science.1258750). Another problematic short legged avepod is Majungasaurus. We have almost all the elements and they are fantastically well preserved. But the vertebral series is from a subadult totally lacking any limb material. The only way to approximate the overall proportions is to assume that a scapula and a femur do come from the same specimen as claimed. The latter is a very short relative to the former, and making the scapula as long as is visually plausible relative to the dorsal series means the hindlimb should have been very short. The result is a very interesting looking abelisaur, but I don’t entirely trust it, and we will have to see the results from a new, more complete specimen under preparation, which is slow to come because the matrix is hard. An item I was not able to include in the new edition is a more complete skeletal of Acrocanthosaurus. Ken Carpenter’s technical book describing the full anatomy arrived too late. The neural spines are taller than I showed them, the improved version is included here.. I agree that Brontosaurus is a valid genus. But it’s not restricted to the type species B. excelsus, it also includes B. louisae which shares the same very atypically very deep neck showed them, the improved version is included here. It is fascinating that the famed Diplodocus specimens long thought to be adults that while long are not very massive are proving to be the large juveniles of “Seismosaurus,” so Diplodocus reached around two dozen tonnes. Alas the life profile of Diplodocus was accidently left out, so to see that you will have to go to the top of p. 191 of the orignal edition. The latest info is that Barosaurus is similarly enormous if not even heavier. A disturbing sauropod item is that my favorite dinosaur, Giraffatitan brancai, may consist of multiple brachiosaur taxa. I was able to get some more information from Xu Xing on a colossal, but fragmentary undescribed specimen (made into a super enormous model for a traveling exhibition http://paleoking.blogspot.com/2011/11/15-biggestdinosaurs-youve-never-heard.html) that may belong to Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum, with the further proviso that the assignment to that genus may be incorrect – the taxonomy of the often generically overlumped Chinese Jurassic sauropods is a mess. My original dimensional data on the size of Futalognkosaurus is correct, so it is the most complete of the largest titanosaurs published when the second edition was finalized rivaling Argentinosaurus in bulk. A scandal was the silly notion that Dreadnoughtus was especially gigantic (https://figshare.com/articles/Not_so_gigantic_after_all_Response_to_Lac ovara_et_al_/1264019). Data just made available to me on the dimensions of Futalognkosaurus show that it's size too has been exaggerated. It also weighed around a couple dozen tonnes, and the skeletal illustration is prob47

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 46

lematic, including that the limbs are too long, and the arms were not so elongated relative to the handles, as per Dreadnoughtus. It was not possible to include the ultra titanic new titanosaur (http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/thetitanosaur) because it came out too late. One item I realized at the last minute is that the apparently bat winged Yi is probably the adult of Scansorsoriopteryx from the same formation – why this obvious possibility is not discussed in the paper naming Yi is perplexing; it should have been. If correct then the known diversity of the group in the Tiaojishan is less, and the absence of the very long cartilage rod for supporting the membrane in juvenile Scansorsoriopteryx is due to the lack of growth and/or ossification. Apparently the bat experiment in dinosaurian flight did not go far, being noncompetitive compared to the feather winged flies we still enjoy these days. A group that underwent extensive revision are the ankylosaurids, not so much because of new specimens, but because of the recent work of Victoria Arbour – but the latest work to the contrary could not be included. A skeleton that had been assigned to Tarchia probably actually belongs to the already known Pinacosaurus. The division of Euoplocephalus tutus into multiple taxa was predicted in the first edition, but this leads to some problems in restoring the skeletons that are not entirely resolved in the second edition. One thing I really enjoyed was adding more juvenile specimens to produce a number of growth series of skulls/skeletons. I’m especially pleased with the sets for some of the classic lambeosaurines. The evidence that Torosaurus is the adult of Triceratops is as good as it is misunderstood. A critical point is that only short nose horned Triceratops horridus from the

lower Hell Creek/Lance is proposed to have grown up to become what has been labeled Torosaurus. It follows that the earlier, long frilled Eotriceratops is also a species of Triceratops. The later Triceratops prorsus retained a short frill no matter how old they became, as shown by an enormous, square shaped frill that has the big holes that appeared with great age in the genus (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comment?id=info:doi/10.1371/ann otation/03c8f4e6-d05a-4383-9f9a-298b1059cf96). Redoing the field guide reinforced what I complained about after doing the first version. That the absence of an anatomical grade based classifica48

tion heirarchy – class, order, family – for archosaurs, combined with the inability to properly tag designate basal groups because only nesting monophyletic clades can be given single word names, is a recipe for confusing laypersons. The latter are left without the means to readily horizontally compare groups to one another. It is bizarrely illogical and inconsistent that while derived iguanodontoids get a nice and tidy family name that consisting of one word, Hadrosauridae, just because of the geoevolutionary accident that they left no descendents, while just because they were successful enough to produce more derived descendents the earlier members of the clade left with being hung with a family-less, two word tag starting with an adjective, basal iguanodontoids. This when the latter, with their heavy arms bearing spiked thumbs, form a group as functionally and anatomically distinctive as the hadrosaurs with their gracile, ungulate style arms and duckbill beaks. So what would be wrong with the former being designated Iguanodontidae, paraphyletically but rigorously defined as iguanodontoids excluding hadrosaurids? Likewise Prosauropoda should be an order level group of sauropodomorphs that excluding Sauropoda, and Protoceratopsidae ceratopsians excluding Ceratopsids. In the field guides I informally use such paraphyletic groups. And while I’m at it, why not revive thecodonts as archosauriformes excluding ornithodires? That way today’s crocodilians would be the last surviving members of that great, nonpterosaur-dinosaur group. There is a paleoartistic item I’m inordinately proud about. Back in 1975 the revolutionary Scientific American article “Dinosaur Renaissance” by Robert Bakker radically proposed that some dinosaurs were feathered like their avian descendents – my, the things some thought back in those days. The following year I did some preprofessional color pencil drawings of some feathered avepods. One is of two ornithomimids feeding upon some eggs. Because ornithomimids are so similar to ostriches, I adorned the pair with a rather ostrich-like pelage, with feathers covering the neck, most of the trunk and tail, but leaving most of the legs bare. I did keep the body feathers shorter than those of ostriches, partly because it looked better, and because I did not want to take the ratite analogy too far. For the first edition of the field guide I upgraded the old illustration, including adding a full albeit largely out of focus (as in telephoto lens photos) landscape. Lo and behold a new specimen of the species shows that it indeed had an ostrich-like feather array, except that the body feathers were indeed short. There was no need to revise my old restoration for the second edition, except to add the large arm feathers that the new fossils indicate were present. I added the latter to the other ornithomimids, except Gallimimus because it’s possible not all of the ostrich-mimics had them, and because I wanted to. In my opinion the publication of the complete Deinocheirus is the most satisfying dinosaurological event since the first edition and for that matter since the arms were found in the 60s. It was correspondingly great being able to include the skeletal, and I made the species the subject of the cover illustration. About dinofeathers, I have developed a major paleoanatomical pet peeve I shall lecture my fellow paleoartists about. As a person who was ahead of the pack in regularly illustrating dinosaurs with feathers and was long denounced for doing the logical thing, I am telling a number of you that you Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 47

are going too far in the opposite direction by making some theropods into dinopigeons. Specifically, you’re putting streamlined feather aeroshells on flightless dinosaurs that never, ever would have had them, even had they descended from fliers. Knock it off. The neoflightless, rough feathered ratites are – obviously -- the best model for feathery nonvolant dinosaurs. For reasons explained in the guide, even flying archaeopterygians and dromaeosaurs probably lacked the fully developed aeroshells found on most but not all modern flying birds. The earliest birds likely to have had aeroshells would have been confuciusornids.

Tyrannosaurus rex pair © Gregory S Paul

Turning to the Mesozoic atmosphere and beyond, the new edition repeats a section on how low oxygen levels in much of the Mesozoic may have impacted the evolution of dinosaurs. But as I was finishing this piece a paper challenging the entire low oxygen hypothesis appeared. In the discussion on the big extinction I note that the idea that galactic dark matter or other cosmic elements pushed a comet from the Oort Cloud into impacting the earth 66 million years ago is highly dubious because the K/Pg impactor was very probably an asteroid. Paleoartists and marketeers are reminded to use the work in my publications for their commercial purposes only with my permission. Being highly resistant to licensing dinosaur images, producers of commercial products are prone to exploit paleoartists’ work. A law firm has undertaken to systematically deal with this problem regarding my art, resulting in considerable income.

I did not attempt to restore the Yixian Psittacosaurus whose skin and apparently pigment patterns are preserved because the skull is too flattened to portray in side view. The color patterns of the psittacosaurs I did life profiles for are broadly similar to those on the Nicholls’s sculpture. The large skin flap behind the hindleg on the model is not impossible but is problematic, it being a peculiar structure based on a sample of one specimen possibly distorted by compression.

With the apparent ongoing success of the field guides, and the solid promise of lots of new material in the coming years, I hope to produce additional editions. Word is that there are new remains of Therizinosaurus out there somewhere (but no skull). If so, I hope they’re published in time to go into the third edition.

Acrocanthosaurus atokensis (corrected) © Gregory S Paul

Deinocheirus mirificus © Gregory S Paul

The cover of the first edition was my classic running Tyrannosaurus pair. But that is now a little out of date in regard to the discovery of large feathered tyrannosaurs. By coincidence while working on the second edition I was asked by a paleoart collector if I would sell the original oil. I could not because that was sold to someone somewhere in Japan in the early 90s, but I offered to do another version, identical except that the pair is running towards rather than away from the viewer. That worked out well because I could include it in the new edition. For some reason the quality of the reproduction did not turn out the best, however. Turning to Mesozoic plants, I believe the new edition is the first publication to mention something I’ve been thinking since the early 1980s. That the peculiar umbrella shape of some araucarian conifers such as monkey puzzles evolved as an anti-browsing strategy against the sauropods, probably starting in the Jurassic. By dropping the branches in reach of the tree chomping dinosaurs, the tree’s photosynthesizing foliage escaped going down the towering sauropod’s gullets. Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

49

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 48

Huayangosaurus design for the model making company 10tons (left)

John Sibbick ART Horshamosaurus -- Wealdon Scene

“2 dodgey fossils ready to escape”...John Sibbick next to model. More design work by John on Huayangosaurus for 10tons of Denmark

50

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 49

Rutiodon for Kokoro animatronic models

Juvenile ichthyosaurs of the Lower Jurassic

Male Barosaurus

Leaping Deinonychus

A fuzzy Megalosaurus…John’s design for models produced by 10 tons[Denmark]-above and below

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

51

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 50

Mesozoic Media by Mike Fredericks Again, I received lots of beautiful books for review this time for you to spend your Christmas money on. The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs: Second Edition by Gregory S. Paul, Hardcover: 360 pages, Princeton University Press; Second edition, ISBN-10: 0691167664, ISBN-13: 978-0691167664 Greg Paul’s first Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs is a must-have book for anyone who loves dinosaurs, from amateur enthusiasts to professional paleontologists. Now he has extensively revised and expanded, his illustrated large-format edition which now features some 100 new dinosaur species and 200 new and updated illustrations, bringing readers up to the minute on the latest discoveries and research that are changing what we know about dinosaurs and their world. New discoveries in paleontology are constantly coming in giving dinosaur expert Gregory Paul cause to extensively revise and expand his original book into this new book which now includes detailed species accounts of all the major dinosaur groups as well as nearly 700 color and black-andwhite images--skeletal drawings, "life" studies, scenic views, and other illustrations that depict the full range of dinosaurs including newly discovered ones, from small feathered creatures to huge supersauropods. Greg completely covers favorite dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus and Brontosaurus with new information. Greg Paul's revised introduction delves into dinosaur history and biology, the extinction of nonavian dinosaurs, the origin of birds, and the history of dinosaur paleontology, as well as giving a feel for what it might have been like in the era when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The guide describes anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction, and growth of dinosaurs, as well as the origin of birds and the extinction of nonavian dinosaurs and includes color paleo-distribution maps and a color time line. What more could a dinosaur enthusiast want? It is all here from the man who knows dinosaurs. Complete your library with this new book today. The Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals by Donald R. Prothero (Author), Mary Persis Williams (Illustrator) Hardcover: 240 pages, Princeton University Press ISBN-10: 0691156824, ISBN-13: 978-0691156828 After the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, mammals became the dominant terrestrial life form on our planet. Roaming the earth were spectacular beasts such as saber-toothed cats, giant mastodonts, immense ground sloths, and gigantic giraffe-like rhinoceroses. Princeton University Press and Donald Prothero have now provided us with the ultimate illustrated guide to the lost world of these amazing prehistoric creatures with up-to-date, detailed information on hundreds of extinct species, from saber-toothed cats to giant mammoths. The guide covers all the main groups of fossil mammals, discussing taxonomy and evolutionary history, and providing concise accounts of the betterknown genera and species as well as an up-to-date family tree for each group. The book provides a wealth of new information about these animals--what they looked like, how they behaved, and how they were interrelated. This unique guide is nicely illustrated throughout with full-color reconstructions of these beasts--many never before depicted--along with photographs of well preserved fossils from around the world. It demonstrates evolution in action--such as how whales evolved from hoofed mammals and how 52

giraffes evolved from creatures with short necks and explains how mass extinctions and climate change affected mammals, including why some mammals grew so large. This is the all-inclusive prehistoric mammal book many PT readers have been looking for. Look no further. Pretty much everything you could ask for is covered within. This is another beautiful impressive guide from Princeton University Press. Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys: The Fascinating Fossil Mammals of South America by Darin A. Croft (Author), Velizar Simeonovski (Illustrator) Hardcover: 320 pages, Indiana University Press, ISBN-10: 0253020840, ISBN-13: 978-0253020840 South America is home to some of the most distinctive mammals on Earth including giant armadillos, tiny anteaters, the world’s largest rodent, and its smallest deer. Of course the continent once supported a variety of other equally intriguing mammals that have no close living relatives: armored mammals with tail clubs, saber-toothed marsupials, and even a swimming sloth. We know of the existence of these peculiar species thanks to South America’s rich fossil record, which provides many glimpses of prehistoric mammals and the ecosystems in which they lived. Organized as a "walk through time" and featuring species from 15 important fossil sites, this book is the most extensive and richly illustrated volume devoted exclusively to the Cenozoic mammals of South America. The text is supported by 75 photo-realistic life reconstructions of extinct species in their native habitats, as well as photographs of fossil specimens and the sites highlighted in the book. An annotated bibliography is included for those interested in delving into the scientific literature. It is high time, this subject was covered and it is completely covered in Croft’s book. Many animals are discussed fully, some that were certainly new to me. While the text is mildly technical, I don’t think any adults will have trouble understanding and following right along. Another beautiful book from Indiana University Press. Dinosaurs: A Coloring Book by William Stout Paperback: 96 pages, Publisher: Insight Editions, ISBN-10: 1608878643, ISBN-13: 978-1608878642 As you might have heard, coloring books for adults are a current fad and very popular. Well, now you can color your favorite dinosaur drawings from acclaimed artist William Stout with his deluxe all-ages coloring book. For decades, artist William Stout has been transporting viewers into the lost world of the dinosaurs. Stout’s award-winning artwork immerses you in places real and imagined to encounter fascinating creatures. From long-necked Apatosaurus to horned Zuniceratops and, of course, mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, over eighty dinosaurs are featured within, each of them hand-drawn and precisely rendered in pen and ink among the flora of their era. You can journey through time to the kingdom of the dinosaurs, all you need are pens, pencils, and a bit of imagination. You have all seen and admired William Stout’s artwork in many places including right here in Prehistoric Times magazine. His coloring book is beautiful, and highly recommended. Get your copy at Amazon.com or directly from Bill at www.williamstout.com Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History 3rd Edition by David E. Fastovsky (Author), David B. Weishampel (Author), John Sibbick (Illustrator) Paperback: 432 pages, Cambridge University Press ISBN-10: 1316501159, ISBN-13: 978-1316501153 The ideal textbook for nonscience majors, this well-written introduction encourages students of paleontology to ask questions, assess data critically and think like a scientist. Building on the success of Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 51

the previous editions, Dinosaurs has been reorganized and extensively rewritten in response to instructor and student feedback. It continues to make science accessible and relevant through its clear explanations and beautiful illustrations. It has, of course been updated to cover recent fossil discoveries and to include new taxa, the text guides students through the dinosaur groups, emphasizing scientific concepts rather than presenting endless facts. It is grounded in the common language of modern evolutionary biology - phylogenetic systematics - so that students/readers examine dinosaurs as professional paleontologists do. The key emerging theme of feathered dinosaurs, and the many implications of feathers, have been integrated throughout the book, highlighted by the inclusion of amazing new photographs in this beautifully illustrated text, now in full color throughout. We all wish they had offered a course on dinosaurs in school. Well, here it is and in a form that is interesting to all with tons of new art by fantastic paleoartist John Sibbick. Just look at that front cover for a huge hint as to what is inside. Giants of the Lost World: Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Monsters of South America by Donald R. Prothero Hardcover: 192 pages, Smithsonian Books ISBN-10: 1588345734, ISBN-13: 978-1588345738 More than a hundred years ago, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a novel called The Lost World with the exciting premise that dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts still ruled in South America. Little did Conan Doyle know, there were terrifying monsters in South America--that are now extinct. In fact, South America has an incredible history as a land where many strange creatures evolved and died out. In his book Giants of the Lost World: Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Monsters of South America, Donald R. Prothero uncovers the real science and history behind these fascinating creatures. The largest animal ever discovered was the huge sauropod dinosaur Argentinosaurus, which was about 130 feet long and weighed up to 100 tons. The carnivorous predator Giganotosaurus weighed in at more than 8 tons and measured more than 47 feet long, larger than T. rex. Gigantic anacondas broke reptile records; possums evolved into huge saber-toothed predators; and ground sloths grew larger than elephants in this bizarre, prehistoric land. Prothero presents the scientific details about each of these prehistoric beasts, provides a picture of the ancient landscapes they once roamed, and includes the stories of the individuals who first discovered their fossils for a full account of a lost world that is stranger than fiction. Prothero uses some of the art from his Princeton book on prehistoric mammals in this book too; the difference being that he includes dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures and narrows the text down to the continent of South America. Great reading. Redfeather by Heidi K. Richter Paperback: 286 pages, Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, ISBN-10: 1535599758, ISBN-13: 978-1535599757 College student Carrie Red Feather is asked by her young researcher instructor Dr. Lewis to join him on a dig at an excavation site in Montana. It is actually Carrie that discovers the fossil of a large "terror bird" there. Perhaps more importantly however are the signs at the site that the birds were intelligent. Meanwhile a team of researchers has set off in an attempt to find a living terror bird on the desolate Blackstone Islands. They were never heard from again. Carrie and Dr Lewis are asked to join a rescue party or party of discovery to the islands to find out what happened to the lost team. There they make an amazing find. An entire race of prehistoric terror birds thought to be extinct have survived. They are made up of two different Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

species. One group calls themselves the Guardians and the other are the Isolators. And even more amazing, the birds are intelligent and even learn to speak our language. The Guardians are open to meeting with the humans but the larger birds, the Isolators try to kill all who enter their territory. Surprisingly, a small group of both species of the giant birds are convinced to return with the humans back to the mainland to meet mankind. What will this visit be like for these "fish out of water?" Can the Isolators stop their violent behavior and can modern man and prehistoric bird learn to share the planet in peace? I was very impressed with Heidi’s writing style. She is very descriptive, obviously well educated and had her characters act in logical ways that you could see yourself doing. Be sure and pick up your copy, visit heidirichter.com/redfeather or e-mail [email protected] or from Amazon.com Dinosaur Girl by David E. Snow, Paperback: 226 pages, Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; ISBN-10: 1535243295 ISBN-13: 978-1535243292 After a series of natural disasters and biological wars, the entire continent of South America has been off limits to the rest of the world for decades. Cut off by a series of unimaginably strong earthquakes, the Panama Canal was destroyed and most of the country sank into the ocean, creating a natural barrier between South America and the rest of the world. Toxic gases, released by the earthquakes rendered the continent unusable by humans. After many years, the gases dissipated. It is the year 2234. When an exploration party, led by Colonel Bret Nolan enters this new world, they discover great dangers from the prehistoric life that now inhabits the land. The expedition is immediately attacked by raptor-like dinosaurs after entering the South American continent and loses some men. While exploring, Colonel Nelson is separated from the rest of the group. When attacked by a dinosaur, he is rescued by a young woman dressed like a cave woman. It turns out her name is Takara and she is as curious about Colonel Nelson as he is about her. Luckily she speaks English (and Spanish) and is somewhat modern and knowledgeable. For one thing, she knows the genus/species names of the dinosaurs they encounter, like Spinosaurus aegypticus. She tells Bret that, “Spino kills T. Rex for lunch.” As the two move through the jungle trying to avoid dinosaurs and the "swamp people" they head toward Takara's people with Bret's hope of eventually returning to his own group. Many surprises and dangers await them as they fall in love in the prehistoric jungle. Snow's writing is very direct and to-the-point. He tells us of the actions of the characters using a lot of dialog without much descriptive writing. The action-packed story is a fast read of fantasy and will be enjoyable to dinosaur fans especially. David also illustrates the story with about a dozen drawings including maps, diagrams and the cover art. Available at Amazon.com Birds of Stone: Chinese Avian Fossils from the Age of Dinosaurs by Luis M. Chiappe and Meng Qingjin, Hardcover: 304 pages, Johns Hopkins University Press ISBN-10: 1421420244, ISBN-13: 978-1421420240 When fossils of birds from China’s Jehol region first appeared in scientific circles, the world took notice. These Mesozoic masterpieces are between 120 and 131 million years old and reveal incredible details that capture the diversity of 53

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 52

ancient bird life. Paleontologists all over the world began to collaborate with Chinese colleagues as new and wondrous fossil-related discoveries became regular events. The pages of National Geographic and major scientific journals described the intricate views of feathers as well as food still visible in the guts of these ancient birds. Now, for the first time, a sweeping collection of the most interesting of Jehol’s avian fossils is on display in this beautiful book. Birds of Stone makes visible the unexpected avian diversity that blanketed the earth just a short time (geologically speaking) after a dinosaur lineage gave rise to the first birds. Our visual journey through these fossils is guided by Luis M. Chiappe, the famous, expert on early birds, and Meng Qingjin, a leading figure in China's natural history museum community. Together, they help us understand the "meaning" of each fossil by providing straightforward narratives that accompany the full-page photographs of the Jehol discoveries. Anyone interested in the history of life from paleontologists to inquisitive bird watchers will find Birds of Stone a feast for the eyes and mind. The fine sediment the animals fossilized in shows the smallest details and this coffee table book is packed from front to back with amazing, full color images including close-ups and UV light images that show even more detail than can be seen in normal light. Luis M. Chiappe is the vice president for research and collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where he directs the museum’s Dinosaur Institute, and an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Glorified Dinosaurs: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds and the coeditor of Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs. Meng Qingjin is the director of the Beijing Museum of Natural History, vice chairman of the Chinese Association of Natural Science Museums and the Beijing Zoological Society, and the director of China’s Natural History Museum Committee. A v i a n Evolution: The Fossil Record of Birds and its Paleobiological Significance by Gerald Mayr Hardcover: 312 pages, WileyBlackwell, ISBN10: 111902076X, ISBN-13: 978-1119020769 Knowledge of the evolutionary history of birds has much improved in recent decades. Fossils from critical time periods are being described at unprecedented rates and modern phylogenetic analyses have provided a framework for the interrelationships of the extant groups. This book gives an overview of the avian fossil record and its paleobiological significance, and it is 54

the only up-to-date textbook that covers both Mesozoic and more modern-type Cenozoic birds in some detail. The reader is introduced to key features that have occurred in the evolution towards modern birds. An account of the Cenozoic fossil record sheds light on the biogeographic history of the extant avian groups and discusses fossils in the context of current phylogenetic hypotheses. This review of the evolutionary history of birds not only addresses students and established researchers, but it can also be a useful source of information for anyone else with an interest in the evolution of birds and a moderate background in biology and geology. This is yet another beautiful book on the subject of paleontology. It is packed with probably a hundred or more b&w photos of avian fossils from around the world plus a very nice, large color section of even more in the middle of the book. The reading is not ‘light’ but again, I think most adults with a fair knowledge of paleontology, the subject we all love, would be able to understand the writing within and will certainly gain a great amount of knowledge on the subject. I enjoyed the fact that many extant birds are also described both physically and their life style and how it pertains to their prehistoric ancestors. Cetacean Paleobiology by Felix G. Marx, Olivier Lambert and Mark D. Uhen Paperback: 320 pages, Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN-10: 1118561538, ISBN-13: 978-1118561539 Cetaceans include whales, dolphins, and porpoises and have fascinated and bewildered humans throughout history. Their mammalian affinities have been long recognized, but exactly which group of terrestrial mammals they descend from has, until recently, remained in the dark. Recent decades have produced a flurry of new fossil cetaceans, extending their fossil history to over 50 million years ago. Along with new insights from genetics and developmental studies, these discoveries have helped to clarify the place of cetaceans among mammals, and enriched our understanding of their unique adaptations for feeding, locomotion and sensory systems. Their continuously improving fossil record and successive transformation into highly specialized marine mammals have made cetaceans a textbook case of evolution - as iconic in its own way as the origin of birds from dinosaurs. This book aims to summarize our current understanding of cetacean evolution for the serious student and interested amateur using photographs, drawings, charts and illustrations. Technical writing. Claws and Effect (Secret Smithsonian Adventures Book 2) by Chris Kientz, Steve Hockensmith, and illustrated by Lee Nielsen Age Range: 9 - 12 years, Grade Level: 4 - 7, Paperback: 64 pages, Smithsonian Books, ISBN-10: 158834567X, ISBN-13: 9781588345677 As schoolmates Dominique, Eric, Josephine, and Ajay return home from their first time-travel adventure at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, they realize there are dinosaurs all over their neighborhood! When they return to the Smithsonian to figure out what's amiss, they see that the National Museum of Natural History is now called The Museum of Extinction, many modern animals have become extinct, and dinosaurs have returned. They then travel back in time to the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition and discover that the evil Barris brothers have brought back dinosaur eggs as a new business venture. Enlisting the help of William Foulke, Nellie Bly, and Alexander Graham Bell and using their natural history smarts, our heroes must try and thwart this wicked plot. Fun and educational for younger readers. Fully illustrated in full color, comic book style.

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 53

Dinosau r Paleontology: The Year in Review 2016 Steve Brusatte, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

although Timurlengia was a lot smaller than T. rex, its brain was nearly identical in shape. It had a large brain and a sophisticated ear that was capable of hearing low frequency sounds. This led us to suggest that tyrannosaurs evolved big brains, high intelligence, and keen senses early on in their history, when they were trying to survive in the shadows, and then later these features may have enabled them to take over the large predator role when their competitors, such as the allosaurs, went extinct.

The ‘Mud Dragon’: a new oviraptor from China discovered by

Another year, another year-end review of dinosaur research. The pace of dynamite new discoveries is still staggering, and in fact it’s increased a little from last After a nice summer of fieldwork in Scotland, the US (New Mexico), and year. In 2015 there were 26 new non-avian dinosaur species and 9 new Brazil, and some down time visiting family, I got back in the dinosaur name Mesozoic birds discovered. In 2016, the numbers are 31 and 8, respectively game in November. A couple of days after Donald Trump shocked the world and that’s only counting the new species. The field of dinosaur research is (no comment on that…), some of the rare newspapers that weren’t dedicatabout so much more than just “new” dinosaurs, even though these discover- ed to across-the-board election coverage ran a story about a new dinosaur ies hog most of the headlines. It’s also from southern China. This was a funky about new experiments, techniques and new species that I named along with a Timurlengia euotica © Todd Marshall instruments used to study dinosaurs and great team of Chinese colleagues, led by understand their biology, growth, feeding, the famous dinosaur hunter Junchang movement, genealogical relationships, and Lü. evolutionary history. So let’s dive into it. The dinosaur we announced was called Here are some of the highlights from an Tongtianlong limosus. But we also gave incredible year in paleontology. it a nickname: the Mud Dragon. That name pays respect to the way we think this dinosaur died, by getting stuck in the mud and being unable to escape. That I’ll start off with a couple of discoveries mud turned to rock, and the entombed that were my personal highlights of 2016. skeleton turned into a fossil, and that is Highlights, I must say, for very personal why this dinosaur was preserved for posand even egotistical reasons…as they were terity. It also explains why the skeleton is so beautifully complete and condinosaurs that I studied! nected together, because it was buried so quickly and scavengers didn’t have In March my colleagues and I announced a new species that is one of the a chance to rip it apart. But although it is a wonderful fossil, it is also a sad closest cousins of the mighty T. rex. We called our new dinosaur one, and I can’t help feel sympathy for this dinosaur when I look at its Timurlengia euotica, named after the fierce 14th century Central Asian war- bones, which tell the sorrowful tale—its head sticking up, its neck arched, lord Timurleng. The name is fitting for a couple of reasons. First, the fossils its arms outstretched to the sides trying to free itself. of the new dinosaur were found in the midst of Timurleng’s old hunting The Mud Dragon lay dormant for over 66 million years, until it was disgrounds, in modern-day Uzbekistan. And second, the bones that we covered in a way that is almost too crazy to be true. A few years ago, a team described—part of a skull and other pieces of the skeleton, discovered dur- of workmen were using dynamite to blast the foundation for a high school ing an expedition led by my colleagues Alexander Averianov and Hans- they were building near Ganzhou, in southern China. The bedrock just so Dieter Sues—belonged to a bloodthirsty carnivore. happens to be rocks that formed in rivers and lakes between 66-72 million The importance of Timurlengia is that it helps us understand how tyran- years ago, right at the end of the Cretaceous, when this part of Asia was nosaurs grew to such large sizes and became such iconic, dominant swarming with dinosaurs. As the boom from their dynamite explosion quidinosaurs. We all know of T. rex and its close relatives that lived at the very eted, and the dust kicked up into the sky settled down, a strange scene came end of the Cretaceous—Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Tarbosaurus. These into focus: a dinosaur skeleton jutting out from the rocks! Thankfully the were monstrous apex predators, which grew to sizes unrivalled by any other dynamite damaged only a small portion of the fossil. Without the dynamite, meat-eaters that have ever lived on land. But over the past decade we’ve we never would have known this dinosaur existed—a haunting testament to come to understand that tyrannosaurs didn’t start out this way. They actual- the fine line that sometimes exists between discovery and destruction. ly evolved from humble, human-sized stalkers that lived more than 100 milWe studied the skeleton and determined that it belonged to an oviraptor lion years before T. rex. So how did tyrannosaurs switch from these pint- dinosaur, one of those strange-looking, sheep-sized, very bird-like dinosaurs sized predators to top-of-the-food-chain monsters? That has been an endur- that were common in the Late Cretaceous. It had a deep skull with a domeing mystery, because we have very few fossils from the middle part of the shaped crest of bone on top, probably used for display. It lacked teeth but Cretaceous period, a 20-30 million year gap in our knowledge from exactly instead had a sharp beak. And it had feathers and even wings, although it the time that tyrannosaurs started to get big. couldn’t fly (it probably also used the wings Enter Timurlengia. Our new dinosaur lived for display). Amazingly, our Mud Dragon was about 90 million years ago, smack in the midthe sixth new species of Oviraptor discovered dle of this middle Cretaceous gap. It is in this small part of southern China over the undoubtedly a tyrannosaur, but it is not a big past few years. And this is why it is important: animal—only about the size of a horse. So it it tells us that these small-to-mid-sized, omnivtells us that tyrannosaurs were still small during orous dinosaurs were still thriving, still evolvthe middle Cretaceous, and then suddenly ing into many new species, still very common exploded in size around 80-85 million years in their ecosystems during those final few milago, during the Late Cretaceous. However, lion years before the asteroid hit, wiping out there is another twist to the story. We were able the non-bird dinosaurs. So these fossils add to put Timurlengia’s skull bones into a CT credence to the idea that dinosaurs were doing scanner, which allowed us to build a digital quite well right up until that moment history model of the brain, inner ear, and cranial nerves changed forever. and blood vessels. What we found surprised us: Tongtianlong limosus © Zhao Chuang But that’s enough about me. Let’s also talk

Timurlengia: tyrannosaurs got smart before they got big

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

55

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 54

about some of the amazing discoveries made by my fellow paleontologists around the world.

Dracoraptor © Robert Nicholls

When dinosaurs rose up against their precursors in the Triassic We’re used to thinking about dinosaurs as big, fierce, dominant animals. Bus-sized flesheaters like T. rex, or earth-shakers like Brontosaurus, or horned beasts like Triceratops. But dinosaurs didn’t start out this way. Like any group or animals—or indeed, any human dynasty of rulers— they began small and had to work their way to the crown. The rise of dinosaurs took place in the Triassic Period, that stretch of time from about 252-201 million years ago, which occurred between the book-end mass extinctions at the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic boundaries. The very oldest dinosaurs come from 231-million-year-old rocks in Argentina— these species, which include Herrerasaurus, Eoraptor, and Panphagia, show that dinosaurs began to diversity into their major meat-eating and plant-eating groups when they were still small, and still nowhere near the top of the food chain. But many questions about the early history of dinosaurs remain. What type of animals did they evolve from, and how did they outmuscle their early competitors and become the undisputed dominant land animals by the dawn of the Jurassic? A sublime new discovery from Brazil helps address these mysteries. A team of paleontologists led by Sergio Cabreira and Max Langer found two reptile skeletons mingled together in the same hole in the ground: a new species of primitive long-necked sauropodomorph dinosaur they called Buriolestes and a new species of very close dinosaur cousin they named Ixalerpeton. The gravesite was found in rocks of the Santa Maria Formation, which are about the same age as the rocks that yield the world’s oldest dinosaurs in Argentina. Therefore, Buriolestes is among the very oldest dinosaurs ever found. Finding two beautiful skeletons, one of which is one of the oldest dinosaurs, in the same place is always going to be a monumental discovery. But the main importance of this find is that the two specimens help paint a picture of what the earliest dinosaurs were up against as they began their evolutionary journey. They evolved from animals like Ixalerpeton—small, meek, cat-sized critters that skittered around the brush, hiding from the giant salamanders and pickup-truck-sized primitive crocodile relatives that reigned supreme. At some point in the middle part of Murusraptor © Jan Sovak the Triassic, these close dinosaur cousins (which are called ‘dinosauromorphs’) gave rise to dinosaurs. These first dinosaurs, however, were still far from glory. Buriolestes, for example, was not that much bigger than a large dog. And it turns out that these first dinosaurs still lived alongside their primitive dinosauromorph cousins for many tens of millions of years, before they finally wrestled control and became the iconic animals we all know and love.

The oldest Jurassic dinosaur?: Dracoraptor from Wales After the first dinosaurs bested their dinosauromorph ancestors, and then survived the intense volcanic eruptions that killed off many of their crocodile and amphibian competitors at the end of the Triassic, they had a whole new world to conquer in the ensuing Jurassic Period. An unexpected discovery in Wales may be one of the very first dinosaurs that emerged in this new landscape. The bones of this dinosaur were discovered by two amateur paleontologist brothers, Nick and Rob Hanigan, in rocks that are about 201 million years old, which formed right after the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. The brothers were actually on the hunt for ichthyosaurs, but instead they came across the exceptionally preserved skeleton of a slender, long-limbed, sharp-toothed predatory dinosaur that was about the length of a horse, but much lighter. By far the best dinosaur fossil ever found in Wales, the skeleton was named Dracoraptor in early 2016. It is a close relative of the famous 56

Coelophysis from North America, and is part of the first wave of theropod dinosaurs that spread around the world in the Jurassic, eventually laying the foundation for T. rex, Velociraptor, and the many hundreds of other meat-eating species that would come later.

The theropod dynasty of Argentina: two new meat-eaters After Dracoraptor and its kin took the crown in the Early Jurassic, theropods migrated around the world, started to develop huge body sizes, and began to diversity into a range of ecological niches—from bone-crunching monsters to smaller, nimbler pack hunters, and even some weird plant-eating and omnivorous species. By the middle part of the Cretaceous—when our horse-sized tyrannosaur friends like Timurlengia were on the verge of morphing into giants like T. rex—a variety of theropods were thriving pretty much anywhere there was dry land. But there were very different theropods in different parts of the world at this time. That’s because the supercontinent of Pangea had been steadily cracking apart for many tens of millions of years, and by the middle Cretaceous there were great divisions between the ecosystems in the north and south. In the north the tyrannosaurs were starting their march while raptors lurked in the background. In the south, the allosaurs were still at the top of their game. Two new discoveries from Argentina show us what these allosaurs were like. The first of these new species, Murusraptor barrosaensis, was a nasty creature that was over 20 feet long and probably held court at or near the top of the food chain. It lived a rough and tumble life, as demonstrated by the deep bite marks from another theropod etched into the bones surrounding its brain. The second new species, Gualicho, was about the same size as Murusraptor, and probably could move fairly quickly with its long hindlimbs. But the most fascinating thing about it is its forelimbs, which are short, skinny, and capped by only two fingers. This type of pathetic arm is similar to that of T. rex, but it evolved independently. Gualicho tells us that other types of relatively large theropods also reduced their arms, and this may have been a common feature of big carnivores that used their heads to do most of the dirty work of gathering, killing, and processing their food.

The sauropods: from babies to behemoths Enough about theropods, for the time being. They are my favorite dinosaurs, and the ones that I study most. But I have to be honest: although theropods are incredible animals, they don’t hold a candle to the freak show feats of evolution that are the sauropods. These long-necked, column-limbed, pot-bellied plantguzzling machines were the largest animals to ever live on land, and paleontologists are constantly trying to figure out how they were able to grow to such extreme sizes. Two studies published in 2016—from opposite ends of the size spectrum—give new insight into these amazing dinosaurs. Very little is known about how sauropods started their lives. We have long known that they laid eggs, which were rarely bigger than a grapefruit, so they must have grown extremely fast after hatchling. In April, a team led by Kristi Curry-Rogers described one of the smallest sauropods ever found: a baby Rapetosaurus from Madagascar that was only about a foot tall at the hip and weighed only about 80 pounds when it died just a few weeks after hatching. Remarkably, this same species is known from adult skeletons that were about 50 feet long, and belonged to animals that would have weighed about 1.6 tons! Curry-Rogers and her colleagues estimated that Rapetosaurus weighed only a few pounds when it hatched, then started to grow remarkably quickly, at supercharged rates sustained for many years, in order to transition into a colossal adult. Rapetosaurus was a type of large, derived sauropod called a titanosaur. These species lived across the world during the Cretaceous, and were parPrehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 55

ticularly common on the southern contiWiehenvenator nents. Some of them, like Argentinosaurus ©Joschua Knüppe/ LMU and Dreadnoughtus, were the very largest sauropods of all. In the autumn of 2016, another huge titanosaur from Brazil was announced. Called Austroposeidon, this new species is represented by several neck, back, and pelvic vertebrae. The team of paleontologists that described the fossils, including my colleague Felipe Simbras (who works for a Brazilian oil company but studies fossils in his spare time), estimated that these bones belonged to an animal that was around 80 feet long as a full-grown adult! That makes Austroposeidon the largest dinosaur, by far, ever discovered in Brazil. It was found in rocks that date from the final 15-20 million years before the asteroid impact ended the Cretaceous, which along with other titanosaurs from Brazil and elsewhere (including Rapetosaurus), suggests that these ground-shaking dinosaurs were still diverse and doing quite well right up until the asteroid suddenly snuffed them out.

Why did birds survive when all other dinosaurs died? When the asteroid hit at the end of the Cretaceous, it was a bad time to be alive. In the resulting explosion, granite rock actually liquified and rose up as high as mountains. The six-milewide space rock collided with the earth with the force of over a billion nuclear bombs, unleashing a deadly cocktail of earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, hurricane-force winds, and eventually a nuclear winter. T. rex, Triceratops, the titanosaurs, and almost all of the other dinosaurs weren’t able to make it through. But one peculiar type of dinosaur did endure: the birds. And that raises a puzzling question: why were some birds able to survive, while so many of their close dinosaur cousins— which we now know had feathers and would have looked and even acted like birds—were not? A team led by Derek Larson found a clever way to address this question. They compiled over 3,000 teeth of theropod dinosaurs (birds and their close relatives) spanning the final 18 million years of the Cretaceous in western North America. They found that there was a high diversity of theropod teeth during this entire time—clearly the last-surviving theropods were filling a variety of ecological niches, eating a variety of foods, enjoying a variety of lifestyles. But then, very quickly, their diversity crashed when the asteroid hit. It was a sudden extinction, and only a few types of birds made it through. Perhaps ironically, Larson and his colleagues hypothesized that it was the LACK of teeth that gave birds a leg up. Some groups of advanced birds replaced their teeth with beaks, which allowed them to specialize in eating seeds. As seeds can last in the soil for many decades after trees die, they may have been a ‘food bank’, a source of steady grub that these birds could eat during those days, weeks, years, and even decades after the asteroid hit and killed the plants that other birds, as well as many non-bird dinosaurs, relied on for food. As the plant-based ecosystems collapsed, with the plant-eaters dying and the meat-eaters then having nothing to eat, the seed-crunching birds flew away into the Paleogene Period and began their own dynasty, which continues today with over 10,000 species of modern birds.

Dinosaur Feathers Today’s birds have a feature that no other modern animals have: feathers. But thanks to the discovery of the famous ‘feathered dinosaurs’ of China— thousands of specimens of downy-coated dinosaurs found over the past two decades—we now know that feathers first evolved in dinosaurs as insulation to keep warm (just like we mammals have hair), and then later on were modPrehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

ified into quill pens, which then joined together into wings, in some very advanced dinosaurs like Velociraptor, which were the ones that gave rise to birds. There has been a lot more work on dinosaur feather evolution in 2016, and the most fascinating study concerns a type of dinosaur that you might not even think had feathers: the small, beaked, plant-eating horned dinosaur Psittacosaurus. The feathers of Psittacosaurus didn’t look much like the feathers of modern birds, but instead resembled the long, cornified bristles of porcupines. A team led by Jakob Vinther was able to figure out the color of the Psittacosaurus feathers, by identifying melanosomes (pigment-bearing bubbles) using very powerful microscopes. What they found was stunning: Psittacosaurus was countershaded, with darker feathers on its back gradually transitioning to lighter bristles on its belly. This is very similar to the type of camouflage colors that many modern animals, like some deer, use to hide themselves in dense forest environments with little light. Psittacosaurus model

And so much more…

I’ve tried to weave together something of a story, about how new discoveries in 2016 together help tell the tale of how dinosaurs originated, rose up, became dominant and grew to terrifying sizes, and then (mostly) went extinct. But there are so many other important discoveries from 2016 that deserve mention. There’s Eotrachodon, a new duck-billed hadrosaur discovered in a place that we rarely associate with dinosaurs: Alabama. It lived about 85 million years ago, when eastern North America was its own continent called Appalachia, separated from western North America (Laramidia) by a seaway that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic. Eotrachodon was a fairly primitive duck-bill, which lived during the few million years before this group of gaudy-crested, scissor-jawed, plant-chewing dinosaurs radiated across North America and other parts of the globe. A distant cousin of the hadrosaurs, the new dinosaur Morrosaurus was found in one of the most remote corners of the planet: Antarctica. It lived in the latest Cretaceous, long after Eotrachodon was bounding through the forests of Alabama. The fact that it is much more primitive suggests that Antarctica may have been a refuge for archaic dinosaurs during the run-up to the asteroid impact. In addition to the baby Rapetosaurus and the jet-sized Austroposeidon, a couple of other sauropods also hit the headlines. Sarmientosaurus was found in middle Cretaceous rocks in Argentina, and is one of the most important discoveries of the year for the simple reason that it has something that most sauropod fossils do not: a nearly complete and gorgeously preserved skull. It had huge eyes, and the shape of its skull and the location of the neck muscle attachments suggest that it may have drooped its neck downwards to feed on low-lying plants. Living around the same time as Sarmientosaurus, but in Australia, was the titanosaur Savannasaurus. It was a large titanosaur that probably was around 50 feet in total length. Its bones were found on a sheep ranch, and comprise one of the most complete sauropod skeletons ever found in Australia. And there were so many other new dinosaurs found this past year. The sleek meat-eater Fukuivenator from Japan, the toothy theropod Wiehenvenator from Germany, a bonebed of bird-like oviraptorosaurs (close cousins of our Mud Dragon) from Mongolia…but I fear I’m out of space. So I’ll sign off with my holiday wish: I hope that 2017 is just as good as— or even better than—the incredible year in dinosaur research that we’ve just experienced. 57

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 56

DINOSAUR ALBUMS … JUST FOR THE RECORD PART 1 - SOUNDTRACKS Robert Telleria dinosauriana.com Dinosaur books are an ever-expanding universe of collecting as we all know. Collecting them all is a real impracticality. Many PT readers are most passionate about models and toys, and the rarest and most desirable can take a lifetime to collect as well. All that is known is documented in Dinosauriana: The Essential Guide to Collecting Figural, Model and Toy Dinosaurs. Books on stamps featuring dinosaurs exist too while the hundreds of posters, postcards and puzzles with prehistoric imagery have yet to be properly catalogued. In past PT issues, I have check-listed notable coloring books, calendars and other ephemera. This article spotlights the overlooked world of recordings bearing dinosaur artwork on vinyl, cassette and compact disc formats. The first part will focus on soundtracks for movies and television but not video games. The emphasis is on the sleeve artwork not the quality of the scores (which often rival the films they were composed for!) Hopefully you can appreciate the artwork for dinosauriana you can hear.

Movie and TV Soundtrack Albums Dinosaur movies were silent in the earliest days. The most famous of the silent era was 1925's The Lost World. The piano theme composed by Harry Smith and Rudolf Friml sheet music can occasionally be found for sale. Proper scores didn't accompany films until the 1930s (one of the first being King Kong, more on that later) and commercially sold soundtrack tie-ins were not sold for another decade. B-movies, as dinosaur movies often were, seldom got their own soundtrack releases. It was not until 1957 that Buena Vista released a soundtrack album for the 1940 Disney animated classic Fantasia, which depicted a glimpse into the Mesozoic era set to Igor Stravinsky's “Rite of Spring” (also the name of the 20 minute segment). This first edition was a 3 LP set, the second edition a 2 LP set with Mickey Mouse cover; this version also available on tape and issued to CD in 1990. The only edition with dinosaurs on the jacket is the 1971 release, though the artwork is not taken from the film directly. Ten years before, an LP called Music From Fantasia: Rite of Spring teased us with artwork of primordial, volcanic landscape. Leopold Stokowski was the conductor of all of these versions. The oldest vinyl album with prehistoric imagery on the cover is a 7” single of Pat Boone singing four songs from the film he starred in, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Released in 1959, the single has a pink tinted picture sleeve with artwork of Dimetrodon, with a frog-like tongue. Another edition of this single was issued by London Records, who later released the compilation Great Science Fiction Film Music with one suite from the film, and a cover painting of a Komodo dragon with a pelycosaur finback. The full Bernard Herrmann film score was released to CD by Varese Sarabande in 1997 with its poster art in full color. None of these releases are particularly rare. 58

Two 1960 films never saw vinyl release during their initial release but were cultish enough to warrant independent record company releases decade later. Ronald Stein's Dinosaurus! soundtrack finally arrived on CD in 2008 from Percepto Records limited to 1000 copies, and the Irwin Allen remake of The Lost World limited edition Intrada 2006, limited to 1200 copies. Note that the Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter tracks, superior to the disappointing film, shares CD space with their Five Weeks in a Balloon score. Both covers have the theatrical artwork on their booklet. In 1985 Intermezzo Records released an LP in Europe of the Mario Nascimbene score for the 1966 One Million Years B.C. These tracks were released on a 2010 CD of Nascimbene's 1970 When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth music (originally released to vinyl in 1987 by Legend Records). That CD release also contains tracks from Creatures the World Forgot, a misleadingly titled, dinosaur-less 1971 Stone Age drama. The 1968 kaiju battle royale Destroy All Monsters featured theropod “Gorosaurus” who also appears on the cover art. Akira Ifukube's music belatedly saw CD release by Tokyo Shock in 2011. The soundtrack to the 1977 animated Allegro Non Troppo was released on Deutsche Grammophon in Europe. The back cover only shows one photo of dinosaurian creatures in the “Bolero” segment. The same year a 7” single of Nancy Wilson's title theme was issued for The Last Dinosaur, a joint U.S.-Japan production televised stateside. Released by Capitol Records for the Japanese market. A theme from the 1978 animated Japanese film Age of Great Dinosaurs (Dai Kyouryu Jidai) was released as a 7” single on Columbia Records (Japan). Both of these Japanese singles have picture sleeves. John Scott's The People That Time Forgot (1977) was never issued on LP, but a CD was independently released in 2006 by JOS Records. Pterodactyls adorn the bottom cover of Yor – Hunter From the Future, reproducing the poster to the 1983 grade Z movie, also scored by John Scott. It exists as an LP on Southern Cross label, and a CD on BSX Records released in 2011, limited to 1500 copies. 1985's Disney bomb Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, scored by Jerry Goldsmith, saw a belated soundtrack release to CD in 2007 by Intrada, limited to 3000 copies. The cover more or less resembles the original theatrical poster. Only a minor element of the hit Tim Burton film, a topiary brontosaurus appears in the foreground of the cover of Edward Scissorhands (1990 MCA LP, tape, CD). Intrada released an expanded CD in 2015 with a different dinosaur cover. Steven Spielberg-produced, James Horner-composed The Land Before Time was a successful animated film in the fall of 1988. The MCA Records soundtrack was the last dinosaur film of the era to be released on LP; it also sold in cassette format and was the first dinosaur film to be released on CD in 1990. All covers reproduce the theatrical poster with the young dinosaurs journeying happily as T. rex looks on behind them. Universal's Songs from The Land Before Time compiled various songs (composed by Michael Tavera) from the directto-video sequels through 1997. Spielberg had returned to producing animated dinosaurs in late 1993 with We’re Back! A Dinosaur's Story, with another score by James Horner. Unlike his Land Before Time, MCA Records issued this only to CD and cassette. In summer 1993, Spielberg brought us quite possibly the biggest dinosaur movie of all time, Jurassic Park, scored by one Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:38 AM Page 57

of cinema's greatest symphonic composers John Williams. Available on MCA Records CDs and cassettes, a rare cassette single exists of the main themes, as well as a promo CD single. A rarer still promotional picture disc, was once stratospherically overpriced by vendors ($1000+) but has fetched more down to earth prices in recent years (under $100). In 2014, Mondo released a special 2 LP set - 1000 copies of amber colored LP, 2000 copies of a Dilophosaurus pattern and 3000 copies of the black version. Unlike the original 1993 releases which repeated the poster art (black with red JP logo) Mondo used a photograph of the brachiosaur forest. Williams returned to score The Lost World: Jurassic Park which was released by MCA Records in a special CD sleeve, as well as a cassette apparently only released in Europe. The franchise continued with Jurassic Park III (composer: Don Davis) (Decca, 2001) and the fourth sequel (and fourth highest grossing film ever), Jurassic World (composer: Michael Giacchino) from Back Lot/Universal, 2015. All of these releases use the theatrical one-sheet artwork for the sleeve art except for the vinyl edition of Jurassic World (Mondo, 2015) which shows a theropod footprint, filled with water reflecting the moon in the night sky. Perhaps the most famous dinosaur pet, “Dino”, now computer generated, appears on MCA's covers of the soundtrack releases (CD, cassette, 12” German picture disc) for the 1994 live-action motion picture of The Flintstones – Music From Bedrock. Artists include The BC-52s, Stereo MCs, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Shakespeare’s Sister, Big Audio Dynamite, Us3, Screaming Blue Messiahs, Crash Test Dummies, Green Jelly, Was Not Was, Weird Al Yankovic, David Newman. A year later, Varese Sarabande issued the David Schwartz soundtrack for Magic in the Water, its cover a shot of the fanciful plesiosaur's rising from the water backlit against the twilight sky. Yet another lake monster movie, 1996's Loch Ness had a CD soundtrack release by Perseverance in 2005, with music by Trevor Jones. However, its cover shows only water, and not a hint of the cryptid – not even a shadow. Night at the Museum (2006) and Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian (2009) by Alan Silvestri are sadly the closest he ever came to creating Mesozoic music. On both covers, we only see the head of the reanimated T. rex skeleton peering down at Ben Stiller. Another comedy with one token T. rex (shown bursting out of the cliched cover to chase Will Ferrell) is 2009's movie version of Land of the Lost. This box office flop was scored by Michael Giacchino who would revisit dinosaurs for the fourth Jurassic Park box office record breaker. All of these were issued by Varese Sarabande, the soundtrack specialists who also released the 2009 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, scored by John Powell. The U.S. Version followed the theatrical artwork wherein the Ice Age cast is seen from within the perspective of inside a dinosaur's mouth. The Japanese version's cover (Genone Universal label) has a more satisfying angle showing the menacing T. rex. 2009's The Land That Time Forgot (Moviescore Media, 2011) padded out the CD with tracks from other Chris Ridenour-scored movies. A pair of Pteranodon soar above the human cast facing the viewer. Walt Disney Records' first dinosaurian album cover art in nearly 30 years, was also the soundtrack for their first film entirely set in the Mesozoic: 2000's Dinosaur with music by James Newton Howard. The cover is a close-up of iguanodont Aladar's eye reflecting brachiosaurs and pterosaurs in the distance. Danny Elfman's soundtrack for Disney's Meet the Robinsons five years later features the lone T. rex “Tiny”, actuPrehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

ally too big to appear in totality on the cover. The Good Dinosaur, tracked by Jeff and Mychael Danna, is an understated presentation, showing Arlo and Spot together nearly backlit against an ethereal blue background. BBC Earth/Relativity Media's CD for Walking with Dinosaurs: The Movie includes the score by Paul LeonardMorgan, may have been as unpopular as the film, a critical and financial failure upon its 2013 release. The cover follows the poster art: an oversized Gorgosaurus looks down at a teeny pachyrhinosaur against an inaccurate lush tropical paradise.

SIDE NOTES There are quite a few soundtracks for movies that have incidental, brief dinosaur cameos but these also have covers that would be of no interest to dinosaur collectors. The soundtracks to the Doraemon films of Japan, only show dinosaurs on the backs or inside sleeves. Despite the tracks they are named for, mammoths and sabre-teeth lions are nowhere to be found on the jacket to 1982's Philippe Sarde-composed Quest For Fire (RCA Records LP, Milan CD). No dinosaur images appear on Pee Wee's Big Adventure, easily one of Danny Elfman's best scores, including the track “Dinosaur Dream”. It was released by Varese Sarabande LP three years after its release, and CD three more years later. Another 1985 film, My Science Project, wherein a T. rex briefly enters the modern day, eventually had its Peter Bernstein released by Intrada to CD in 2014. A soundtrack CD (on Lakeshore Records) exists for 2011's Tree of Life, scored by Alexandre Desplat, a bizarre drama starring Brad Pitt which has a somewhat random flashback to the Cretaceous. Dinosaurs and robots meld in Transformers: Age of Extinction, the fourth score for the series by Steve Jablonsky, (La La Land Records, 2014) but the cover snubs the Dinobot characters. None of the Toy Story movies that have soundtracks feature the “Rex” character on covers. Andrew Lockington's score for Journey to the Center of the Earth (Silva Screen America, 2008) exists but surprisingly is absent of any dinosaur on the cover. Not hinting at its famous dinosaur confrontations, only one of the soundtracks for the 1933 King Kong show any of the other reptilian residents of Skull Island. Max Steiner's score, one of the first used effectively in cinema, was released by United Artists on LP in 1975, conducted by Leroy Holmes, with another version a year later on the Entracte label by Fred Steiner and National Philharmonic Orchestra. This version saw CD release in 1993. Other editions include Southern Cross LP and CD (2008), Sony Music CD (2010). The Marco Polo CD (1998) of William Stromberg conducting the Moscow Symphony Orchestra actually has a painting of Kong with dinosaurs on the sleeve. The James Newton Howard music for the 2005 King Kong remake, saw a Decca CD release but again, no images of the film's many dinosaurs.

Compilation Albums 1925's silent The Lost World couldn't have a soundtrack – or could it? Only if you count Accurate Records' CD Alloy Orchestra: Silents (1997), basically a "contemporary score" by a percussion-heavy, modern synthesizer-based trio. About 14 minutes of tracks are specifically for the movie. The back jewel case showed a still of Bull Montana's Apeman character and the inside booklet a double-page still of Allosaurus combating Agathaumas. 1953's The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms and 1961's Gorgo, both about giant pseudo-dinosaurs devastating a city, have never had soundtracks of their own. However, music from both of these films appear on the CD More Monstrous Movie Music (Monstrous Movie Music, 1996) conducted by Masatoshi Mitsumoto and performed by Radio Symphony of Cracow. 59

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:39 AM Page 58

Ray Harryhausen's Rhedosaurus at least made the cover. The 1990s direct-to-video movies Prehysteria! also never received official soundtrack releases despite the claims during the end credits for all three films. However, the lone title theme by Richard Band is available on Up And Down: Richard Band - Film And Television Music (Super Tracks Music, 1999).

Television Soundtracks The first three releases to discuss are all Japanese. ABC-TV's The Time Tunnel was a 1967 Sonosheet book tie-in with 7” record pressed on blue vinyl. The cover art shows military soldiers dwarfed by a charging Triceratops. Kyoryu Sentai Kaseidon (Dinosaur War Izenborg), a series where dinosaurs are battled with futuristic weaponry, had music by Seiji Yokoyama, first issued on a 1978 Nippon Columbia LP, later a Columbia/Sony CD in 2004. A 7” single on the same label in 1979 features Casey Rankin's "Loving the World" / Shogun & Grand Symphonic Orchestra's theme or "Overture". Identical to the painting on the backs of the toy packages, the heroic Dinobots attack on the colorful cover of the LP The Transformers (Victor Japan, 1985) featuring rock music by Shatoko Shimonari, S.G.S. Band from the animated series that aired in Japan. Another animated series Denver the Last Dinosaur with cheerful music by Dale Schacker aired Saturday mornings in 1988 but didn't get a CD soundtrack until 2012 from its rights holders World Productions. The Henson Studios' smash sitcom Dinosaurs even had its own CD, entitled Big Songs. All composed by Ray Colcord. Henson's other hit series, aimed at kids watching PBS, Dinosaur Train – Volume 1 was released by PBS Kids Tunes/Jim Henson Company CD in 2011 with a follow-up “Jurassic Jams” in 2015. Fans of James Gurney's fantasy Dinotopia, as adapted into a television mini series in

2002, can enjoy the music of Trevor Jones on Hallmark/Contemporary Media Recordings' complete six CD, 106-track set (out of print and very rare) or the more common (and cheaper) single CD which features backlit brachiosaur necks. Steven Spielberg-produced “lost world/planet” series Terra Nova (2011), with music by Brian Tyler, eventually got its own 2 CD set by La La Land, limited to 3000 copies. BBC's late 2000s series Primeval received its own soundtrack CD from Moviescore in 2011 with tracks by Dominik Scherrer. The cover, probably thrown together in minutes, has three of the series' creatures bursting at the viewer.

SIDE NOTES Depending on how completist collectors are, it should be noted that The Flintstones animated prime time sitcom, had several vinyl tie-ins including Songs of The Flintstones (Golden, 1961), Flintstones (Colpix, 1966) and The Man Called Flintstone (Hanna-Barbara Records, 1966). Some or all may include their beloved pet “Dino”. The 1966 animated series Original TV Adventures of King Kong often featured dinosaurs but none made it to the cover of the Epic label LP.

Documentary Soundtracks Music from Midwich Entertainment's entertaining television documentaries, Dinosaurs, More Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs Dinosaurs Dinosaurs, Prehistoric World, and Son of Dinosaurs, all hosted by Eric Boardman and Gary Owens, apparently are the first soundtracks from educational television program about dinosaurs. The simply titled Dinosaurs (1988) compiled the series' memorable themes by David Spear. It was released by Cerberus Records on LP and cassette in the U.S. while the CD saw release in Europe. The T. rex cover art is by William Stout, whose artwork accompanied the main titles of the episodes. Lovingly packaged, certainly great crossmarketing by producer Richard Jones. The excellent, four part, made for PBS series The Dinosaurs! (1992), with a repetitive Peter Melnick score conspicuously reminiscent of the goofy theme in 1981 comedy Caveman, was released on CD and cassette by Narada Cinema in 1993 with very subtle artwork and quite overpowering title. William Ross independently sold his score for IMAX hit T. rex: Back to the Cretaceous in 1998. 1999's monumental BBC series Walking With Dinosaurs, scored by Ben Bartlett, needs no introduction. BBC Records issued a CD in their native Britain, as they would with the series follow-up, 2001's Walking with Beasts. For those who couldn't get enough WWD, there's Walking with Dinosaurs: The Live Experience CD (ABC Classics, 2007) with music by James Brett.

SIDE NOTES While extinct life figures in the documentary itself, 2002's The Shape of Life, does have a CD counterpart from Sumthing Distribution, without any prehistoric images on its sleeve, however. The excellent BBC docufiction series Prehistoric Park only got a digital download of the Daniel Pemberton music in 2006 from 1812 Recordings. Matt Morton's score to Dinosaur 13, the theatrical documentary about the legal fracas over “Sue”, was also available as a digital download from Lionsgate Records in 2014. 60

Prehistoric Times No. 120 Winter 2017

Prehistoric Times #120_Prehistoric Times #73 1/3/17 9:39 AM Page 59

PT #120 covers_PT #73 covers 1/3/17 9:35 AM Page 4