Prehistoric Times - Issue 133 - Spring 2020

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Writers in This Issue:

Phil Hore

Mike Fredericks

John R. Lavas

Tracy Ford

Robert Telleria

David Bengel

Randy Knol

Allen Debus

Chuck Egnaczak

issue: in this Artists Mike Fredericks

Markus Burkhardt Mark Elliott Massion

John Sibbick

Giovanni De Benedictis

Julius Csotonyi

Mike Landry

Ray Troll

John Davies

Fabio Pastori

Mohamad Haghani

Robert Telleria

Todd Mills

Jacek Major

Esther Van Hulson

Kevin Hedgpeth Chuck Egnaczak

Paulo Leite Andreas Forrer Meg Bernstein Anders Bang Brendan Clark Aaron Marsh John Patterson

Jorge Blanco

I would hate to have a hangover with that big of a head.

Pat Schaefer

Tracy Ford

Nick Papadimitriou Jaime Martinez David Bengel

Jon Noad Tony Campagna

Julie Kitzes Francesca Zeitler A. Collier Peter Messick Waylon Rowley Ronnie Tucker Russel J Hawley Wind Sop McGowan Quentin Brendel Phil Wilson Han Zhixin Isaura Vazquez Rojas Graciela Perez Bautista Isaura Vasquez Rojas

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All payments in U.S. funds. Credit card payment is Okay 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. 133 Spring 2020

Burian’s Early Avians Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lavas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

$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 $55 Across the Pacific Publisher/Editor: Mike Fredericks 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]

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Triceratops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 How to Draw Dinosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Reader Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Collectors Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fredericks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Dinosaur Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Knol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Dinosaur Stamps Part 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Noad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 What’s New in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fredericks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Tylosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Fake Fossil News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Debus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

PT logo by William Stout Redone above by Thomas Miller

PT Interview: Dr Bob Bakker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Campagna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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MPC No. 838 Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Schaefer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Dinosauriana Imagined 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telleria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Cowboys and Dinosaurs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bengel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

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Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to the new issue of Prehistoric Times coming to you directly from my home (and into your home). Our Tylosaurus cover art this time was accomplished specially for this issue of PT by Chuck Egnaczak. You have probably noticed his fine artwork in recent issues. I know I have and was honored to have his work. His artwork features a closeup of a Mosasaur hunting within a school of Cretaceous Albiliforms. Chuck says, “I love painting prehistoric life. I spent untold hours in school filling the edges of my notebooks with a menagerie of dinosaurs known at the time (1960’s). My interest was reinforced by watching sci-fi movies and TV shows, chief among them, “The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms”, a true classic. Since I’ve retired from a 40 year career in marketing, design and photography, I have dedicated my creative energy to become the best paleo illustrator possible.” Thanks Chuck. Chuck also has an article in this issue. Chuck Egnaczak is at [email protected] We have another filled-to-the-brim issue for you. Tony Campagna returns with a nice interview with famous paleontologist Robert Bakker. Bakker has been a major proponent of the theory that dinosaurs were warm-blooded, smart, fast, and adaptable. He published his first paper on dinosaur endothermy in 1968. His seminal work, The Dinosaur Heresies, was published in 1986. He revealed the first evidence of parental care at nesting sites for Allosaurus. He was convinced some dinosaurs had feathers even before any were discovered. Please enjoy it as he talks mostly about sauropods. I have had the pleasure of seeing Bob lecture and even had lunch with him before. Did I already tell you one time he called here at the house and I didn’t believe it was really him for an embarrassing amount of time before he convinced me? Last issue Phil Hore discussed the two big Os. This time it is the big Ts. He fills us in on Triceratops and Tylosaurus. Thanks Phil. Tracy Ford is drawing Corythosaurus for this issue. He and I recently finished our Prehistoric Times Coloring Book of Prehistoric Aquatic Animals so look for that at Amazon.com please. Lucky Randy Knol got to go to Toy Fair in both Germany and New York and talks about what is new. Jon Noad is finally back (my fault) for the third time with his beautiful and colorful dinosaur stamps of the world. We missed Allen Debus and he is back; this time with a humorous article. Are you a fanatical dinosaur collector? Here at Prehistoric Times we are intense, fervent collectors and no one exemplifies that better than our own Pat Schaefer who precedes to tell you EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about the MPC company’s dinosaur toy packaging. And our Robert Telleria comes in at a close second place for fanaticism as he again sculpts prehistoric animal figures that he WISHES had been made. This time he picks on Starlux of France. Last but far from least my good buddy and very talented artist Dave Bengel shows us how he built and painted Joe Laudati’s awesome Gwangi tyrannosaur. Oh and of course I make my feeble attempt to educate you with news in several of my usual columns. Thanks so much for joining us. Please make purchases from our advertisers to keep this magazine alive and afloat. The third Jurassic World film won't be stomping onto movie screens until 2021, but the raptors-running-rampant franchise is not staying dormant until then. The animated Netflix series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous is set to debut later this year and some of the tie-in toys for the show have just been revealed. Universal has rolled out a collection Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

of figures based on the dinosaur characters. We received horrible news that famous paleontologist of Patagonia Dr. Jose F. Bonaparte has passed. The Jurassic-world-live-tour starts in Vancouver and then travels the world so look for that at your closest venue. Check out the You Tube channel called Andy's Dinosaur Reviews. He created the channel in an attempt to become a database of dinosaur figures. So anytime you are considering picking up a figure whether it is brand new or something from the past, and you are unsure of whether you want to actually search it out you can always go to his channel and search up a review to see if you would like to buy it. He uploads videos every day, and sometimes more than once a day. He does his best to cover every release he can that comes out and he not only reviews figures like Papo, Safari LTD, Schleich, etc, but I also reviews resin kits, toys, regular model kits, fossil replicas, etc. Pretty much anything prehistoric related. His reviews are filmed in high definition with great detail. On top of the reviews, he also does a lot of repainting videos, along with news videos where he will promote different dinosaur releases and happenings going on in the collecting community. Others can get involved like submitting images of their dinosaur figure photography to include in a series called "Dinos in the Wild." “I have even more planned for the future of my channel and many different ideas to try to make my channel as different from other dinosaur review channels as possible, but always focusing on reviews primarily.” Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQkFJt2lb-k7S__-PQjVwvg MOVING?? PLEASE let us know your new address when you plan to move. The magazine is NOT forwarded and it costs us to resend the magazine later to your new “digs.” Also, if you subscribed to PT by sending your payment anywhere except directly to us, please know that we only received a small percentage of that payment. The people you sent the payment to got the majority of your money. When you (hopefully) renew your subscription, PLEASE do it by sending your payment directly to us. We are a small business and could really use your support. Thanks so much to many of you who have started renewing directly with us. Would the rest of you please stop your automatic renewal with an internet subscription service? We sure thank you! ARTISTS! PT does not pay for submissions but many artists whose work is seen in Prehistoric Times get paying work from other sources. Please send jpg files of your artwork scanned at 300 DPI resolution. Send as an approx 4” jpg with your name in the title of the image--example--Triceratops by John Smith.jpg to our e-mail address or send good copies (that you don’t need returned and that aren’t larger than our 9 x 12 scanner bed) to our mailing address in California. We need your art and info. For #134 Diplodocus/Kaprosuchus (June 2020) For #135 Stegosaurus/Lystrosaurus (Sep 2020) For #136 Sauropelta/Longisquama (Dec 2020) For #137 Daspletosaurus/Eryops (March 2021) For #138 Tenotosaurus/Plesiosaurus (May 2021) Thank you.

MANY MORE DINOSAUR DESIGNS AVAILABLE TOO! ALL COLORS OF SHIRTS PLUS CAPS, MAGNETS, WATER BOTTLES, MUGS, BAGS, GLASSES AND MORE! AVAILABLE ON-LINE AT WWW.CAFEPRESS.COM/PRETIMES 5

me that getting the lot - besides my waiting 60+ years - would have required of my mother to purchase at least ten boxes of cereal...or even double that, for that matter, just to acquire one set. Maybe. I do vividly recall the TV commercial for that exciting offer. In my recollection, the dinos Mike ... PT is the only magazine I subscribe to ... in the commercial you publish a fun, interesting, and truly unique magmight have first azine ... I look forward to renewing again and again appeared in a in the years to come , please keep up the good work Jeff Tribby of Lakeland Fl., is an electric bass player with his local church group Harryhausen film. I ... John Jozifek, Fairbanks, Alaska and also a PT subscriber. He designed and created this dinosaur bass himself. ended up only with the T. rex Hey, Mike, The gang's all here. The set of Sinclair hollow dinosaurs from Oviraptor © Esther van Hulson and pterothe 1964-65 NY World’s Fair I purchased from you has arrived. The dactyl back Brontosaurus has the old Camarasaurus head, I see....and the Trachodon then. Whit looks downright sinister...are zebras still reactionaries?...I recall attending K n i g h t , the New York World's Fair in both '64 and '65. I recall getting a molding of Arlington, VA the Triceratops during one of those visits. Overall, I am suitably impressed

MESOZOIC MAIL

by this lot. Wow. Thanks. As for the Fritosaurs Nabiscoii I also received from you, it now occurs to Paul Gruendler sent us this photo of his wife and brother in law in 1964 at the Sinclair Oil dinosaur exhibit. Remember corrective shoes?

Wow! Talk about a cover suitable for framing. John Sibbick has created an evocative scene that puts the viewer in harms way. I carefully detached the staples and then the cover of the Winter 2020 issue so that I could laminate it and place it in my "cave." Thanks for keeping PT the best place for paleoart in the prehistoric world. Chai Malick, Nong Prue, Thailand Mike, Thank you so very much for your hard effort to continue a great and informative magazine. Thanks alot to all of your contributors (written, artistic, & advertisers) without whom this magazine would not exist. Please keep up the good work. Enclosed is my renewal. Russell Thomas, Arcade, NY Hey Mike, It’s renewal time!! I can’t think of a better, more informative journal for dinosaur enthusiasts than Prehistoric Times. I love the articles from some of the world’s leading scholars, scientists and artists. One word for the future - Xiphactinus. Keep up the great work and God bless!! Dwight E Leevy, Philadelphia, PA Hi Mike, I must say, the John Sibbick wraparound cover was worth the price of the zine for the issue!! What a bang I got seeing those silver age issues of Dell’s Kona Monarch of Monster Isle sporting the editorial page. I recently purchased a run of these comics that had always been a childhood favorite!! Once again, thanks for publishing such a truly fine magazine, best Triceratops © Todd Mills, always Jim Garrison, Fort Smith, Ar Pacoima, CA

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Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

Franchesca Zeitler

Allosaurus jimmadseni © Fabio Pastori

Graciela Perez Bautista

Isaura Vasquez Rojas

R E A D E R A R T

Qi © Mohamad Haghani © John Sibbick www.johnsibbick.com

Lisette Riano Ruiz Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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The PT DinoStore Vintage dinosaur collectibles for sale from PT magazine 1. “Dinosaur Collectibles” price guide co-written and signed by PT editor $39 16. Abbeon 19. hollow dinos 1. Collectibles book 2. Linde 1950s Coffee Premium plastic dinosaur figs 7 from Austria. $12ea. 3. Rare 8th Linde figure to complete above set: Rare Rhamphorhynchus $39 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 50s Dimetrodon, Tricer, Sloth, Mammoth/Mastodon, Woolly 10. Sinclair banks Rhino, or Stego $44 (most minor damage) Bronto (complete) $64. T. rex $99 20. SRG 10. Sinclair 1960s green plastic 10” brontosaur bank $19 11. Sinclair 1934 Dinosaur book $25 & Sinclair1964 Worlds Fair booklet $15 9. JH Miller 12. Sinclair 60s color Hardback “The Exciting World of Dinosaurs” $47 T. rex 13. Sinclair hollow dinosaurs ‘64 NY World’s Fair dinos - many @$35 27. Palmer 14. Sinclair hollow NY Worlds Fair Brontosaurus looks backward $76 15. Sinclair album and complete stamps set 1935 $40 or 1959 $30 27. Palmer 16. Abbeon 60s Japan porcelain/bone china Rhamphorhyncus repaired wing $39 17. Sinclair Oil 1960s dino chrome metal tray $49. 2&3. Linde 18. Sinclair 1960s metal Brontosaurus bank - nice shape (no lid bottom) $79 11. 1934 Book 19. Hollow, dimestore plastic dinos, 60s/70s six different $7 each (see photo) 20. SRG Small metal dinosaurs T. rex, Tricer, Tracho, Bronto, or Stego $32. 20. lrg SRG SRG sm. Caveman, Dimetrodon, pterosaur or plesiosaur $45 ea. SRG Lrg metal Plesio, Dimetro, Stegosaurus, Trachodon, Bronto, Tricer or T. rex $55 13. Sinclair hollow dinosaurs 21. Nabisco silver prehistoric mammal cereal premiums 60s $10 ea. All 8 $75 22. Nabisco/Fritos dinosaur premiums, gray (60s) $5 each,50s green & red $10 23. Porcelain dinosaurs made in Japan 1960s about 5” long - $24 ea. 24. ROM (Royal Ontario Museum)plastic dinosaur figs. $15 ea, Pteranodon $25 25. View Master Prehistoric Animals 1960s comp. 3 reels/booklet $25 26. Teach Me About Prehistoric Animals Flash cards (boxed) 1960s $35 30. Abbeon 21. Nabisco cereal prehistoric 27. Palmer 1960s Mastodon skeleton or Brontosaurus skeleton $49 each - boxed Corythosaur & mammals 28. Golden Funtime 1960s Dinosaur punch out (unpunched in book) $79 more 29.Timpo (England) 50/60s plastic 4” Dimetrodon (black or brown) Triceratops $29 30. Abbeon 60s Japan porcelain Corytho, Protocer, Dimetro, Rhamphorhynchus $39 31. 1960s porcelain Norcrest, white dinosaur statues - T. rex, Brachio $69 8. MPC Multiple dinos 32. Vintage Ucagco Japan Smoking Dinosaur Ashtray Brachiosaurus $59 33. Linemar Marx 60s tiny metal dinos Allo Trex Krono Bronto Stego Pterano $24 ea. PT back issues 31, 41, 42, 52, 66, 74-76, 78, 93-102, 104-133 $9 each or $15 each 31.Norcrest 60s foreign. (PT issue prices include shipping) Please add $7 U.S. • Call or e-mail me white porcelain Brachio or T. rex

Mike Fredericks Prehistoric Times 145 Bayline Cir. Folsom, California 95630-8077 (916) 985-7986

17. Sinclair chrome tray 1960s

[email protected] 7. six inch Marx large cavemen 32. Ucagco smoking Brachio

28. 1960s Golden Dinosaur funtime punch out in book

26. Flash cards 33. Linemar dinos 22. Nabisco dinos 18. Sinclair metal bank 29. Timpo Dimetrodon or Triceratops 13. Sinclair 1960s hardback

34. Dinosauriana disc $25

23. Japan 1960s porcelain @$24

25. 60’s Viewmaster

24. ROM plastic dinos

15. Sinclair 1959 Oil dino stamps & album

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Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

1. Introduction Following our preceding article which focussed on Archaeopteryx and the origin of birds, we continue the avian theme by reviewing the development of avian flight and the evolution of other toothed Mesozoic birds, some of which chose to abandon a life on the wing to become secondarily flightless. This trend to a land-bound existence continued more strongly during the Cenozoic Era when medium-sized theropods of the Mesozoic were replaced by giant ground-dwelling birds (which will be the subject of a future instalment). Debates on the evolution of avian flight have historically not been so contentious as those that surrounded the origin of birds where available data were analysed in different ways depending on which features were included for analysis and which were deemed as convergent (as opposed to shared with a common ancestor). For example cladistics have been used not only to support the bird-theropod link, but also to justify that birds were more closely related to thecodonts at a developmental stage between Lagosuchus and Euparkeria. The colour artworks accompanying this article were completed by Zdenek Burian under the supervision of Josef Augusta (1903-1968) and are reviewed in section 8 along with the artist’s Archaeopteryx paintings from PT 132. Again I thank my fellow Burian enthusiasts Jan Kopecky and Paul McFarland, Igor Drecki (IT support), and

Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

Burian’s grandson Jiri Hochman for permission to reproduce Burian’s art. (http://www.zdenekburian.com/en/) 2. Cursorial theory There have historically been two competing theories on the evolution of avian flight, the cursorial vs the arboreal. The cursorial concept was initially proposed in 1879 by American entomologist and palaeontologist Samuel Wendell Williston (1851-1918) and later expanded upon in 1907 and 1923 by the Romanian palaeontologist and geologist Baron Franz Nopcsa (18771933). This theory envisaged an early fast-moving and bipedal “protoavian” reptile that developed long scales or feathers on its forearms. Flapping of these proto-wings was combined with progressively higher leaps until the animal reached the necessary speed to achieve powered flight. However, the cursorial theory failed to receive wide support because there was no aerodynamic evidence that lateral forearm movement could result in increased velocity. Nonetheless in 1974 the American palaeontologist John Ostrom (1928-2005) introduced a variation of this concept dubbed the “insect net hypothesis” whereby he envisaged Archaeopteryx as a feathered coelurosaur which attained flight as a secondary result of predatory behaviour. The successful pursuit of flying insects might have been

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enhanced if the extended contour feathers of the forelimbs had been used as a trapping device into which insects were corralled before being grasped by the hands or jaws. Ostrom suggested that morphological similarities between the hand, metacarpus, forearm, humerus, and pectoral arch of Archaeopteryx and small theropods such as Ornitholestes and Velociraptor were the result of shared predatory functions rather than of parallelism and convergence. He postulated that feathers already existed in pre-Archaeopteryx forms and had arisen in connection with the need to limit body heat loss (later in 1980 he suggested they may have acted as a shield against overheating). Thus a state of endothermy would have been a precursor to powered flight, with the subsequent development of a true wing being the result of “preadaptation” in line with the concept expounded by the palaeontologist George Gaylord Simpson (1902-1984) in his book The Major Features of Evolution (1953). Some authorities, notably Alan Feduccia, and Sam Tarsitano & Max Hecht, criticised the insect net hypothesis, noting that any aerodynamic nature of early feathers would have caused air pressure to expel flying insects during forearm adduction. 3. Arboreal theory In contrast to the cursorial theory, the arboreal theory received far broader support. Originally proposed by the American palaeontologist Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) in 1880, it was expanded by the Danish artist and palaeontologist Gerhard Heilmann (1859-1946) during his exhaustive research into the origin of birds. The arboreal theory suggests that early proto-birds first developed plumage and adopted arboreal habits and then later utilised their feathered limbs and tails to glide between trees or to reduce their speed of descent while leaping to the forest floor. Gliding is defined as a descent angle of fewer than 45 degrees relative to horizontal, whereas greater angles of descent are defined as parachuting. Some modern vertebrates employ gliding or parachuting when moving from tree to tree in forest habitats, including numerous genera of frogs (e.g. Rhacophorus), flying geckos (Ptychozoon), lizards (Draco), and flying squirrels (Pteromys). Flying frogs are furnished with webbed membranes between their forelimb and hind-limb digits; flying geckos use elaborate webs of skin surrounding the neck, limbs, trunk, and tail; Draco has a fold of skin known as the patagium between the animal’s expanded ribs, and some 50 species of flying squirrels use a flight membrane stretched between their forelimbs and hindlimbs. Other forms of gliding mammals such as colugos (primate relatives), the Petauridae (opossums) and the Anomaluridae (rodents) superficially appear similar to flying squirrels, but this is entirely due to convergent evolution. 10

Palaeontologists have surmised that these skin and membranous structures of modern gliding vertebrates serve a similar purpose as the feathers of proto-avians. It is believed that there may have been seven stages in the evolution of avian flight, as follows: (1) an ancestral terrestrial quadrupedal reptile, (2) a terrestrial bipedal reptile, (3) an arboreal bipedal reptile, (4) leaping between closely spaced trees, (5) parachuting, (6) gliding increasingly longer distances, (7) active flight. In 1915 the American ornithologist and explorer Charles William Beebe (1877-1962) proposed that avian flight had passed through a four-winged “tetrapteryx” stage whereby both the forelimbs and lizard-like hind-limbs featured feathers used for gliding. Heilmann disagreed with this hypothesis, arguing that pelvic “wings” on reptilian-like hind-limbs would have been of no aerodynamic use to an avian lineage dependent on an erect hind-limb gait, although he conceded that such a condition might have proved advantageous to other early gliding reptiles. Evidence of a tetrapteryx-like condition comes from numerous specimens of the small theropod Microraptor from early Cretaceous Chinese deposits. Microraptor was furnished with long pennaceous feathers on the forelimbs, hindlimbs, and tail, and although it was almost certainly a glider, evidence indicates it may also have been capable of active flight. However, its skeleton shows none of the adaptations associated with arboreal habits, and even if Microraptor was an active flyer, its avian-like morphology most likely arose independently of the avian lineage. 4. The flying ability of Archaeopteryx In 1976 John Ostrom compared the osteology and myology of Archaeopteryx to those of modern birds in order to construct a sequential evolution of avian aerodynamics. Although Archaeopteryx may not have been directly ancestral to modern carinates, Ostrom assumed that the carinates’ ancestral lineage likely included a broadly comparable anatomical stage. He noted that a critical component in the evolution of the avian wing involved major myological changes to the coracoid, the hook-like structure at the edge of the scapula (shoulder blade). Here it is necessary to consider the myology of the avian wing. In modern birds, the recovery stroke of the humerus is actioned primarily by the M. supracoracoideus, which originates on the sternum (breastbone), sternal carina (‘keel’), coracoid, and the coracoclavicular membrane. This muscle converges dorsally to the supracoracoideus tendon, which then passes backwards between the coracoid, clavicle (collarbone), and scapula to insert downwards on the dorsal surface of the humerus. Consequently, a bird’s wing is elevated not by a dorsal muscle Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

as one would naturally expect (and as is indeed the case in bats) but by a ventral one. However in Archaeopteryx the supracoracoideus is believed to have acted as a lateral humeral adductor to lower the wing, and over time the action of this muscle has been totally reversed in modern birds. Changes in the wing condition from Archaeopteryx to modern carinates were the result of two main morphological alterations: (1) an elongation of the coracoid dorsoventrally and (2) the elevation of the site of origin of the M. biceps brachii muscle by prolongation of the acrocoracoid (an expansion of the coracoid to which the shoulder-facing end of the M. biceps brachii muscle is attached). The coracoid elongation increased the range of dorsoventral humeral excursion, which was possibly related to changes in the sternum, the development of a keel on the sternum, and enlargement of the main wing adductor muscles (M. pectoralis). The effect of the upwards expansion of the biceps “tubercle” (the small rounded face of the bone) would have initially deflected the course of the supracoracoideus tendon, causing it to gradually alter from a humeral adductor to lower the wing, to a forward extensor, to an anterodorsal extensor, and finally to an abductor to elevate the wing. In 1983 Kevin Padian showed that the supracoracoideus muscle of pterosaurs had undergone a very similar evolutionary pathway and also acted as a wing elevator in the flying reptiles. The recovery stroke in the Archaeopteryx wing was probably powered by the relatively weak dorsal muscles such as the deltoids, with the weight of the body and long tail likely negating the need for a more powerful upward stroke. The simple condition of the humerus in Archaeopteryx lacked features such as external and internal tuberosity, a bicipital crest and an ectepicondyle, which are all involved in the wing-folding mechanism of carinates. This condition indicates that Archaeopteryx may not have been capable of folding its wings back completely against its body. Archaeopteryx did, however, retain a high degree of medial (but not lateral) hyperflexion of its manus, which may have been linked to prey acquisition and feeding (which is now primarily the function of the beak in modern carinates), while the high levels of its forelimb extension and flexion were probably linked to its quadrupedal climbing habits, even though Ostrom had earlier (1974) described Archaeopteryx as non-arboreal. In addition to the wing-elevating musculature, there are other similarities between the evolution of birds and that of pterosaurs. As was true for pterosaurs, all post-Archaeopteryx avians possessed pneumatic foramina in many postcranial bones, presumably to help cool the blood when their body temperatures rose because of the muscular activity associated with flight. Other shared skeletal features include the acrocoracoid process, deltopectoral crest, a broad-keeled sternum, and braced coracoids. In comparison Archaeopteryx shows almost no skeletal features that can be directly compared to the flight apparatus of modern birds, and it was likely capable of only short bursts of clumsy flight. Nonetheless, the structure

Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

of its primary and secondary feathers still appears very similar to that of today’s birds. Powered flight requires levels of coordination that are reflected in the degree of cranial development, and here too the evidence from Archaeopteryx is relevant. In 1968 H.J. Jerison used a body-weight estimate of 500 gm for a British Museum Archaeopteryx specimen to arrive at a brain-cavity size intermediate between those of reptiles and of birds. However other researchers assessed the same specimen’s weight at only 200 gm which would indicate a far higher relative cranial capacity. It is apparent that Archaeopteryx had well-developed visual and coordination faculties, a bird-like inner ear to control balance, and evidence of a hyperpallium which is a neurological structure used in flight-sensory input processing. In fact the hyperpallium has not been found in any other non-avian theropod and is otherwise unique to modern birds, being especially well developed in raptors such as eagles, hawks, and owls. Therefore, although it could by no means be considered an accomplished flier, Archaeopteryx is now regarded as having been significantly more bird-like than it has historically been viewed. 5. The evolution of feathers Several researchers including P.J. Regal and Ostrom had argued (in 1975 and 1980, respectively) that avian feather development preceded the attainment of flight. They noted that several genera of modern lizards dwelling in warm climates have evolved elongated body scales that likely function as heat shields, making it possible that the first feathers were also utilised for this same function. At some stage the elongated scales of pre-avian types might have subdivided into finely branched structures to produce a more flexible and contoured shield. The muscles associated with controlling such scales would permit fine control over heat retention and loss. In the first instance, avian flight was initiated by short glides that may have also assisted in heat loss. Proto-feathers could have grown directly from the tips of the scales, and once they assumed an important function the scales themselves regressed and disappeared, while the germinal and early maturative regions of the proto-scales sank back into follicles. One possible evolutionary transition of scales into feathers was suggested by A.S. Rautian in 1978 based on a feather imprint collected in 1971 by the entomologist A.G. Sharov (1922-1973) from the Karatau mountain range of Kazakhstan. Echoing the first evidence of Archaeopteryx having been a fossil feather found by von Meyer in 1861 (PT 132), the Karatau fos-

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sil was a primary feather from the left wing of a primitive avian that was named Praeornis sharovi (with a second specimen being found in 2010). Although some palaeontologists dismissed the first fossil as a cycad frond imprint, electron microscopic analysis confirmed its true identity. In contrast to the feathers of other ancestral birds (including Archaeopteryx) that lack major variance from those of modern birds, the plumage of Praeornis displays several key differences. The feather of a modern bird consists of a rachis (the main shaft) from which branch the rami (barbs). Along the rami are series of comb-like barbules, which in turn are studded with hook-like hamuli (Fig. 4). The barbules and hamuli serve to lock adjacent barbs together and evenly distribute the wind pressure over the feather surface during flight. Efficiency of flapping is enhanced by the barbs becoming thinner and lighter and by an increase in the number of barbs per unit length of rachis. Modern birds have at least 15 barbs/cm of rachis, and Archaeopteryx has 22 (most likely because of its comparatively heavy weight), but the barbs of Praeornis did not exceed 4/cm, and it totally lacked barbules (and therefore hamuli). Praeornis is thought to have occupied a preArchaeopteryx evolutionary position, although its aerial abilities were even less accomplished, and it might have been capable of only brief periods of frantic flapping, possibly to seize airborne insect prey or evade predators. 6. Secondarily flightless avians It comes as something of a surprise that having mastered the art of flight, some late Mesozoic avians subsequently relinquished their flying abilities. One of the best known of these types was the shore-dwelling toothed bird Hesperornis (Figs 1 & 5), the discovery of which also played a part in swaying scientific opinion in favour of Wallace-Darwinian evolutionary theory. Discovered in the summer of 1871 from Upper Cretaceous deposits at Smoky Hill River in West Kansas by Othniel Charles Marsh, Hesperornis regalis (‘regal western bird’) measured up to 1.8 m in length. In 1876 Marsh named a second species H. crassipes, which was even larger than H. regalis, having five ribs as opposed to the four of H. regalis. By 1879 the remains of over 100 toothed Cretaceous birds had been found in the Kansas deposits, 50 of which were Hesperornis with the remainder being the two smaller flightless genera Baptornis and Apatornis, as well as the flying genus Ichthyornis. In 1993 the first Hesperornis remains from beyond North America were found in early Campanian rocks near Volgograd and named H. rossicus, which appears to be the largest species of Hesperornis. Although the first H. regalis specimen lacked a skull, a subsequent example included skull bones with clear remains of teeth, while teeth were also evident in a specimen of Ichthyornis. Marsh recognized the implications of this feature in both genera, noting that their discovery would do much to lessen the historical distinction between reptiles and birds. Fossil avians that appeared so similar to modern birds but retained the reptilian teeth of their ancestors lent obvious support to evolutionists such as Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), Charles Darwin (1809-1882), Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895), and the naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) whose 12

publications on evolution preceded Darwin’s The Origin of Species by 50 years. But such fossils also played a part in the instigation of the so-called Bone Wars between Marsh and his former ally Edward Drinker Cope (18401897), who had been an ardent follower of Lamarckian principles (the belief that organisms can pass to their offspring those characteristics acquired via use or disuse during their lifetimes). Although Lamarckism is generally contrasted against “Darwinism,” it is often not appreciated that Darwin himself supported the concept of “use and disuse inheritance” in The Origin of Species. After Marsh published his monograph on the Odontornithes (the extinct toothed birds of North America) in 1880, Darwin wrote to him saying…“Your work on these old birds & on the many fossil animals of N. America has afforded the best support to the theory of evolution, which has appeared within the last 20 years.” Elements of the skeleton of Hesperornis such as the limb length, hip structure, and hip socket were very similar to that of the Great Northern Diver loon (Gavia immer), and it possessed strongly-built legs ideally suited for swift movement through the water. The outer digit of the foot was the longest with the remaining three decreasing in size towards the midline, while all digits were clawed and probably lobed (as in today’s grebes) rather than webbed (as in loons). All that remained of the forelimbs was a stunted and slightly curved humerus with no trace of other bones, while the breastbone lacked a keel. Both the upper and lower portions of the beak were furnished with a total of 96 thecodont-like replaceable teeth that were fixed in common grooves. Casts of the cranial cavity also showed many reptilian features. In 1973 the American palaeontologist Philip D. Gingerich described elements of the Hesperornis skull as supporting evidence for a saurischian origin of birds. Although today’s birds exhibit cranial kinesis (the ability to raise and lower, to a small degree, the upper bill relative to the braincase), the skull of Hesperornis does not display this feature, although Gingerich noted some possible anteroposterior movement of the maxillae relative to the rest of the skull. The skull also shows articulation between the splenial and angular bones of the mandible, a condition also found in the theropods Deinonychus and Dromaeosaurus. This feature may have permitted medial rotation of the posterior section of the mandible to allow the dentary teeth to disengage from prey during mandible protrusion. Hesperornis was primarily a marine bird that lived in warm, shallow coastal shelf regions such as the Western Interior Seaway (Inland Kansas Sea), the Turgai Strait, and the North Sea, all three of which lay within tropical or subtropical zones during the Cretaceous. Some fossils of young Hesperornis specimens have also been found in inland freshwater deposits, whereas the species H. altus (described in 1915) was possibly a freshwater inhabitant. Hesperornis was very ungainly on land because its leg bones were most likely encased within the body nearly up to its ankle joint. It may not even have been able to position its legs beneath its body in order to stand, and the Austrian palaeontologist Othenio Abel (1875-1946) envisaged this large bird as spending much of its time basking on sand dunes or rocks Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

and propelling itself forward by pushing its legs backwards via clumsy seallike movements (Fig. 1). But Hesperornis came into its own when swimming underwater, and beneath the waves its long flexible neck, dexterous beak, and agile diving abilities combined to make it a formidable predator of small fish (Fig. 5). The leg bone of one Hesperornis fossil bore teeth marks from what appears to be a young plesiosaur, although remnants of a subsequent infection indicates that the bird survived the attack. Evidence of opportunistic mosasaur predation on Hesperornis includes identified remains in the preserved stomach contents of Tylosaurus proriger when the bird was likely snatched from below while it swam at the surface. 7. Other Mesozoic birds Found in the same Kansas strata as had yielded Hesperornis was the pigeon-sized Ichthyornis (‘fish bird’) so named because of the distinctive concave shape of its vertebrae, which resembled those of certain fish. Known from numerous specimens, Ichthyornis was the first direct avian ancestor with reptile-like teeth to be identified (in 1870). The teeth, which were curved backward and lacked serrations, were each set in a separate alveolus but were present only in the midsection of the upper and lower “beak.” The tips of the beak were toothless and sheathed in several laminate-like layers as in the albatross (as opposed to most birds, which have beaks composed of a single layer of keratin). The teeth were so similar to those of a reptile that when Marsh examined the first specimen, which was found by the lawyer and geologist Benjamin Franklin Mudge (18171879), he erroneously assumed that the upper and lower beaks were the jaws of a marine reptile that had been interred with the bird. However by 1873 he had correctly assigned the “jaws” to Ichthyornis, which he classified within his newly created subclass Odontornithes. A fossil avian with reptilian teeth had the potential for creating controversy amongst anti-evolutionists, some of whom urged Marsh to conceal the discovery. As had been the case with early finds of Archaeopteryx, there were also accusations that the fossil had been tampered with and that Marsh might have added the jaws of a small reptile (allegations that were still being repeated as late as the mid-1960s). However subsequent finds confirmed that Ichthyornis had indeed been a toothed bird, and that it possessed wing and breastbone structures that closely resembled those of modern carinates, suggesting that this small genus was an accomplished flier. Nonetheless, it was likely to have also been a competent swimmer that hunted small fish near the water surface (Fig. 6). Another member of the Odontornithes was the late Cretaceous genus Apatornis, known only from a single incomplete series of small fused vertebrae found by Marsh in 1872 in Kansas. Apatornis was estimated to have

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measured only 18-20 cm in length. Hesperornis and Ichthyornis are represented by numerous specimens and are thought to have been gregarious in habit, possibly congregating in large and raucous seabird colonies along coastlines as do many of today’s shoredwelling species. Even though fossil discoveries of other more recently identified Cretaceous birds have been far less ubiquitous, the range of fossils does allow some conclusions to be drawn regarding Mesozoic avian evolution. Ancestral avians underwent significant diversification during the Cretaceous when some groups retained ancestral features such as a clawed manus and reptile-like dentition, although the latter feature was lost in many groups including modern birds. In contrast to types such as Archaeopteryx, more advanced avians developed tails that were relatively far shorter compared to their torso. The earliest short-tailed forms were the Enantiornithes (‘opposite bird’), named for their unusual pectoral girdle. These forms dominated during Cretaceous times and adapted to a wide range of habitats ranging from lakes and beaches to forests and bushland where they probably subsisted on fish and seeds. However, as was the case with many other vertebrates, all Enantiornithes died out at the close of the Cretaceous. The second avian group to diversify was the Euornithes (‘true birds’), which included the lineage leading to modern birds. Hesperornis and Ichthyornis are both classified within this group and, as was the case with other members, lacked the ability to perch because they tended towards shorebird habits such as wading, swimming, and diving. While Hesperornis had lost the ability to fly, other Euornithes developed traits typical of modern birds including deeply keeled breastbones and toothless beak tips. They were also the first avian ancestors to evolve functional tail feather “fans,” which might have been used as aerial brakes. During the late Cretaceous the ancestors of modern birds evolved keener olfactory senses than previously, while their flared pelvis permitted the laying of far larger eggs relative to their body size, as exemplified by the flightless New Zealand kiwi (Apteryx spp). Flying birds today boast a unique set of specialised adaptations that enabled them to become masters of the Cenozoic skies. These include a functional plumage, a circulatory system with four-chambered heart to separate oxygenated from deoxygenated blood, a respiratory system involving extensive skeletal pneumaticity, and an advanced suite of optical and neurological features associated with aerial coordination. In fact avian endother-

Continued on page 32 13

TRICERATOPS

© Phil Wilson

By Phil Hore [email protected]

Paulo Leite (@thek560)

Payment Received. Transmission incoming from Time Inc. Entertainment: “Experienced adventurer Mike Hatcher has taken on the expedition of a lifetime—to survive a year by himself deep within the Mesozoic. More than just reality TV, while testing new technologies for future visitors of the past, like Mike’s base camp, the secured environmental habitat called the Compound—he will face the challenges of this new world alone, with only the dozen state-of-the-art microcameras tracking his progress at all times for companionship. Thanks to the sponsorship of Time Inc. and the Imago Mundi Society, join us now as Mike Hatcher lives through…Mesozoic Days.” A large fire crackles away as Mike returns from inspecting the envirosentinels along his camp’s perimeter. These small automated sentries were placed at strategic locations to warn him of any approaching danger during the night. He washes his hands after cleaning the meat from the morning’s hunt, steps up to a small fold-away table, and smiles into the nearest camera. “One of the secrets of my little truck is a cool storage container hidden in the back,” he says as he turns and tosses some kindling inside a small metal box, “along with my little camp oven. It’s like having a kitchen with you wherever you go.”

Making sure the wood is alight, he knees the stoves fuel door closed and turns back to the table. “The meat I’m going to store away because it will season over the next few days, but there’s a few cuts I want to get at while © Chuch Egnaczak

© Aaron Marsh

they’re still fresh—the kidneys and liver. ” Mike pulls up the pieces of meat and starts cutting them along with some strips of butchered Triceratops from his fridge. “Slicing these into small pieces, I’m just going to lightly fry them in some oil, but not too much as the fat from the Trike meat will add a little more. I’ll then toss in some wild onion and garlic I collected earlier.” The explorer gives the camera a little wink, “or at least what I think is wild onion and garlic.” Mike takes a small sheet of paper from the truck’s pantry and places it on the meat. “If there are any nasties that might not agree with me, this little baby will find them.” The paper lays on the meat, and Mike takes a close look. “This paper contains molecules that react to anything that could be harmful, such as toxins or things like E. coli, and will change color the way litmus paper does if it detects anything.” 14

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Sculpture © Quentin Brendel

After a minute the paper has not changed color, and Mike lifts it off. With everything cooked he next pours the pan’s contents onto a plate. “I made some bread this morning in my stove; so I’ve cut off some slices and am just going to place the meat on these…along with a little grain mustard.” With plate full, he jumps onto the reinforced roof of his car, sits down, and holds up his meal for all to see. “A Mesozoic ‘sanger,” Mike says before taking a bite into his sandwich. “Oh…that’s good, real ‘beefy,’” he smiles, chasing the mouthful with a sip of water from his canteen. “If this meal is any indication, I have to say I’m really looking forward to the rest of my trip because it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Mike sits back and watches the dark red sun slip over the distant horizon. About him insects hover and thrum on gossamer wings while distant roars and bellows are barely audible over the explorer happily munching away on his dinner and sighing with contentment.

© Chuck Egnaczak

Triceratops – the great and mighty confusion ARTICLE XXXV— Notice of New Fossil Mammals; by O. C. MARSH Among the large number of extinct mammals recently received at the Yale Museum from the West are several of especial interest, as they serve to mark definite horizons in the Tertiary deposits east of the Rocky Mountains, or

© John Patterson

© Anders Bang

© Mike Landry

show important characters not before observed. A notice of some of these species new to science is given below, and more complete descriptions will appear elsewhere. Bison alticornis, sp. nov. This species of Bison is represented by various remains, the most important of which is the portion of a skull. This specimen, which may be regarded as the type, indicates one of the largest of American bovines, and one differing widely from those already described. The horn-cores, instead of being short and transverse, as in the existing bisons are long and elevated, with slender, pointed ends. They have large cavities in the base, but in the upper two-thirds are nearly, or quite, solid. Their position is well shown in the cuts Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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below, figures 1 and 2. The frontal region between the horn-cores is broad, somewhat convex, and very rugose. The remains of this species are found in the sandstones of the Denver group, at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, where they indicate a well-marked horizon, which may be called the Bison beds. These deposits are more recent than the Equus beds and are probably late Pliocene. The locality of the type specimen is on the banks of Green Mountain Creek, near Denver, Colorado, where it was found by George L. Cannon, Jr., of Denver. Portions of the same specimen were subsequently secured by Whitman Cross of the U. S. Geological Survey. Other remains were obtained by G. H. Eldridge of the Survey, and all were sent to the writer for examination.

Sculpture © Jaime Martinez

© Wind Sop

Welcome to the very first international round of the Prehistoric Times magazine mistake bingo! Let’s have some fun and see how many mistakes you can list and post your answers on the PT Facebook page. I recently was surprised to find that, considering Triceratops is one of the big three, I had not covered the species before in PT. I began this article looking to do a general overview of one of the most popular dinosaurs ever unearthed. Instead what happened during my research was I found confusion, mistakes, and errors that lasted from their first discovery until today. For a time I also fell down the rabbit hole that many historians and researches know all too well, a repeated phrase in almost every article I read on these animals. Experience has taught me that when you get an almost word-for-word phrase repeated time and again in books and articles on the same subject, then this is something to be explored. The use of the phrase means authors are reading the same text source and likely can find no evidence for the statement and so simply repeat what has been said before. I’ll point out the statement when we get to it. Right from the word “go” there were mistakes and confusion when it came to Triceratops. The very first ceratopian fossil described were doublerooted teeth unearthed during an 1855 U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey led by F.V. Hayden to Montana. At the time the teeth were thought

to be from a Trachodon, but it was only later they were recognized as ceratopian teeth. The very first ceratopian, that is, Triceratops, described was by Cope in 1872. He called his species Agathaumas sylvestris, the ‘marvelous forest-dweller’, and he believed it “was no doubt equal in dimensions to the largest known terrestrial saurians or mammals.” This was at the exact time when sauropods where being unearthed and described, but of course many at the time believed these animals were aquatic and not terrestrial…and, yes, I count that as a mistake. “One day the writer climbed the sandstone bluffs that rise above the flats of Bitter Creek, nearly opposite the Black Butte, in search of some bones that his predecessor Mr. Meek was said to have discovered in searching for shells. Reaching to near the line of the highest beds of coal, fragments of huge bones were found projecting from the rocks. Picks and shovels were called into requisition. In course of time the wreck of one of the princes among giants lay piled around his desecrated grave. His single vertebra was two feet four inches from spine to body, and one hip-bone four feet from front to rear along the edge. But the chief interest attached to the fact that he told a certain story of the age of the coal beds. Like Samson he slew more in his death than he ever had in his life. He was a Dinosaur, known to Philadelphians by the examples in our Academy of herbivorous (Hadrosaurus), and carnivorous (Laelaps), those bird-like lizards that strode about on the banks of the Delaware, when as yet New Jersey was not. These

© Andreas Forrer

creatures were no tertiary chickens; they belong to the dim old ages of the Trias, Jura and Cretaceous, and ended their days with the last period, for a finality. So old Agathamnas (for so was he named). . . said the Bitter Creek coal was cretaceous, and his word will be hard to contradict. Still, does our cretaceous fade into tertiary like dawn into day? Did the Dinosaurus linger 16

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on, and the quadrupeds merely turn their coats a little, and the birds dress their plumage afresh as the period changed, singing, “The king is dead, long live the king…And Agathamnas lay down to die in the woods; he was buried like the babes, with leaves, which filled every hole in his bones, and wrapped him in a winding sheet fit for the King of the Woods.” [The Monster of Mammoth Buttes, Cope 1873.] Cope claimed he found “sixteen vertebra, including a complete sacrum, caudals and dorsals, both ilia and other pelvic bones, bones of the limbs, ribs, etc.” Later however he recanted and admitted “There are no bones certainly referable to the limb bones.” In my research I found many, many resources that used the same phrase, that Cope believed Agathaumas was a hadrosaur. Even Wikipedia repeats it: “Cope was uncertain as to precisely what sort of dinosaur Agathaumas was (and for a time considered it a hadrosaur).” Now I’m not saying he didn’t believe this, but I could find only the following notes by Cope that says anything to back up the idea. “He was a Dinosaur, known to Philadelphians by the examples in our Academy of herbivorous (Hadrosaurus), and carnivorous (Laelaps). . . .” The above passage was from Cope’s The Monster of Mammoth Buttes, and it clearly doesn’t say it was a hadrosaur. It says what he found was a dinosaur like Hadrosaurus and Laelaps, though if anyone does know where this idea came from, feel free to drop me a line. “In all the families except the Agathaumidæ the successional teeth appear on the inner side of the base of the functional teeth, as in lizards. In the Agathaumidæ they appeared under the middle of the base, as in crocodiles. In all except Hadrosauridæ one row was in functional use at a time; but in the Hadrosauridæ two or three rows were used at once, Some of the species of the latter had as many as 2,000 teeth arranged in four magazines, one in

each jaw. The Agathaumidæ mostly had formidable horns on the head, at the middle of the nose and over the eyes. Agathaumas sylvestre Cope reached a length of forty feet and had the legs of sub-equal length. Many of the Hadrosauridæ were of kangaroo-like proportions .” [Syllabus of Lectures on the Vertebrata, by Edward D. Cope, Ph. D., Late Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy in the University of Pennsylvania, 1898.] Again, not saying Agathaumas was a hadrosaur, but he placed it within a conversation about dinosaurs. In both, Cope’s writing is filled with more flowery prose than a tulip show and is a little confusing; so it’s understandable if this is where the mistake came from. Want proof he could get a little verbose? “These glissades are the redeeming feature in bad land climbing; they give it life, and indeed make it practicable; for without the sliding run many a cliff and bone bed would be inaccessible forever, since the next winter’s snow may so widen the gulf as to close all future exploration beyond its Thermopylae.” Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

© Nick Papadimitriou

Phil’s translation: “winter erosion bad for bones.” So I can understand if and why these are the sources of the confusion, and as if to prove the point, Allen Debus wrote in his book Prehistoric Monsters: The Real and Imagined Creatures of the Past That We Love to Fear that the artist Dahlgren had misconstructed Stegosaurus in Cope’s

“kangaroo-lizard” stance and “his horned Agathaumas was mistakenly reconstructed. . . as a uintathere.” I have looked everywhere for the source of this and believe it may come back to the same Cope story. Here he described digging up not only the Agathaumas, but also another mysterious creature, and the following I believe proves my point again about Cope’s enthusiastic writing style. “At length we wrapped up the invaluable relics of this ancient king—whose mausoleum now is the Mammoth Buttes, more perennial than the tomb of Cheops, more vast than the labyrinth of Minos. . . . My inexplicable bone turned out to be the base of a horn of one side of the posterior angle of the cranium, showing that this animal possessed three pairs of horns, two of which rose upward and backward, with a slight divergence, one projecting forward over each eye, and a pair of flat prominences overhanging the sides of the base of the elongated snout. Picture, then, to yourselves a narrow head, extending obliquely downward, presenting its eyehorns forward, terminating in a short trunk, somewhat similar to that of the elephant, with short, flat, knife-edged tusks curving backward, and a small under jaw; its hinder legs rising above a short neck; its body like that of an elephant, with high withers and a sloping rump, terminating in a short tail; its limbs rather shorter than those of the living elephant, but with the same short, stubby toes, and the knee below the body, as in the elephant, bear and monkey. The same ambling gait, the same huge ears, and the little twinkling eyes, all betrayed in life the elephantine kinship, while the hollow forehead and its surrounding horns, if not bearing the stamp of the elephant’s wisdom, marked him as a king, and his shining weapons showed his ability to maintain the claim. This I named the Eobasileus cornutus and . . . it equalled and sometimes exceeded the living Indian elephant (Elephus indicus). Thus ends the story of the finding of the monster of Mammoth Buttes, and how, on the death of Agathamnas, the monster of the Black Butte, Eobasileus of the Mammoth Butte reigned in his stead.” The man liked his words, and as you can see, Cope had found the Agathaumas fossils noted by Meek, and in the same location (and above) he also found the much younger uintatheriid, Continues on Page 19 17

COMING SOON! MORE Dinosaur Playsets and Figures by Jeff Pfeiffer (Tentative availability by Summer, 2020) Jeff Pfeiffer, author of the widely successful Dinosaur Playsets: An Illustrated Guide to the Prehistoric Playsets of Marx and MPC has come out with his follow-up book. Response to the first book was so positive that Jeff felt a companion volume was necessary to cover the classic dinosaur figures only touched upon in the first book. More Dinosaur Playsets and Figures picks up where the previous book leaves off, covering in depth the prehistoric figures of such companies as Sinclair, Ajax, Nabisco, TimMee, Ja-Ru, ROM, Tootsie Toy, and many others! Beginning in the early thirties with the many prehistoric items of Sinclair More Dinosaur Oil, this book travels through time with entire chapters devoted to the many other plastic dinosaur figures manufactured by comPlaysets and panies that often competed directly with Marx and MPC (and which are still commonly confused with the dinosaurs of Marx Figures and/or MPC), culminating with the wonderful plastic creatures from Invicta (whose dinosaur output lasted until the 1990s), the last major company to produce hard plastic dinosaurs! Written in the same audience-friendly style as Jeff’s earlier book, loaded Cover not with facts and information and over 275 color photos, this book promises to be a worthy bookend to Dinosaur Playsets, and is a available at this must for any devotee of vintage plastic dinosaur figures. And as in the previous volume, the coverage doesn’t stop with the figures time themselves, but extends to their associated carded, bagged, and boxed sets! Included once again is a handy chapter providing sideby-side comparisons of various similar-appearing figures to allow the collector to identify his or her dinosaur with ease! Like Dinosaur Playsets, More Dinosaur Playsets and Figures is the first book to cover all of these many different companies and to present their numerous dino figures in one source! While there is the occasional reference to figures of metal or ceramic, the main focus is on the many unpainted, hard plastic, “Marx-like” dinosaurs that flooded the market at around the same time as Marx and MPC were dominating the prehistoric field. Jeff has once again provided the collector with a concise, informative, and comprehensive look at numerous plastic dinosaurs that “dinosaur kids” will recall fondly from their youth, and younger collectors will appreciate and value! Also, Jeff has just completed a newly revised third edition of his popular Dinosaur Playsets: An Illustrated Guide to the Prehistoric Playsets of Marx and MPC, which is currently at the printer and should be available shortly. So readers can look forward to (hopefully) having both of these great volumes in their hands by the time the next issue of PT rolls around! Please keep an eye out here in Prehistoric Times for the latest news on the availability of these two highly recommended books, and please do not hesitate to contact Jeff directly at [email protected] with any questions! This is the most complete book on the prehistoric output of these two companies, complete with over 250 full color photos of every major playset produced by Marx and MPC, and required reading for all aficionados of vintage dinosaur figures and their bagged, carded, and boxed playsets!! Just send payment via PayPal to the author at [email protected] (and please use the “send money to friends and family” option!). The book is also available on eBay. And for those of you without PayPal the book can be purchased through Amazon (however, this is not the preferred method, as shipping takes longer and fees have gotten a bit high!). But if using Amazon, please select the “purchase from third-party sellers” option. No PayPal? Jeff also accepts money orders (email for details). 18

Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

Continuing from Page 17 Eobasileus. Cope recognized the physical similarity between the two species, believing one had somehow replaced the other. I would argue this also meant Cope did not consider Agathaumas a hadrosaur, which he did believe had a kangaroo-like stance, because the body of this new species was “like that of an elephant.” It also did not help that the species was spelt “Agathamnas” in many early resources—so that made research fun. Charles R. Knight painted Agathaumas in 1897, based on a composite of several specimens Cope had collected. The skull belonged to his Monoclonius (Styracosaurus) and a more complete skeleton of the species Triceratops prorsus. Agathaumas was then highlighted in the 1925 film version of The Lost World, and there is a rare promo photo of the Agathaumas and the film’s Triceratops facing off, and it reveals nicely how different they looked to each other. In 1873 Cope found some large bones near Denver that he named Polyonax, but just like Agathaumas, these are also thought to be from a Triceratops today. Charles Hazelius Sternberg next uncovered some strange teeth, which he sent to Cope, who created the species Monoclonius based on them, but more on Monoclonius later. The earlier introduction to this article was how O. C. Marsh described the very first Triceratops in 1887. Marsh had received the fossil from a collector and believed the location to be far younger than the Pliocene, and so the horns must have belonged to an enormous species of bison. John Bell Hatcher found more horns, which he sent to Marsh, who finally recognized they were similar to those he’d described earlier and were also most certainly not bison horns. Marsh created a new dinosaur group, the ceratopsians, or horned faces, and then contacted Hatcher and asked him to retrieve the rest of the skull. When this arrived and was prepped, Marsh recognized the skull had three horns, two over the eyes and one on the nose, and so he named this new dinosaur Triceratops, the three-horned face. Yet even the meticulous Marsh made mistakes here. His original “restoration is very accurate except for the number of presacral vertebrae, which has been overestimated (Hatcher),” and this isn’t even close to the worst error he made. “Ceratops [Triceratops] horridus . . . The strange reptile described by the writer . . . indicate forms much larger, and more grotesque in appearance. They also afford considerable information in regard to the structure of these animals, showing them to be true Stegosauria, but with the skull and dermal armor strangely modified and specialized just before the group became extinct.” Not only did Marsh start with a different name, he believed the species was a stegosaur, though to be fair he noticed this mistake himself and later produced another paper correcting the error. “The animal described by the writer as Ceratops horridus possesses some remarkable characters not before known in the Dinosauria. . . . It represents a genus distinct from the type of the family, which may be called Triceratops.” Marsh of course took the opportunity to recategorize previously named specimens, especially Cope’s, who returned the serve once more in 1889 by suggesting Marsh’s Ceratopsians should be Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

r e n a m e d because the main species the group was based on, Ceratops, was not “distinct from one of the genera previously named.” Cope explained “I shall call it the Agathaumidae, from the longest known genus, Agathaumas.” No one was listening. This confusion over Triceratops and its relationship to other species is still ongoing by the way. Nedoceratops is known from a single Wyoming skull that Marsh was part way through describing in his monograph of the ceratopians when he died from pneumonia in 1899. His work was taken over by Hatcher, who “was within a few weeks of completing the manuscript of this monograph when his hand was arrested by death (typhus)” in 1904 before he could complete the project. To be precise he was halfway through a sentence describing Triceratops flabellatus. Today Nedoceratops is believed to be either an earlier ancestor of Triceratops, or just a physically different individual, a subadult or maybe even a Triceratops subspecies. Today there are only two valid species, T. horridus and T. prorsus, with at least 16 more named or misidentified over the years. This was partly attributable to the differences between juvenile, subadult, adult, male and female, and even young Triceratops fossils being described as other species. It’s also been suggested there may even be a fundamental flaw in our collections. Fossils from the young and immature were likely left in the field because they were seen as inferior pieces to collect. Why spend the time, resources, and valuable wagon space picking up what looked like a broken or sub© Russell J Hawley standard specimen when you could collect the more impressive skull just over the rise? Because of this, smaller remains that were associated with the larger, more complete skulls were ignored, and the chance to answer what were subspecies or different species and what were just juvenile/baby/female/male Triceratops specimens were lost. The most famous of these closely related or possibly the same species is Torosaurus. Named by Marsh in 1891 the ‘Bull-Lizard’ (though it’s been claimed the name actually means ‘to-pierce-lizard’) because of its enormous frill, it led Marsh to believe it was a chasmosaurine. Modern analysis indicates the species may be more closely related to Triceratops, and recently a debate began with the argument that it in fact was just a large, fully mature Triceratops, thus explaining the different features on the skull. The debate is still raging over this one, but looking at how physically variable some species can be I personally think at the very least they were all Triceratops subspecies. So, there you have the confusing history of Triceratops. How many mistakes did you count? © Jason R Abdale

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How to Draw Dinosaurs By Tracy Lee Ford

[email protected]

Putting it all together, the skull of

Corythosaurus

Figure 2. Corythosaurus intermedius skulls. lower than the back end. In some ways these features are similar to those in a gomphothere elephant (as I mentioned in Prehistoric Times 53:14, 2002). The crest is not thin, being wider at the base but thinning dorsally. Inside, the crest is hollow and was part of the narial tube. This increased size helped enhance their smelling capability and how they communicated (Figure 4). The shape of the crest varies; in young individuals it is missing or very low, and as the animal grew, the crest grew larger (Figure 1). Like in the cassowary, the crest does not attach the full length of the skull. It consists of the premaxilla (two pairs), the nasal, and above the orbit the prefrontal (Figure 5). It is the nasal that extends backward and above the top of the skull. One of the main differences between the two species is the shape of the crest itself. In Corythosaurus casuarius the crest is wider, whereas in Corythosaurus intermedius it is thinner. Unlike that in the cassowary, the crest, it seems, was not covered in a horny sheath (rhamphotheca). It had a scale or skin covering (Figure 7).

Figure 1. Corythosaurus casuarius skulls.

I wanted to write about a hadrosaur this time, and I didn’t want to write about Edmontosaurus/Anatosaurus/Anatotitan again. I decided on Corythosaurus, the helmet-crested lambeosaur from the Late Cretaceous Dinosaur Provincial Park (and surrounding area), Alberta, Canada. There are two species, Corythosaurus casuarius (type, Lower Dinosaur Park Formation, Campanian, Figure 1) and Corythosaurus intermedius (Upper Dinosaur Park Formation, Figure 2). Both species are known from juvenile to adult specimens. It is theorized that the tip of the jaws in hadrosaurs had a rhamphotheca covering, based on an Anatosaurus specimen at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum (LACM 23502) that has an extensive rhamphotheca on the premaxilla (Figure 3). No rhamphotheca has been discovered in a lambeosaur. The predentary is a solid U-shaped bone. The beak wasn’t like a turtle’s (that is, with a sharp edge); it has small bumps and crenulations giving it a rough surface (Figure 3). Unlike hadrosaurs, which have a large oval external naris, in lambeosaurs, the external naris has a flat V shape. The soft-tissue narial opening was near the tip of the beak. The lower jaw has a dip in it, and the front end is 20

Figure 3. A, Rhamphotheca in LACM 23502. B-D, Premaxilla of Corythosaurus. Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

What about

Figure 4. Corythosaurus casuarius cross section showing the nasal passage.

Figure 6. Tooth battery in Edmontosaurus showing how the teeth occlude and how the food would fall out of the mouth if hadrosaurs lacked cheeks. A, Dorsal view showing how it gathered food from the front. B, Cross section showing how the food was cut. i t 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.

cheeks? As I wrote in the Triceratops article (Part one) there is a debate whether ornithischians in general had cheeks. I believe they did have cheeks. Both tooth rows are indented, with room for cheek muscles. The tooth occlusion doesn’t angle toward the mouth but outside the

Figure 5. A, Cassowary skull. B, Corythosaurus casuarius skull. mouth (same as in ceratopians). This would mean that, when they ate, their food would fall outside the mouth, but if it had cheeks, it could continue to crush or cut their food (Figure 6). I have a new website http://www.TracyLeeFord.com. It is about myself, my art, research, books, etc. I have links to my research, published works, links to the books I’ve published, as well as the coloring books with Mike Fredericks. I’ve published my research on theropod lips (Paleofile Bulletin, 1a, Theropods did not have lips); that and all my other books are available at Amazon.com. Also visit my two websites; my original Dinohunter (http://www.dinohunter.info) and Paleofile (http://www.paleofile.com).

Figure 7. Life reconstruction of the head of Corythosaurus.

Paleofile has several areas and an easy index (just click on the name, and Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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Allosaurus Jimmadseni © Fabio Pastori

Allosaurus Jimmadseni (a brand new Allosaur species) © Fabio Pastori

Allosaurus Jimmadseni © Fabio Pastori

Allosaurus Jimmadseni skull © Fabio Pastori

Allosaurus Jimmadseni Study of Big Al's posture during walking which, due to his injuries, is very likely to have claudicating characteristics with the "step by step." In the sketch many scars and irregularities on Big Al are evident on the body; and still in a rough way. It is possible to see almost all of the injuries on fossil MOR 693. © Fabio Pastori 22

Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

READER ART

© Peter Messick Pencil illustration of Ceratosaurus skull © Waylon Rowley

Triceratops © M. Elliott Massion Cyamodus kuhnschnyderi © Marcus Burkhardt

Tyrannosaurus © Ronnie Tucker

Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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G-Fan For fans of Godzilla and Kaiju! Subscribe Today!

www.g-fan.com

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Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

By Mike Fredericks

ABOVE: Jeff Pfeiffer says - a VERY rare prehistoric set by Toyco from 1983 called "Prehistoric Adventure". Only one of these I've ever seen. It used New World Tim Mee recast dinos and some cardboard stand-up trees & mountains, a cardboard raft, and about a dozen cavemen that appear to be original to Toyco (they were used in several of their other playsets as barbarians, warriors, etc.), and all were placed on a vinyl terrain sheet. The box was cool...came with a plastic handle and had artwork that was very obviously taken (probably without permission!) from pictures in Darlene Geis's iconic children's book The How & Why Wonder Book of Dinosaurs. Really cool!

ABOVE: Jeff Pfeiffer also says: another really neat item and also quite rare. A "Cereal Not Included" prehistoric playset from 1993 by National Toy. Apparently this National Toy came out with several cereal box-sized boxes as a spoof on traditional cereal boxes that came with a prize inside. The "Cereal Not Included" boxes just came full of toys, no cereal! There were several, each had about 6 cheap trinkets, and then 3 larger boxes, each with a full-sized playset inside (the other 2 playsets were a military set & a Wild West set). I've seen a couple examples of the Wild West one (must be the most common) but this is the only prehistoric set I've come across. Like the Toyco set, it used recasts of New World Tim Mee dinosaurs, some typical Hong Kong trees & shrubs, a playmat, and (most interestingly), a fragile vacuform recast of the pond section of Marx's three-piece terrain formation! Also included was a mystery secret surprise (I didn't open the black bag it came in but it feels like a plastic army man or soldier or some other figure). The box is the size of a regular cereal box. Again, super cool.

ABOVE: One of the true fine porcelain dinosaur sets, as opposed to the multitude of Japanese ceramics, was by Graefenthal from Germany. They were available in whiteware (Dean Walker Collection), matte (Jeff Quinn Collection) and glazed (Robert Telleria Collection). There were two different glazed finishes released; pictured is the original glazed finish.

ABOVE: Jeffs says,You may already have this, but here is one of the "How the World Began, The Age of Dinosaurs" mail-order premiums from Chivers Jelly from 1977 that used 6 Inpro figures (including the Trachodon & Saltoposuchus, which I believe were exclusive to this set). The figures were attached with rubber bands and the whole thing was a tri-fold cardboard structure that opened to reveal the dinos and each side wall contained info on the dinos and how the earth formed. It's in great shape, which is really unusual for this thing. Chivers also came out with a similar-looking fossil collection, and I think a few others, featuring sea shells, minerals, and coins, among others.

Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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Dinosaur Collector News by Randy Knol [email protected] www.dinosaurcollectorsitea.com Before the Corona plague made travel a hazard, I attended the Nuremberg Toy Fair and the New York Toy Fair. It is a great chance for face time with other parts of the PT continuum. Mostly the players were the same with minor differences. At Nuremberg, a revenant Bullyland showed up. They displayed 3 new articulated models, a medium Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops and Liopleurodon. Photos were not allowed but I obtained a catalogue. The new figures are about half the size of the Museum versions. The tyrannosaur and pliosaur have moveable jaws and the Triceratops has a moveable head. The prototypes were adequate but not what I would CollectA Caviramus expect to bring back the dead. I heard later the new figures were not going forward, but recasts of the mini and museum line should eventually ship. The CollectA booth in Nuremberg was large, with the full range of their new releases. The CollectA distributor in New York, Reeves International booth showcased the selection Reeves is stocking for North America. The Reeves selection is currently in the warehouse and ready to ship. Conny Lederer, Sales Director for CollectA, was present in New York. She was working with American retailers as part of the understanding between Reeves and CollectA, that CollectA will ship any item from the line which Reeves does not carry, as long as Reeves would order solid case quantities. This is a big assist for PT retailers catering to discerning collectors. A favorite from CollectA this year is their large pterosaur model Caviramus. The figure is a dead ringer for the pterosaur-like villains in the scifi film “Pitch Black.” This is the latest of a series of largescale pterosaur figures; a niche that CollectA created for collectors. This is a great looking pterosaur with grey spotted ptero fuzz on the torso and tail, with red wings, a moveable jaw and a diamond tail. It is from Late Triassic Europe and my must-have for 2020. My favorite CollectA dinosaur for 2020 is the Bajadasaurus. As described in 2019, it is a cutting-edge sculpture. Its neck spikes look like a mirrored version of Amargasaurus. Both lived in Early 2020 Mojo Fun Cretaceous South America. This was a prehistoric line medium size sauropod with spikes along the neck pointing forward; the reverse of Amargasaurus. The dark dorsal stripe over the grey body and white belly is realistic and striking. The skin is detailed with nodules. The claws, eyes and mouth are painted. Then there is 26

Lisowicia; this is a deluxe scale figure of a large dicynodont from Late Triassic Poland described in 2018. In New York, I saw it draw people to the booth even when they did not know what it was. Common question, is this a dinosaur? No, dicynodonts were mammal cousins and starred in the Triassic chapter of “Walking with Dinosaurs”. The largest, like Lisowicia, matched or exceeded the sizes of contemporary sauropods. A candidate for best non-dinosaur for 2020. The Papo booth in Nuremberg displayed prototypes of 2020; in New York there were only pictures. I am not normally a Papo fan, but Chilesaurus is so obscure, new and scientifically ambiguous I want to get at least one when it finally ships. There seems to be a disagreement about the phylogeny. The most recent opinion is that it is a herbivorous theropod, reflecting the theory that theropods are closer to ornithischians than sauropods. The Papo vision, with its three-point stand and lizard skin doesn’t match any reconstruction I have seen, but who cares; it is very detailed. Papo does a few nondinosaur prehistorics so Megaloceros, the Irish Elk was a pleasant surprise. It is a very presentable figure and easily a match for the retired Bullyland model. There was little difference in the German and New York Schleich booths. Schleich is again under new management and has a new look. They are creating Jurassic Park boxed playsets with action figures, vehicles and small dinosaurs. They have a PlayMobile feel. My favorite Schleich dinosaurs have always been their sauropods. They have a robust quality. Agustinia is the best Schleich dinosaur this year. The irony is Scheich’s best is a nomen dubium. The original fossil was very sketchy and some bones were identified as vertical spikes like a stegosaur. The spikes turned out to be hip bones, with the rest too generic to identify a distinct animal. The dinosaur probably did not exist, but it should have. The neck and tail are in motion with a cheval-defrise of spikes on the back. Think of the spikes on the backs of the olifants from the Lord of the Rings. If I were a dinosaur knight this is what I would pick to ride to war. Then there is Postosuchus. Safari Ltd and Toyway made a Postosuchus years ago but Schleich’s version is a respectable figure. What sets it apart is the paint job; previously the Schleich paint schemes were trending to a cheap scrappy look. CollectA Bajadasaurus Under the new management the paint is good-looking; there seems to be a trend in the better figures from China to use inks and washes that enhance the figure detailing. The Postosuchus is a top example of the trend. Mojo Fun had a big release this year; I counted 17 new, reworked and repainted, and they are shipping. The New York toy fair booth was run by the North American distributor Legler, based in North Carolina. My favorites were Mandschurosaurus and Mamenchisaurus, done in partnership with a regional company based in China. Mojo helped in production development in return for the option to market outside of China. Mamenchisaurus is best known to prehistoric grognards via the long retired Invicta and Safari Ltd models. It is the bestPrehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

known sauropod from China and the Mojo verWild Past Protoceratops & nest Doug Watson has created the new standard. Remember, they moved in herds, so get more sion is a high browser like the Invicta. than one. In Nuremberg I was scanning the new Mandschurosaurus was the first dinosaur Safari Ltd. releases and did a double take. What named in China, although the only skeleton is in was this animal? I remembered seeing a recent St. Petersburg, Russia. PNSO, based in China, produced a figure. It suggests a nostalgic fondarticle about a new Middle Triassic animal from ness for this duckbill in China akin to the India. Shringasaurus had two horns facing up American attachment to Hadrosaurus, another poorly known but venerable and forwards with a long neck. It was a high browser, sharing the environfossil. Last year's blue Baryonyx and orange Giganotosaurus made in ment with amphibians, dicynodonts and rhynchosaurs. None of these groups made it out of the Triassic. The Portugal have been replaced by new Middle Triassic was nature's time to reworked figures. This is a company try things out, and there were many on the move and we should all join in interesting dead ends. The ancestors the movement. of dinosaurs and mammals were The best reason for me to go to the Toy Fairs is first to have face time here, but hard to find. Bullyland and with PT readers and retailers. In rare Starlux produced a few models from 2020 Safari Ltd. cases you get to meet talented entrethis period but right now it is limited preneur artists like Stefan Klein, who is creating the new Wild Past line; the to Safaris’s Prestosuchus and Shringasaurus. I look forward to getting this only dinosaurs made in Germany. Wild Past is being nurtured by Everything sculpt. There is a new Great Lakes toob with Sturgeon for fish collectors. Dinosaur, the leading internet provider for prehistoric collectibles in the The Good Luck Mini figures are easy to overlook, as they are small. This is UK. It fits in with their theme of supporting education. I have the first Wild a size range exclusive to Safari Ltd. and vital for dioramas and craft proPast figure, a 1/35 scale Protoceratops with a nest; it comes in a collectable jects. This year's sleeper surprises are the blue and green amphibians. They box with art work by Joseph Felis. The figure is made of a firm vinyl that can be salamanders, microsaurs or any generic small amphibians. I want a preserves it as a playable toy. The figure has the athletic look of a desert ani- bag full. The internet and pandemics make attending the Toy Fairs less critical for mal that contrasts well with older plump ovoid style. The tail has a frill for display. The 1/35 scale makes it the natural accessory figure for your larger retailers and more problematic, but they remain the best and possibly the dinosaurs from China. It scales well with the CollectA mini pachy and rap- only place to meet members of our community. I want to keep going, and if tor for a complete set. The paint style suggests the old European-style craft you can attend, give me a shout out, I want to meet you. rather than precise factory-style that is common. It is like seeing a modern version of a Starlux figure. I would want to paint the tail frill to be more visible as a customization. The European dwarf duckbill Tethyshadros is being released next, with the African theropod Majungasaurus scheduled. There is a niche in the market for figures that extend the range of animals to include smaller animals to scale and less popular animals. Wild Past should fill it. Mattel has continued to release new Jurassic World figures for JP (Jurassic Park). The diverse range of choices reassures me that the public is more interested and aware of new fossil finds than they get credit for. There is a giant list of new names for JP collectors but the two that stood out for me were Siats and Scutosaurus. The Hasbro JP Scutosaurus was a favorite. Obtaining them all with color variants given the pattern of regional releases for some figures and the expected shipping delays will make for interesting collecting. Safari Ltd had a full display of their new figures, with their New York booth being the richest. As the only American company, it is expected. My favorite is the new Edmontosaurus with a fleshy head crest. This is the third time Safari Ltd has imagined this aniSafari Ltd. mini mal. Duckbills are amphibians the American dinosaur just as much as T. rex. They have manifested a range of names in the early toy sets, Tra ch o d o n , Anatosaurus, Anatotitian, that coalesced into the m o d e r n Edmontosaurus. Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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Fig. 1

Part 3. Dinosaurs stamping in the Seventies by Jon Noad

Fig. 3

The Seventies was a turbulent era of oil and energy crises, when Russia invaded Afghanistan while modern dictators like Pol Pot, Idi Amin and Saddam Hussein held sway. Skylab went up…and crashed back down, while Apple Computers and microwave ovens entered our lives. Our ears were subjected to punk, rampant disco and funk, while Dark Side of the Moon went on to be the best selling album of its generation. TV was dominated by game shows and Charlie’s Angels, watched by gents with sideburns and ladies in platform shoes under the light of a lava lamp. The Star Wars franchise opened at the cinema, a certain australopithecine, Lucy, was discovered in Ethiopia, and the first IVF child was born. Meanwhile a small boy trudged through the streets of Uxbridge, Fig. 4 West London towards the Odeon Stamp Shop, eager to purchase the latest issue of dinosaurs on stamps. What would he find lurking in the musty store? Well it seemed to be all about Germany. We begin in 1973 with a colourful set of stamps showing fossils from Berlin’s Museum of Natural History. Of most interest are the Archaeopteryx (Berlin specimen, obviously) and Pterodactylus (Figure 1), both found in the Solnhofen Limestone of Germany. Twelve body specimens of Archaeopteryx (or similar birds) have been found, with the Berlin specimen the most complete. It is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful fossils in the world, with an articulated skeleton, complete skull and lower jaw, stunning spread wings and feather imprints. Pterodactylus was also collected from the Solnhofen Limestone, which is a fascinating lagerstatten deposit. In the late Jurassic, this area lay at the edge of the Tethys Sea. Lagoons would periodically be cut off from the open sea, leading to increased salinity. No scavenger could live in these brines, so any animal washed into the lagoons from land or ocean would be buried in soft carbonate mud. Over 600 species have been collected from these sediments, often exquisitely preserved in homogeneous silts that were ideal for lithographic printing, lead28

Fig. 2 ing to extensive quarrying in the 19th Century. On a side note, juvenile pterosaurs are known as flaplings, and in earlier times were considered as different species rather than simply youngsters. The first day cover (FDC) shows a Brachiosaurus, later renamed as Giraffatitan (Figure 1). Such images are known as cachets. The museum houses a spectacular skeleton of this sauropod found in Tendaguru in southern Tanzania (Figure 2, an entry ticket from 1990). These rocks are also from the Late Jurassic, deposited as a package of terrestrial and marine interbeds. They have yielded seven species of sauropods, including an undescribed giant brachiosaurid known only as “The Archbishop”, as well as many other dinosaurs. The African theme continues with our next set of stamps from Zambia. The stamps are striking, with the anatomically correct fossils set against vivid backgrounds (Figure 3). They show the prehistoric skulls of three dicynodonts, Zambiasaurus, Oudenodon and Luangwa, as well as the skull of Broken Hill Man (Homo heidelbergensis) and a fossil fern. The beaked dicynodonts were found in the upper Lungwa River Valley in Zambia, and are similar to Eryops in body pattern. The Luangwa area now hosts a stunning wildlife National Park, but was also filled with an abundant fauna back in the Triassic, similar to that of the Karoo in South Africa (see part 1). The almost complete skull of a hominid was found in a lead mine in Kabwe, Zambia, and a monument to this fossil still stands in the town. The year 1974 saw Dahomey enter the world of dinosaur stamps (Figure 4). The country has a complicated past, achieving autonomy from the French in 1960, and eventually changing its name to Benin in 1975, after five coup d’etats in the preceding 15 years. Its solitary dinosaurian issue comprises three stamps whose designs owe much to Zdenek Burian. What separates these stamps from many other issues is the small circle adorned by a skeleton on each stamp, a nice touch. This set is also well known for a variPrehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

ety of overprints (Figure 5), changing the value, or even the country of origin, from Dahomey to Populaire du Benin. Like so many philatelic issues from former French colonies, the FDC’s are almost impossibly difficult to obtain (Figure 6). We have already discussed the 1975 Congo issue (see part 1), so we move to Niger in what is clearly a very African decade. Niger produced two sets of stamps supposedly focused on archaeology, but each including a Cretaceous reptilian. The first set, dating from 1976, includes a stamp showing Ouranosaurus, a hadrosauriform which was discovered in the Elrhaz Formation (Figure 7). This deposit is known for its extensive fossil graveyard, yieldFig. 12f ing a variety of vertebrate species preserved in fluvial deposits. The ouranosaur is around 7m in length and is distinguished by a large sail on its back, supported by long neural spines. Its skull is very elongated and flat, with a toothless snout and batteries of cheek teeth. It is thought to have eaten seeds, fruit and leaves. Featured on a Niger stamp from a set issued the following year, Sarcosuchus (Figure 8) was a huge crocodyliform dating to the early Cretaceous, weighing up to eight tonnes and possibly 12m in length. While not a dinosaur, this beast was definitely a formidable predator, and inhabited parts of the ancient Sahara region. Gadoufaoua in Northern Niger yielded the first skull from the Elrhaz Formation, along with specimens of Ouranosaurus and several other dinosaurs, crocodylomorphs, turtles, fish and a pterosaur. Germany’s rich dinosaur heritage was revisited in 1977. Each stamp from a set ostensibly featuring fish and reptiles, from the Berlin Zoo Aquarium, had a sidebar showing an Iguanodon (Figure 9). This statue of a dinosaur, created by Heinrich Harder in 1913, stands outside the aquariPrehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

um, and is almost certainly meant to represent one of the specimens of Iguanodon from Bernissart in B e l g i u m (Figure 10). Harder also illustrated the prehistoric collecting cards for the Reichardt Cocoa Company, entitled “Tiere der Urwelt”. Though small, these cards show beautiful, highly detailed images. Germany went on to issue two further sets in 1978 that included prehistoric animals, one with two stamps showing a fossil bat and a fossil equid, and a second set that featured a wonderful fossil frog. One of the nice things about most German stamps is that typically there are many different FDCs to choose from. This allows the artists to exercise their talents, leading to some striking covers showing dinosaurs as well as sketches of bats and proto-horses. The latter was an Eocene forest dweller with a tapir-like appearance, and both fossils were collected from the Messel Pit near Frankfurt, as a by product of coal and oil shale mining. The quarry was purchased in 1991 as a scientific resource, and declared a UNESCO World heritage Site in 1995. It is a lagerstatte, deposited in a series of tropical lakes, and some fossils exhibit amazing preservation due to the anoxic conditions on the lake floor. The frog, from Dresda Science Museum, is rendered as a simple yet very effective line drawing on the maxicard (postcard issued to accompany the set of stamps: Figure 12). One of my favourite prehistoric stamps, issued by Japan in 1977 to celebrate the centenary of the National Science Museum (Figure 13), does not show a dinosaur, but instead a marine reptile. Futubasaurus (formerly Wellesiosaurus) is an elasmosaur from the late Cretaceous of Japan, found in Fukushima Prefecture by a high school student. It grew to 9m in length, and its bones commonly show signs of scavenging by sharks. The stamp shows its skeleton in striking pink and blue hues (Figure 14, a maxicard), and a wide variety of FDC cachets display the diversity of art styles of Japan 29

(Figures 15 and 16). A coloured, metal engraving of the stamp can be seen in the presentation folder (Figure 17). Mongolia issued another set of prehistoric animals in 1977, crudely drawn and notable mainly for their triangular shape (Figure 18). Psittacosaurus is the only dinosaur in the set, a small early Cretaceous ceratopsian originating in the Gobi Desert region. The picture on the stamp looks more like a gopher, but it is no match for what is probably the most pathetic prehistoric animal drawing ever to grace a stamp. Equatorial Guinea inexplicably decided to issue a set of dinosaur stamps in 1978 - surely this wasn’t a cynical attempt to screw money out of innocent stamp collectors? The drawings on the stamps are fairly poor (Figure 19), with the usual suspects including Stegosaurus, Triceratops and Ankylosaurus. However, it is one of the minisheets that grips you in horrified fascination, as you gaze at a plesiosaur that a three year old would be ashamed to portray (Figure 20). Always imperforate, this minisheet is accompanied by a friendly looking Diplodocus, with a lizard alongside, on the second, perforate minisheet. It comes as no surprise to hear that I have never seen a postally used envelope with one of these stamps on board. Thankfully Vietnam saved the decade with a wonderful set of eight stamps issued in 1979 (Figure 21). There are nods to Burian and others, but the stamp that catches the eye is once again a marine reptile, a Plesiosaurus (Figure 22). The colours are greens, blues and purples, while bold strokes lend a sense 30

of movement in the water as the Plessy chases some fish. The mosasaur is depicted in a similar way, while the Stegosaurus and Pteranodon are less sympathetically portrayed, with somewhat childlike efforts. One cool aspect is that Vietnamese names of the dinosaurs are shown on each stamp: they translate as “winged lizard”, “thunder lizard” and the T. rex translates as “king of the violent lizards”! Of course, I am relying on Google Translate, so don’t quote me on that! This brings us to the end of the 70s, home to some of the very best (Maldives) and worst (Equatorial Guinea) dinosaur stamps ever issued (Figure 23). Stay tuned for the next episode, the early 80s, when we will explore how rebels in Arabia used stamps as propaganda (and as money makers), employing a British stamp dealer to create the “Dhufar Philatelic Agency”. We will also return to the Karoo, and visit Sao Tome and Cuba amongst many other unusual destinations.

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Continuing from Pg. 13 mic physiology closely approaches that of the mammalian condition, which, in combination with their mobility, has allowed birds to colonise every continental and large island landmass around the globe. Even when harsh seasonal conditions affect the availability of food sources or they need to raise their hatchlings in more hospitable climates, many birds have the ability to migrate over vast distances of transcontinental and transoceanic flightpaths using various celestial, magnetic, and mental maps to guide them. 8. Publication Josef Augusta’s book Praveké ptactvo (Prehistoric Birds, 1949) featured a Burian painting of Archaeopteryx on the cover (1948a), and his widely translated book Prehistoric Animals (1956) included an image of Compsognathus longipes and Archaeopteryx sp. on the shores of the ancient Bavarian Sea (1948b). Depicting these two archosaurs together was a theme to which Burian returned three more times: 1950 and 1960 (PT 132, Figs 1 & 5) and 1977. Archaeopteryx was one of Burian’s favourite palaeo-subjects which he formally depicted at least a dozen times. The artist’s 1950 canvas was one of 44 “School paintings” completed between 1949 and 1967 on commission for the Czech state education system to represent the parade of life through time. Burian commentator Rostja Walica noted that elements of this painting were likely based on an earlier graphical reconstruction of the Solnhofen landscape by Othenio Abel. Although Burian’s painting did not appear in Augusta’s books, it was included in all editions of Life before Man (1972-1995) authored by Augusta’s successor Zdenek Špinar (1916-1995). This canvas now resides at the Dvur Králové Zoo in a former textile museum that houses 147 of Burian’s palaeo-themed paintings. In subsequent restorations of Archaeopteryx the artist varied its original azure blue plumage by rendering the leading edges of the wings and most of the dorsum in gold, as in his 1960 & 1961 canvases (PT 132, Figs 4 & 3), which appeared in Augusta’s book Prehistoric Reptiles and Birds (1961). Another undated (but likely 1960) colour image of Archaeopteryx using its claws to ascend a palm tree was included in the same title printed in b&w and later in colour within Špinar’s book Kniha o praveku (Book of Prehistoric Times, 1988). The 1960 gouache Archaeopteryx (PT 132, Fig. 5) was published in Augusta’s book Versteinerte Welt (1962), which contained a selection of material from his earlier titles Ztracený svet (The Lost World, 1948), and Z hlubin praveku (From the Depths of Prehistory, 1949). Burian’s final Archaeopteryx painting (1979) was part of the series of large canvases compiled for Josef Vágner at Dvur Králové Zoo between 1977 and 1981. As with all but two of Burian’s Archaeopteryx paintings, a pair of birds is depicted, one alighting and another ascending. The Vágner canvases were compiled during the artist’s twilight years of failing health and artistic declination (PT 117), and 32

the Archaeopteryx image depicts subjects in muted plumage and attitudes that lack the credibility of earlier versions. Burian’s two paintings of Hesperornis (Figs 1 & 5) appeared in Prehistoric Reptiles and Birds, with Fig. 1 being a more detailed colour iteration of a 1953 drawing of Hesperornis with Ichthyornis published in Prehistoric Animals. As a concession to Othenio Abel’s views regarding the mobility of Hesperornis on land (section 6), Burian’s depiction of H. regalis in Fig. 1 includes a featherless breast with plumage worn away from contact with the ground. The subjects in Burian’s colour Ichthyornis victor as printed on a double-page spread in Prehistoric Reptiles and Birds (Fig. 6) are similar to his 1953 drawing. Although Augusta had claimed in Prehistoric Animals that Ichthyornis possessed teeth, he reversed his opinion in Prehistoric Reptiles and Birds but failed to request that Burian update his painting (which correctly shows toothed beaks). The two paintings of “Pro-avis” (Figs 2 & 3) printed in Prehistoric Reptiles and Birds were hypothetical restorations inspired by Gerhard Heilmann’s line drawings which Augusta had reproduced in his two earlier texts Divy prasveta (1942) and Praveké ptactvo (1949). 9. Conclusions Burian painted at least 17 restorations of Mesozoic avians representing four types: “Pro-avis” (X 2), Archaeopteryx (X 12), Hesperornis (X 2), and Ichthyornis (X 1). The Archaeopteryx paintings comprised 11 colour canvases (one of which was a 1950 “School painting”) and the gouache painting from 1960. Four of the Archaeopteryx images (1948a, 1960, 1977, and 1979) failed to appear in English-language publications. The only seemingly credible pre-Burian life restorations of Archaeopteryx and Hesperornis had been painted by Gerhard Heilmann (three paintings of Archaeopteryx by US palaeo-artist Charles Knight (1874-1953) were technically correct but highly stylised), and although Burian’s first two Archaeopteryx images from 1948 were unremarkable and hastily compiled, later depictions of the genus (excluding his 1979 canvas), plus those of Hesperornis, represent anatomically accurate restorations that suggest ethological details rarely encountered in contemporary palaeo-art. Burian’s restorations of pro-avis partially followed Gerhard Heilmann’s restorations (but see Fig. 2), some of which had been reproduced in Josef Augusta’s early books. Although research into the origin of birds and the evolution of avian flight has been deeply influenced by fossil finds of recent years, Burian’s restorations of Mesozoic avians remain notable examples of palaeo-art from an era when Archaeopteryx was widely celebrated as the first indisputable fossil linking birds to reptiles. The following instalment in this series heralds the first of several articles concerning saurischian and ornithischian dinosaurs, commencing with the group most closely related to avians, the theropods.

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What’s New in review By Mike Fredericks

First off, don’t forget about the truly realistic and scientifically accurate new figures from Eofauna of Spain. I talked about them last issue but having them in-hand is very impressive, just like with their previous prehistoric elephants and dinosaurs. The Atlasaurus is a recently discovered neo-sauropod from North Africa. It had a pretty short neck and very long front legs. The figure’s scale is 1/35 making it about a foot long. As usual a collectible card is included. Eofauna loves elephants and their 2020 offering is the giant prehistoric Deinotherium. It was huge and lived in the Miocene age of Europe. It is very interesting with its down-turned tusks and busy tail end. The figure is about 8” long and also includes a collectible card.

Last issue I told you what new prehistoric animal figures CollectA was bringing out for 2020. I now have CollectA Caviramus four of those figures in hand that they were kind enough to send in for review. CollectA’s Anthony Beeson and Matthias Geiger do a great job creating these prehistorics. The Caviramus pterosaur has a moveable jaw full of teeth and is in 1:2 scale. It has a furry skin with polkadot camouflage. Caviramus was a rhamphorhyncoid CollectA Bajadasaurus flyer of Triassic Switzerland over two hundred million years ago. It was one of the early pterosaurs. It had about a two foot wingspan and a crest on its head and beak. I didn’t show a photo of the new repainted rearing up Diplodocus from CollectA last issue but I show one now. Their first version was greenish and camouflaged. This new version is grey. Diplodocus is our featured dinosaur next issue (so please send us some nice art.) Paleontologists have known all about Diplodocus since well before any of us CollectA Microraptor CollectA Diplodocus

were born. It was, of course, an enormous sauropod that lived over 150 million years ago in the good ole USA. It was similar to Brontosaurus. Both were plant eaters that might have eaten the same plants but Diplodocus had a more slender neck and tail. CollectA’s figure is shown rearing up to reach the best blossoms at the top of a tree or perhaps in a defensive stance when approached by a predator. It’s a cool figure. We also received a black Microraptor figure. It is posed looking very angry and very chatty with its mouth open. Microraptor is a genus of small, four-winged flying dinosaurs. It was a small meateater with wings on its legs as well as its arms. Numerous wellpreserved fossil specimens have been recovered from Liaoning, China. They date from the early Wild Past’s new Cretaceous about Protoceratops 120 million years a g o . Paleontologists are now using the melanosomes of feathers and have determined that Microraptor was black with a glossy, iridescent blue sheen. CollectA has added some of that sheen Eofauna Deinotherium in its paint job on the figure. The fourth figure we received won best new discovery of last year here in PT PIX. It is the b i z a r r e Bajadasaurus, a newly found sauropod dinosaur from Eofauna Atlasaurus

the Early Cretaceous epoch of northern Patagonia, Argentina. It is similar to Amargasaurus with spikes running down the back of its neck but spikes run backward on Amarga and forward on Bajada. Strange but very cool and well done by CollectA. More are still coming from CollectA and I look forward to describing them for you. There is a new company creating prehistoric animal figures from Germany called Wild Past and their first is the dinosaur Protoceratops in 1:35 scale. Protoceratops andrewsi was discovered in 1922 by a crew of scientists and Adventurers from the

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American Museum of Natural Master Replica Group Tyrannosaurus rex skull Smithsonian’s Master Replica Group T. rex claw casting History in the Gobi desert of sculpture N a t i o n a l Museum of Mongolia. The genus name means “early horned face” and the species Natural History allowed Master name is after its discoverer Roy Chapman Andrews, the expedition’s Replica’s artisans behind the leader. Protoceratops may be the ancestor of all ceratopsian scenes to examine its worlddinosaurs. Protoceratops bones were so plentiful in the desert sand that class collection, and, with the paleontologists called it the cow of the Cretaceous, as they do with sage advice of their paleontolmany duck-billed dinosaurs. ogists, select an Individuals have been found from appropriate fosinfants to adults and possibly eggs. It sil specimen was undoubtedly also discovered by upon which to ancient people and is thought to be the basis for the mythical creature the Phoenix. A famous Master Replica Group Trilobite base our replica, a fossil with a balance of visually interesting characteristics and a distinct and defined fossil portrays Protoceratops and the meat-eater casting Velociraptor locked in mortal combat. Protoceratops structure, allowing us to meet exacting manufacturing shows that even dinosaurs without horns, spikes and standards. What makes the T. rex claw replica even sharp teeth are interesting. more special is that the original fossil was taken from In 1/35 scale Wild Past’s Protoceratops is about two the same specimen known as the Nation’s T. rex which the skulls were made from. inches long. It is airbrushed brown over tan with black Once the fossil specimen is selected, it is scanned highlights including stripes and spots. It is made of a soft, and rapid-prototyped to create master patterns that are unbreakable plastic. It has a well researched look and then molded for production. Crafted in an extraordinarincludes a nest full of Protoceratops eggs. The two pieces ily strong and durable resin, each replica is beautifully come attractively boxed. More dinosaurs are forthcoming from Wild Past. We thank Everything Dinosaur in hand-painted by MRG paleo artists, resulting in a finEngland for the Photo. ished, fossil replica imbued with a warm palette of mottled pigments and subtle accents. Master Replicas is working with the Smithsonian Institute to produce The Smithsonian T. rex Claw Replica comes with a clear, acrylic stand some beautiful fossil replicas. First is the Smithsonian Nation’s T. rex tenth and a certificate of authenticity. Master Replica’s fossil replica of an extinct marine arachnomorph is scale skull replica. Price is only $59.95 and the dimensions are 6"x3.25"x4" They have worked over the last year to produce 3D models from the meticulously re-created from a high-resolution scan of an actual trilobite Smithsonian’s T. rex skull scan-file for reproduction. From these 3-D scans, fossil from the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian they rapid prototype them for molding. These are not sculptures. They are Trilobite Replica, resting atop a rock base, is 5 inches in length. The base as close to owning the real fossil from the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. has a laser cut strip of felt lining the bottom to prevent scratches. www.masterreplicasgroup.com as you can get! The T. rex will be produced and sold as 1/10th- Sculptor Joe Laudati’s Gwangi tyrannosaur scale, 1/4-scale, 1/2-scale, and full-size replicas. resin kit with two different heads. For reference, the full-size replica measures over Well known sculptor Joe Laudati really captures the 58 inches long and 40 inches tall! look of the Ray Harryhausen creation with his Gwangi This tenth-scale replica is what we received. It tyrannosaur (never mind that it has three-fingered includes a display base from which the skull can hands) resin model kit from the classic motion picture be removed. A name/data plaque and a certificate "The Valley of Gwangi." Joe offers this famous stopmotion dinosaur as a resin model kit to build and of authenticity is included with every replica. I paint. Gwangi stands 8.25" tall and comes with two proudly display it on my shelf with the mouth heads for either an open or closed mouth, and slightly open. different head position. Now you can obtain an incredible replica that is I’m sure you remember the battle between Gwangi fully authorized and sourced directly from the and the mounted cowboys that try to lasso the dinosaur original Smithsonian asset. Display Stand included with the option to display with the mouth open and then later, Gwangi is part of a circus and of course or closed. escapes to battle an elephant. Fun movie. We also received the Master Replicas Group The finely detailed kit arrives in several parts and Smithsonian Nation's T. rex Claw Fossil Replica includes a groundwork base and name plate. See the photos here and Dave Bengel’s article at the end of ($39.95) and the Smithsonian Trilobite this issue where he beautifully builds the model and Megistaspidella Fossil Replica ($34.95). shows you how you can too. Master Replicas officially licensed Price is $125.00 plus $16.00 USPS shipping (overSmithsonian T. rex claw replica is now available to collectors worldwide. This interesting artifact seas rates apply). Pay via check, money order to: Joe is accurately re-created from a high-resolution Laudati, 5 Southside Ave #8C, New Paltz, NY 12561 scan of an actual Smithsonian T. rex dinosaur fosInquiries or PayPal orders: sil - a timeless paleontological treasure from the [email protected] archives of the Smithsonian Institution. www.joelaudati.com The Department of Paleobiology at Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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The air seems to shake with the boom and crash of the surf. Mike stands along a sandy beach, already dressed in his wet suit. On his hip hangs two bags, one large the other small. In one hand is what looks like a spear gun, while far offshore past the breaking waves bob two specially designed marine cameras, ready to take over the duty from those buzzing about the beach setting up angles for the best shot as programmed. “I’ve been wandering down to the seashore every day for the last week, watching the comings and goings of the locals.” By Phil Hore Far out to sea there is a large rocky island covered with long-necked [email protected] animals basking in the sun. “The Mesozoic ocean is a dangerous place to be, but luckily most of the animals I’m worried about are far too large to come this close to shore.” Mike lifts his gun and starts wading out into the water. “Just in case though, I brought along one of these Powerheads,” he says, brandishing the long pole. “They were once used by divers in Australia. They have a shotgun charge in the top. All you have to do is prod it into a shark or something and BANG. . . ” Mike pulls his scuba mask over his face, ensuring the silicone skirt makes a solid seal, “. . . DEDD SHUK!” He lifts and clicks the mouthpiece onto the bottom of the facemask, creating a firm seal, and takes a few deep breaths to ensure that air is flowing before diving into the water. The small turbines on the two subcams come to life, and they mirror his dive and take over filming. Under the waves, Mike drops to the bottom and quickly scans the area, with his stick mirroring his head movements. When no danger appears, he starts swimming amongst the coral and sea plants. He then

Tylosaurus

© Chuck Egnaczak

Payment Received. Transmission incoming from Time Inc. Entertainment: “Experienced adventurer Mike Hatcher has taken on the expedition of a lifetime—to survive a year by himself deep within the Mesozoic. More than just reality TV, while testing new technologies for future visitors of the past, like Mike’s base camp, the secured environmental habitat called the Compound— he will face the challenges of this new world alone, with only the dozen state-of-the-art microcameras tracking his progress at all times for companionship. Thanks to the sponsorship of Time Inc. and the Imago Mundi Society, join us now as Mike Hatcher lives through…Mesozoic Days.”

triggers the scuba microphone. “Since the first day at the beach it had always been my intention to see if ammonites really are closely related to modern-day squid.” Passing through a school of the bobbing cephalopods, he reaches out and grabs

© A. Collier

© Anders bang 36

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skillet, Mike pulls a few little bottles out of some of the medium-sized specimens at a bag on his ATV quad. “Planning ahead, I the rear and starts pushing them into the brought some lemon juice and a little soy large bag attached to his hip. “And I believe the best way to try my hypothesis sauce mix I made last night as well as some of the chopped-up cherry chilies I found is by having a few for dinner.” A dark shape sweeps over the area earlier.” The little squeezy bottle splashes some of the sauce across the whitening catching Mike’s attention and chilling his meat on the hot plate. With a deft flick, blood. The shadow belongs to an enormous bull mosasaur sailing over the coral Mike turns the meat over before it can burn. He then quickly squeezes some more sauce he’s hiding behind. Mike lifts his shotgun stick and tracks across the pan. “The trick with this stuff: the animal. Its long body is mottled with high heat and short cooking time; otherwise squid goes as tough as nails.” browns, greys, and greens. The flattened, Picking up the skillet, Mike pours its elongated tail sweeps back and forth, procontents onto a small plate made from an pelling the lizard through the water. The ammonite shell. He then sits back on the massive creature’s head breaks the sursand with his feet pointed at the campfire, face, and it takes a long, deep breath looking out across the ocean as it reflects a before slipping back under the waves. Paulo Leite (@thek560) rising moon. Mike watches as the creature swims “A B-B-Q on a Cretaceous beach, does away and disappears into the murky tidal life get any better than this?” water. “Well that was fun. Those things Mike pops one of the ammonite pieces have never moved in this close to shore into his mouth and starts to chew and chew since I’ve been watch. . . .” The mosasaur and chew. “Well, calamari is one of the comes screaming into view, as its powerchewiest foods,” he says, pushing the meat ful tail sweeps back and forth in fast to one side of his mouth, “but it’s nothing strong strokes. The creature’s mouth opens compared to this. I cooked it a little too wide, showing rows of big sharp teeth. long. I will say they taste very similar to Mike pulls his shotgun stick up and each other though.” Mike quickly swallows prods it at the marine reptile, catching it in a mouth of water from a canteen, swishing the head. The Powerhead shudders, and a it around the inside of his mouth. “Though cloud of blood and air bubbles erupt into I think I put a bit too much chili in the the water. The monster thrashes about in sauce,” he says, sticking his tongue out as pain while Mike pulls the stick back and though to cool it. “Those Mesozoic chilies retrieves a second shell from the small bag really pack a punch!” on his belt and reloads. As the mosasaur The image pulls back and starts to fade as starts to turn toward him, Mike shoves the Mike puts the last of the ammonite steaks stick out again, catching the beast in the onto the fire. This time however he doesn’t underside of its throat. The Powerhead put any of the sauce on them. again shudders with the impact of the shell going off. Blood fountains into the salty water as the ocean rushes through the gaping wound in the animal’s throat, bypassing the muscular valve the Tylosaurus - The ram-headed mosasaur mosasaur uses to keep water out of its lungs while swimming. Instantly the giant swimming reptile sinks to the sea bottom, thrashing and rolling end Like so many species that were caught up in the bone war between Cope over end as it drowns. and Marsh, the history of these marine reptiles has been a little tricky to Mike looks around to ensure his path is clear and starts swimming for uncover. For starters they were hidden behind several names. the beach. Cope named some fragmentary Kansas remains Macrosaurus proriger “Holy....” he laughs as he walks out of the surf and flops onto the sandy and then seemingly changed his mind and identified the exact same fossil beach. “Well that got the old ticker pumping.” after the European species Liodon. A few years later Marsh described a Out on the island, several of the long-necked plesiosaurs start jumping more complete specimen Rhinosaurus (nose lizard) but later had to drop this into the water and porpoising their way toward where the mosasaur carcass lies. “I’m going to have to be real careful in the future; that thing moved way too quickly, and clearly these reptiles have far better senses than I believed possible.” The small fire glitters on the ocean water, catching the gentle waves as they roll onto the shore. Mike sits with a small skillet across the fire. Before him is a large rock, and he holds one of the dead ammonites on its flat surface. “The first time I tried this I attempted to crack one of these suckers open, but the shell was too tough and I ended up destroying the meat inside.” With a long knife, he starts cutting and scooping the mollusk’s flesh out of the shell. “I’m not sure what parts are safe on these, but in most cephalopods everything in front of the eyes is usually edible. Although the tentacles aren’t that long, they are quite thick, and chopped up and once all the hooks are removed, they’ll hopefully make a nice ‘steak’.” © Jorge Blanco Dropping some of the ammonite tentacles onto the sizzling Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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because Rhinosaurus was already in use, though, being Marsh, not before he tried to rewrite all of Cope’s work. “The remaining known species which clearly belong to the Rhinosaurus are the following:— Rhinosaurus proriger, = Acrosaurus (Liodon) proriger Cope; Rhinosaurus dyspelor, = Liodon dyspelor Cope; and Rhinosaurus Mudgei, = Liodon (Hol. codus) Mudgei Cope. Edestosaurus, Marsh.” Cope returned the serve by replacing Marsh’s name with Rhamposaurus, but this too had to be dropped when it proved preoccupied. Marsh finally won when he drew all the known specimens sharing the same features (including Cope’s original Macrosaurus) under the title Tylosaurus. If you think Cope took this lying down though, well you’d be wrong because he argued that his own name was still valid. “This name was applied by Fitzinger to two species of lizards, which had already received several generic names, and hence became at once a synonym. Further, he did not characterize it; for these reasons the name was not preoccupied at the time I employed it as above; hence there is no necessity for Prof. Marsh’s subsequent name Tylosaurus, given on the supposition of preoccupation.” Right from the start it was clear Tylosaurus was different from other mosasaur species. The snout was more robust than those found on other specimens, leading to the theory these enormous predators swam at speed and rammed their prey with their reinforced skulls. This idea inspired Charles H. Sternberg to write about how these mosasaurs used their heads in his

© Julie Kitzes

© Mike Landry

autobiography The Life of a Fossil Hunter (1909). I also like how he described the physical attributes of the species in his story. “. . . will my readers go with me on another expedition to these Kansas chalk beds? ‘How fleet is a glance of the mind!’ Instead of an arid, treeless plain, covered with short grass, a great semi-tropical ocean lies at our feet. Everywhere along the shores and estuaries are great forests of magnolia, birch, sassafras, and fig, while a vast expanse of blue water stretches southward. ‘But,’ you ask, ‘what is that animal at full length upon the water in that sheltered cove?’ Watch it a moment! It raises a long conical head, four feet in length and set firmly upon a neck of seven strongly spined vertebræ. This powerful head terminates in a long, bony rostrum, also conical in shape. Back of the neck are twenty-three large dorsal vertebræ, followed by six pygals, as Dr. Williston calls them, to which the hind arches and paddles are attached. The body terminates in an eel-like tail of over eighty elements, each strengthened by a dorsal spine above and a V-shaped bone, called a chevron, below; so that a vertical section of the lizard would have a diamond shape. But see! an enemy in the distance is attracting our reptile’s attention. It sets its four powerful paddles in motion, and unrolling its forked tongue from beneath its windpipe, throws it forward with a threatening hiss, the only note of defiance it can raise. The flexible body and long eel-like tail set up their serpentine motion, and the vast mass of animal life, over thirty feet in length, rushes forward with everincreasing speed through water that foams away on either side and gurgles in a long wake behind. The great creature strikes its opponent © Aaron Marsh

© G. De Benedictis

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with the impact of a racing yacht and piercing heart and lungs with its powerful ram, leaves a bleeding wreck upon the water. Then raising its head and fore paddles into the air, it bids defiance to the whole brute creation, of which it is monarch. A noble specimen of this great ramnosed Tylosaurus is now mounted as a panel on the wall of the American Museum, in New York, at the head of the stairs on the right; and a little further on is a splendid skull of the same species, which I discovered on Butte Creek, in Logan County. . . . We have in Kansas three genera of these mosasaurs as the celebrated Frenchman, Cuvier, named them in 1808. The word literally means a reptile of the Meuse, and it was given them because the first specimen ever found was taken from the quarries under the city of Maestricht, on the River Meuse. For this information, and for much more as to the anatomy of the Kansas mosasaurs, I am indebted to Dr. © John Davies Wi l l i s t o n ’s splendid work in Volume IV of the University Geological Survey of Kansas: Paleontology, Part I; although, of course, I obtained most of my knowledge from the hundreds of specimens which I collected myself.” Another major difference from other mosasaurs was that Tylosaurus was missing the teeth at the tip of the snout. This may prove the skull was used for ramming their prey and not so much in biting to kill, but I should © Nick Papadimitriou point out there is really no evidence they hunted this way and many have spoken out against it. One physical feature often depicted in early tylosaur restorations was a Mohawk-like ridge running along their neck called a nuchal fringe. Even though it was Henry Fairfield Osborn who recognized these features were protective rings of cartilage from the creature’s throat, this was after he had also been the one to explain the presence of the fringe to Charles R. Knight, Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

who included it in his Tylosaurus reconstruction. (IMAGE). Today there are only four recognized species (T. proriger, T. nepaeolicus, T. pembinensis, T. saskatchewanensis), and though all are found within North America, closely related tylosaurines (Hainosaurus, Taniwhasaurus, Kaikaifilu) have been found in New Zealand, Japan, and even Antarctica. In fact the only continent they have not been found on is South America. Note: My favorite of these names is T. nepaeolicus. Cope took the species name from the local native (Pawnee?) word for the Solomon © Brendan Clark R i v e r , Nepabolla. This means ‘water on a hill’—a great way of describing how marine fossils are found today in landl o c k e d Kansas. What I could not find, however, was that Cope chose this because of the name, or he was just naming it after the nearby river. I like to think the latter. At 46 feet © Russell J Hawley l o n g , Ty l o s a u r u s was amongst the largest of the mosasaurs, meaning it was an apex predator of the Western Interior Seaway. In 1918 Sternberg unearthed the specimen (on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History) and wrote about his discoveries diet in the Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (1922): “. . . in the Kansas chalk in Logan county, on Butte creek. I was so fortunate as to find a fine tylosaur skeleton the second day in the field. There were twenty-one feet of the skeleton present in fine chalk. The complete skull was crushed laterally. Nearly the complete front arches and limbs were present, as was also the pelvic bones and both femora. All the vertebrae to well into the caudal region beyond the lateral spines were continuous, with the ribs in the dorsal region. Between the ribs was 39

a large part of a huge plesiosaur with many halfdigested bones, including the large humeri part of the coracoscapula, phalanges, vertebrae, and, strangest of all, the stomach stones, showing that this huge tylosaur, that was about twenty-nine feet long, had swallowed this plesiosaur in large enough chunks to include the stomach. How powerful the gastric juice that could dissolve these big bones! This specimen I sent to the United States National Museum.” A more recent analysis of this fossil not only reports the plesiosaur was far from “huge”; they figured out the species (a Dolichorhynchops). Tylosaurus was also capable of hunting sharks, large fish, ammonites, car-sized turtles, and other mosasaurs. Bite marks on one of the most complete tylosaur specimens ever unearthed (called “Sophie”) not only reveal the animal was fed on by sharks, but at some point an even larger mosasaur had bitten her across the head. Because the fifteen or so bite wounds show signs of healing, either the 42-foot-long Sophie survived this attack or survived long enough to get away, only to perhaps die from blood loss or because the animal had been weakened from the attack at a later time. This was far from the only mosasaur exhibiting such wounds either. The type specimen of T. kansasensis held at the Sternberg Museum not only shows clear signs of unhealed bite marks across the skull, but also its neck seems to have been broken—signs it had been killed by another, probably larger individual during a fight. © M. Elliott Massion

Again, Sternberg was a firm believer in the ferociousness of the species, writing: “Doubtless many of the ankylosed [fused] bones which we fossil hunters often find in the chalk of the Niobrara Group of the Cretaceous were broken by blows from these ram-nosed lizards.” The success of these true-life sea monsters was astonishing considering they were one of the very last Mesozoic groups to evolve, though this perhaps could explain their insane ferocity. If you were entering an ocean filled with enormous sharks, even larger pliosaurs, speedy ichthyosaurs, and saber-tooth herring, you’d want to be the toughest species around, and by all accounts Tylosaurus was.

626 441-2767

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Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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Newly Available: What Color Were Pterosau rs The Prehisto ric Times Coloring Book Tracy Lee Ford and Mike Fredericks have now created six coloring books of prehistoric animals. Over 50 illustrations per book. Only $9 each and packed with artwork. Next will be The PT Coloring Book of Aquatic Prehistorics. Only at Amazon.com

All SIX for you to color. Available ONLY at Amazon.com Almost finished: “What Color Were Aquatic Prehistorics? Prehistoric Times Coloring Book” 42

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Cretaceous Classifieds Free to subscribers but must be updated each issue For sale: I’m thinning out my 30+ year collection of vintage dinosaur figures and memorabilia. including a complete set of Brumm flat metal prehistorics, Chialus, Marx Linemar friction metal dinosaurs, Millers, including a rare unbroken Ramphorynchus and Smilodon, Aurora Prehistoric Scenes models, Flintstone Hunting Party dinosaurs, original Shreddies and their Aussie variations, Timpo prehistoric figures, including the rare stegosaurus, which was never recast. Other available sets or figures include a few Messmore and Damon 1933 World’s Fair figures, World’s Fair triceratops bottle opener and WF brontosaur paperweight, SRG, Cherilea, Alva, a few "mystery European metal flats, Partha Pewter, Perth Pewter, Sterling Lanier (Smithsonian) bronzes, William Otto prehistorics, a near complete set of rare Kaiyodo Dinoland figures, including the rare Quetzalcoatlus, books, postcards, souvenirs, and much more. Contact Larry at 703-527-0910 or [email protected] For sale or trade: More than 1,000 prehistoric figures from nearly 100 different makers including: Bullyland, Cog Ltd, CollectA, Colorata, Dawn of the Dinosaurs, DeAgostini, Definitely Dinosaurs, Dino Corps, Diramix, Favorite Co, Invicta, Kabaya, Kaiyodo, Panini, Play Visions, PNSO, Safari, Schleich, Sega, Sonokong, Starlux, Tyco, UKRD, Xidi, Yowie, Yujin, and many others. Please contact Tim ([email protected]) for inquiries. Trades accepted, especially prehistoric fish figures (Henkel Pterichthys, Lanier Climatius) or books. Jurassic Park Brachiosaurus vinyl model. Original kit in original box. Not recast. $85.00, includes shipping continental US. ANTS allosaurus skeleton kit. Complete kit with instruction binder. Never started. All parts still in separate plastic bags. Excellent description (not this particular item for sale) can be found here: http://brantworks.com/allosaur us-ants-kit.php $300.00, includes shipping continental US. Dimetrodon, resin kit sculpted by Keith Strasser around 1996. Box opened but never assembled. A couple of the tips of the spine may have snapped off, but I couldn't tell if it was cast that way or not. Photos on request. $150.00, includes shipping continental US. Revell Quick Snap dinosaurs. Unopened, still in plastic bag. Boxes show some shelf wear, some with old price stickers still attached. I have the following items: Styracosaurus, Triceratops, & Dimetrodon. Your choice: $24.00, plus $7.20 shipping. Contact Elyse Wong: [email protected], or (661) 327-8498 WANTED: I've been searching many years for a 1950-60s cereal premium Ajax Tyrannosaurus in tan coloured, waxy plastic. If you have this, I am very interested to buy it for a very good price for the seller. [email protected] For Sale: Dinosaur Museum going out of business, all exhibits. Life-sized T. rex Sue skull and 5 foot models Sue Alive and Sue skeleton by Joe Tippman. Life-sized

Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

Triceratops cast skull (BHI), T. rex, Triceratops, Velociraptor 1/12 scale models by Charlie McGrady and large Triceratops sacrum fossil 65myo from Montana. All for $13,995. Mike Dawson 307-655-3359 WANTED: Thinking of selling your dinosaur collection in whole or in part? Contact me first for options. I may just be interested. [email protected] or 412-901-8982 WANTED: David Krentz's bronze pieces and 1/72 resin apatosaurus, Michael Trcic's 1/35 T-Rex from Meso-Zoo series, Tony McVey's Deinonychus "birdwatcher" Contact me at: [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: Bullyland Dire Wolf figure. If you have one I shall offer you a higher price. Contact: [email protected] Zdenek Burian souvenirs- Post cards, coffee mugs, posters and more! See website at- http://www.zdenekburian.com/en/ e-mail: [email protected] SHREDDIES FOR SALE - I have the following U.K. Nabisco Shreddies (1950’s) prehistoric animals for sale. A full set of 20 in perfect condition (white) $650. A full set of 20 in perfect condition except that the Tyrannosaurus has the usual missing tip to the tail (mainly pale cream) $620. Single items all perfect except for Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Plateosaurus, Brontosaurus, Protoceratops, Palaeotherium, Mastodonsaurus, Tyrannosaurus (tip of tail missing), Woolly Rhinoceras, Iguanodon. $25 each. I can provide cream or white so please state preference and I have others with slight damage for $10 -20 each. The two time-wheels given with the ‘send-away for’ sets $100. 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. 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] WANTED: RAY HARRYHAUSEN & STOPMOTION 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) StopMotion 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: 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 on Facebook 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 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 for trade if that is preferable. Please contact Stephen Hubbell (253) 851-7036 or email me at [email protected].

PT Subscribers! Did you check the address label on your PT envelope? If the number after your address is 133, it is time to re-subscribe!

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Fake-Fossil News! By Allen A. Debus Often the authenticity of fossils becomes questioned. Is the specimen genuine and is the narrative concerning it to be believed? Yet, don’t we yearn to suspend disbelief—despite our intellect—such that even most curious stories prompted by circumstances of the ‘primeval’ will fascinate, bewilder and charm? Those outrageous claims and yarns about fossils—both real and imagined—are difficult to pull away from sometimes, whether they tell of the extinct … or living variety. Intriguing, no? Accordingly, I proffer two general examples, of contrasting nature, in which fossil foolery was afoot. Here I speak of two very dusty places—Mars and the Old West. I’ve dabbled in writing a fossil fooler or two myself—yeah, some real knee-slappers! (1) But I’ve moved on from there. It was nearly a quarter of a century ago when NASA scientists dramatically reported discovery of ‘genuine’ Martian fossils, biogeochemical traces of alien biota detected in a meteorite collected on Antarctica. For those of us who truly wished to believe, this was headlining stuff delivered authoritatively by (& pardon me for using a Ghostbusters reference here)—‘Back off, Man!’— scientists. Probably most readers have since forgotten the incident. Regardless, was this merely another case of fake-fossil news? In 1999, UCLA paleontologist J. William Schopf, a noted expert on the nature of Earth’s most ancient microfossils, noted (2) that on the strength of headlines regarding Martian ‘fossils,’ “… initially … most Americans (more than 60% by one poll) agree that ‘NASA has proved primitive life was present on Mars’.” How did this happen in the face of facts suggesting otherwise? The possibility/plausibility of discovering evidence of life on our sister planet Mars has remained at the forefront of popular sci-fi consciousness since the late 19th century. Billions of years ago there may have been oceans on Mars. And where water exists, as the saying goes, so may living things. However, Schopf, echoing Carl Sagan’s adage that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” expressed skepticism on the matter of Martian fossils even while NASA, bolstered with President Clinton’s remarks, staged a news conference “feeding frenzy” in August 1996. So what was this touted evidence, presented in a number of refereed Science articles, and how did a presumably Martian meteorite arrive on Earth? 44

Evidence of biomolecules in meteorites (e.g. amino acids/’chemical fossils’) had apparently turned up before (3), but prospect of identifying actual fossils within meteorites might have seemed absurd. Until said ‘actual’ fossils were allegedly found. Approximately 16-million years ago an asteroid struck Mars with sufficient force such that chunks of 4.5-billion year old rocky material were cast beyond Martian orbit. Sent hurtling through space, one potato-sized meteorite strayed into Earth’s gravitational field, impacting Antarctica 13,000 years ago where it was found in 1984 and tagged as ALH84001. Using sensitive analytical instruments, scientists detected organic chemicals (“PAHs”) claimed to be possible biological breakdown products, and filaments—presumably fossil microbes within the meteorite. Schopf, presiding as an independent evaluator, wasn’t convinced. PAHs, while common in coal and formed during ignition of fossil fuels, do not prove a case for Martian life. And the sizes of those supposed fossil ‘tubules’ and filaments themselves in the meteorite are far, far smaller than similar-looking shapes recognized as terrestrial Precambrian microfossils to have possibly ever been alive—“2,000 times smaller than the smallest living organism.” (After all, as Schopf noted, genetic material requires suitable, minimal space in which to operate.) So, for now, annul that “space, the final frontier” jazz: instead those filaments may simply be an inorganic mineralization. Absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence and so final judgment resting on the once very exciting specimen ALH84001 doesn’t imply or ‘prove’ that life never formed or existed on Mars. One interesting sidebar to the vaunted ‘fossil-bearing’ Mars meteorite incident though is Dan Brown’s captivating 2001 novel, Deception Point, in which a meteorite—this time lodged in Arctic ice—becomes a source of political intrigue. Here’s a mystery, inspired by the infamous tale of ALH84001 that scientific detectives must resolve. Incredibly, the meteorite in Brown’s story is encrusted with foot-long macro- fossils, suggesting to paleo-scientists and astro-biologists in the novel that life analogous or ancestral to Earth’s crustacean biota evolved (also) on another planet. Almost too good to be true? Turns out that there’s some major fossil foolery afoot hinging on NASA’s good name. Assuredly, there are many (fictional) mainstream tales concerning encounters with dinosaurs and prehistoric monsters— either fossilized in-situ or cryptozoologically in-the-flesh—indigenous to our American West, cowboy country. But John Lemay has unearthed a cache of long forgotten ‘gold’ nuggets—paleo-reporting from old newspapers and magazines that will not stymie imaginations—including curious cases perhaps deliberately written by journalists in a tongue-in-cheek, Mark Twain-ish vein. So this next entry will (Le-) maze you! Especially since the 19th century heyday of Edward D. Cope and Othniel C. Marsh, dinosaur days have been tied to dusty, rocky roads and trails beckoning toward America’s Old West—often romantically regarded as ‘wild.’ Even today the time-honored ‘aura’ of fossils interrelated with western wilderness persists in popular imagination, and therefore in print. Many such stories (fictional, factual or legendary alike) have emerged on the theme over the past two centuries—extending from Thomas Jefferson to Homer Hickman. (4) (And let’s not neglect movies such as Beast of Hollow Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

Mountain or The Valley of Gwangi.) Yet just when you may have thought there was nothing new to report in this arena … along comes LeMay’s Cowboys & Saurians: Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Beasts as Seen by the Pioneers (2019). A blurb appearing on the book cover states, “True tales of prehistoric peril from the pioneer period.” Really? Cool! In 2006 McFarland published a book of mine titled Dinosaurs in Fantastic Fiction: A Thematic Survey. So naturally I still take a shine to stories such as presented by LeMay, which perhaps might be sort of regarded as, well, ‘quasi-‘fiction … or are they indeed factual? (Wink!) LeMay proclaims, “No, this book is not merely about the Tombstone Pterodactyl and the notorious ‘Thunderbird photo.’ … (it) is about every dinosaurian creature to ever have a rifle pointed at it by a cowpoke along the trail.” Of course for such a book, the term ‘dinosaurian’ is used throughout quite loosely. What’s difficult though is properly classifying these oldtimey writers he rediscovered. Were some wannabe fiction authors aspiring to become the next ‘Jules Verne,’ versus individuals who merely misinterpreted natural history then, or just your run-of-the-mill practical jokers conspiring with seedy journalists in need of a well-paid in-print yarn. Herein, serpents, dino-monsters and other outrageous draconia and sauria—terrestrial, marine and flying, alike—abound. Some of these short, ‘authentic’ and vintage reprinted 19th century, once newsworthy stories seem more ‘convinc-

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ing’ than others—that is, for those readers who would enjoy suspending their disbelief for a little while. Yet LeMay soberly considers each in turn. As in modern dino-monster sci-fi, rifles and guns are often brought to bear, defensively against the antediluvian horde. Yet as in life it’s the journey—not necessarily the destination—which in these cases, ultimately, we know must be utterly false. Notes: (1) Allen A. Debus & Diane E. Debus, Dinosaur Memories: Dino-trekking for Beasts of Thunder, Fantastic Saurians …. (2002), pp.280-292, 439-461. (2) J. William Schopf, Cradle of Life:The Discovery of Earth’s Oldest Fossils (1999), pp.304-325. (3) Dennis G. Peters, et. al., Chemical Separations and Measurements (1974), pp.577-79, and David Brez Carlisle, Dinosaurs, Diamonds, and Things From Outer Space: The Great Extinction (1995), pp.135-145. (4) For more on Thomas Jefferson’s late 18 th century cryptozoological leanings, see my Prehistoric Monsters (McFarland and Co., Publishers, 2010), Chapter Two; Homer Hickman novel is titled The Dinosaur Hunter (2010).

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Own a Spectacular Piece of a Lost World! Of the great mega fauna of the last glacial age, Cervalces americanus is one the rarest with only a few near complete or partial skeletons recovered. First described in 1885, similarities in the body and antlers reveal an animal closely related to the white tailed deer and caribou. Today, this ultimate trophy is presented fully restored and mounted, and is available to become the stunning centerpiece for any museum gallery, mall, business, or personal space. Following its discovery in the glacial deposits of Warren County New Jersey, this incredible skeleton formed part of a private collection belonging to the Natural History and Science Museum of Blairstown. The owner, Mr. Gary Sawyer, spent years excavating and restoring the legally acquired ice-age fossil which is now displayed standing at nearly 10 feet from hoof to antler tip and sports a rack that spans an astonishing 6 feet 2 inches in width and more than 4 feet in height, possibly the largest ever found in the USA, and rivaling the largest of Europe’s Irish Elk. Full documentation for this specimen is included in the offering and contains photos, a field diary, and site map as well as correspondence with other museums, a carbon-14 date report, and analyses of microfossils from the site. For additional information, interested parties should write to [email protected] or call 212-874-1515. 46

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A Conversation with Dr. Bob Bakker Tony Campagna - @thedinogeek February 2020 - My first interview with Dr.Robert Bakker appeared in the February/March 2001 issue of Prehistoric Times. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing him a couple of other times and meeting him in person several times. (*He and Matthew Mossbrucker are not above peer pressuring a grown man into trying salad when he is clearly a carnivorous pastaivore.) I should know by now that one can ask Dr. Bob a direct question, but they should not expect a direct or short answer. What you’re about to read is my latest attempt to interview this most interesting fellow as he, Bob, finds himself talking to a friend, me, vs some anonymous reporter. You’ll see what I mean. So find a comfy seat and come and “listen in” to my latest visit with one of paleontology’s most interesting characters, Dr. Robert Bakker. Tony Campagna: Well… should we begin with dinosaur-related questions? Bob Bakker: Absolutely! Well, this is dinosaur-related. What would be the difference? I was just thinking about this actually! Because I have this very nice Brontosaurus skull, you can see the braincase and its whole brain wouldn’t be much bigger than your thumb in an animal that weighs as much as 10 15 elephants? And good ol’ Professor Marsh in 1879, he was the first to cut open a sauropod braincase and went, “Gahh!” and that’s why he named it Morosaurus grandis which means – The Grand Stupid Lizard. So what emotional complexity, what social complexity, could you possibly pack into a Brontosaurus brain? And you get to T. rex and for its time it’s got a pretty good brain, some swelling in the forebrain region and we have some field data that some big carnivorous dinosaurs, Allosaurus certainly, they did feed in family groups and the evidence is pretty good that the little allosaurs were dependent upon their bigger relatives for food. At the quarry all we found to feed on were really big things, big hunks of brontosaurs, or big hunks of brachiosaurs. There were no little prey. So yah, I think you could start with an allosaur, T. rex, and you could have some society that they could be feeling stuff, there could be emotional bonds. But a sauropod? How do you explain their success? They had smaller brains, for their body 48

size, than their ancestors. That’s just, that’s just work! Evolution dumbed them down and yet, straight through the Jurassic and in South America and Eurasia through the Cretaceous too, they’re the number one component of plant-eating biomass. Number one! Oof! There’s a disjunct here. This is really interesting to me, there’s a disjunct. Today, in large animals, predators and prey usually are roughly, equally matched in brain power, roughly. We have puma here and they prey on mule deer mostly and in Isle Royale, Michigan. In Montana, wolf packs will attack elk and there a few observations that wolf packs will attack female buffalo. A buffalo’s a smart critter, so’s an elk, so’s a moose. In Africa you’ve got a variety of carnivores all feeding on antelope and roughly the same complexity of brain processing as the predators. That makes sense. It’s actually called “Marsh’s Law.” But the big, the big glaring, red sum of unlawfulness are the dang sauropods. I mean, how do you explain that? They do Bob at the very well! Microscope The Mid-Cretaceous sauropods of Argentina or Mongolia they’re surrounded by some pretty, dang smart, carnivores. As youngsters they’d be threatened by raptors, the bigger raptors, Utahraptor, Dakotaraptor. Well geeze, those are predators with the intelligence of a ground bird today, but there’s no change in the size of the endocranial volume where the brain complexity of the sauropods that continue to flourish. What is going on here? Um..I..don’t..know! TC: Whoa. BB: Maybe, I’m flailing around here, maybe the society of sauropods was more like the society of, I don’t know, termites. It was very social. The group-intelligence benefitted the individual in ways we wouldn’t expect today in water buffalo or American bison or okapi. I don’t know. The rest of the organization of a sauropod is very high. They really are giant birds, extremely pneumatic. The most pneumatic backbones of any large animal ever, very efficient, have undirectional breathing, like a bird, the air would go through lungs from the back forward on the way out. Doubles the efficiency. That sounds good, the only obvious weakness in the entire design of the sauropod is the brain, or the lack thereof. Just.. Oof! Oof! Oof! Oof! TC: Yeah. (Said as if I completely understand, but I do not.) BB: The brain, reduction of the brain may have had a positive value in that the animal could raise its head as far as its body would permit, raise its brain high above the level of the heart and not have to worry about pumping blood to the brain. Its brain could go without blood, geeze, an hour or two. I get a little irritated with some of the artists who refuse to raise the Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

head in the brontosaurs or Diplodocus. The center of mass, the balance, is Congregationalist, The Reverend Hitchcock.. right in front of the hips. If you found a Diplodocus sleeping on its feet, the TC: Yah! Yah! way elephants sleep, and you snuck under its chin and gave a push up, the BB: The first dinosaur track scientist, I would say the best anyway, he thing would just tilt up. It’s perfectly balanced. We have footprint evidence observed these guys moving in groups, large groups. Just go to Rocky now, some brontosaur’s footprints, uh, capital “B” – Brontosaurus foot- Hill… prints, and uh very small front hands, very small paws, maybe 1/8th the area TC: Oh yah! BB: … 20 or 30 or 40 of these guys, moving together, so they are social, of the hind paw. They’re that different. So these things are not quadrupeds. Yah, to make them unemotional wind-up toys is just wrong. It’s not scienThey’re very lightly-assisted bipeds. tific anymore. TC: Oh wow. BB: Umm.. so they could do that. They could be very three-di-men-sionTC: Yep. Let’s talk some more about things that are definitely a lot difal in feeding. And that makes ferent than the dinosaurs you sense in terms of the whole balgrew up with or that even I grew anced language. Marsh pointed up with. I was happy to find, not out way back in 1877, ’78, ‘79 too long ago, a copy of the 1975 that these are balanced at the Scientific American Magazine.. hip. Even something like BB: Oh yah! TC: ..that carried your article Triceratops which looks front “Dinosaur Renaissance” heavy, you know, it’s not front BB: Yyyyyyep. heavy, we have tracks here in TC: and thinking how approColorado from a Triceratopspriate the title was as it seemed sized ceratopsid and three quarto launch that into actually hapters of the mass is in the hind foot. The fore foot is small, but pening, so the question I wanted for Brontosaurus and that to pose first was, do you think crowd, they can walk bipedally. that other such events await us in And the balance point is yeah, the future? right in front of the hip socket BB: (long breath in and out) and the whole structure of the When you’re talking about hips. You know, Brontosaurus is behavior, Yes! We don’t understand how to analyze behavior down to nine dorsal vertebrae. for these guys that break the Nine. From the base of the neck rules. In mostly sauropods, yeah, to the sacrum there’s only nine it’s the sauropods. The key there, vertebrae. A prudish number for we don’t know how to put things a dinosaur would be fourteen or together there because these are fifteen or sixteen. It’s down to animals that couldn’t hide down nine. And the weight of muscle and bone over the hips and the a burrow or hide by climbing a tail too is extraordinary. tree. They are exposed on flatWhereas the chest is full of air land, ecological flatland. They sacs, big ones, and as you go have to confront each other, um, forward and the vertebrae are bulls in the breeding season, incredibly hollowed out. They’re cows too maybe, have to interact not vacuum cleaners with a long and there’s nowhere, no place to hide! And carnivores, yah, hose. They are not. That’s “The there’s no place to hide. The carElectrolux Theory of nivores are smarter, a lot smarter. Sauropods” and it didn’t work. Tony Campagna It’s an average factor of 15. Pick And geeze I’ve seen elephants and Bob Bakker any sauropod-theropod sample, in Southwest Africa rearing up starting in the Middle Jurassic and they do that for 20 seconds or so and they put their trunk high and pluck fruit, when fruit’s in season, anywhere in the world, go through to the Lancian; it’s 10, 12, 15 times. The and elephants are stronger in the front than the back so a Brontosaurus or carnivores have order of magnitude bigger brains. So we’re missing someDiplodocus, even a Camarasaurus could easily, eeeeeasily tip up, prop the thing. body with that muscular tail and it doesn’t need blood going to the brain. TC: Hmm. Doesn’t need it. Maybe that’s part of their success. I don’t know but they’re BB: Now uh, getting back to the umm, Scientific American thing, I’d just the most enigmatic of dinosaur groups. There’s a lot we need to learn about come back from South Africa. I’d been there for 4 months counting and measuring noses of the early therapsids, the higher mammal-like reptiles them. Matt Mossbrucker the Director of the Morrison Museum has found skull and I went through hundreds and hundreds and if you have it (*the article) bones for the original Apatosaurus ajax, the very first apatosaur-brontosaur you remember there’s not only a feathered dinosaur in the opening pages, type species and I have a couple of skulls of Brontosaurus, the brain is just there are hairy therapsids in the opening pages. TC: Yes. tiiiinyyy. BB: Which is very important. The biggest biological event in the history of TC: Yeah. BB: Wow. So anyway, to wonder if dogs and cats today have complicat- dinosaurs happened before dinosaurs evolved. That’s what I call the ed, emotional bonds with you or me, and with each other, of course, I can “Kazanian Revolution” when suddenly, instead of having slow-moving, believe that Triceratops had enough brain that it had some social bond, sure. slow-growing pelycosaurus, Dimetrodon, Edaphosaurus, I love those guys. Carnivores? Yeah. Absolutely. And to the Early Jurassic footprints of small I spent the last 14 years digging them. They’re wonderful guys, but the evocarnivores, like those found by and were done by the great lution is incredibly slow. Dimetrodon in the broad sense of the genus is the

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only top predator you have in Texas for, Wow! 7 formations. One after the other after the other and when you cut their bones and look at their growth rate they’re pretty dang slow. These are classic reptilians and they get into the Kazanian, the earliest therapsid fauna, which is lush in Zone 2 or in, down South Africa, the Precap Zone, Boy it’s a whole different world! The diversity is really high! And the different clades are splitting and splitting and resplitting and you get 6, 7, 8 species of big herbivore all together in one spot or pretty close to one spot. And the carnivores are more diverse too and they’re changing rapidly, and the work done, the great work being done in South Africa looking at the growth rate of these earliest therapsids, Geeze! They’re growing really fast! Much faster than Dimetrodon and its kin. That’s a revolution. That’s huge. And when dinosaurs begin to show up in the LateMiddle Triassic, and they’re not common then, umm, they’re dealing with advanced therapsids. In fact, the dicynodonts. They look funny but they’re pretty high-tech and surely they were hairy. Umm, and the last dicynodonts, which do look kiiiiiiinda like a cross between a Rottweiler, a Tasmanian devil, and a Komodo dragon; they’re pretty high-tech too and growing real fast. So when dinosaurs take over at the very end, the Triassic, at the beginning of the Jurassic, they are taking over from a bunch of clades 6-7-8 families, that’s a looong history of fast evolution and hot-bloodedness. That’s – really – interesting. The books I grew up with said the only reason dinosaurs were a success was that the world was in a challenge everywhere, was hot and humid and tropical so that a tiny-brains-Diplodocus didn’t have to move fast, didn’t have to be social. That’s – just – bunk. I mean, that’s-just-wrong. Al Romer’s, some of his last expeditions to Argentina before he passed, he was getting the hint of the first dinosaurs along with these very advanced cynodonts carnivores, and cynodont herbivores too, actually, and a variety of these twotuskers dicynodonts, which had been evolving faaassst since the Middle Permian. I mean, to beat that crowd, to be competitive, superior, and to be predators on these guys, as the early dinosaurs were in the Late Triassic, that’s a major feat! That’s B-F-D! Big Functional Deal! TC: (laughs) BB: And the literature I read about therapsids, in the late ‘70s, sort of, the

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scholars like ah, “Fuzz” Crompton from the South African Museum and then Yale and then Harvard and people of his generation, they were happy to accept warm-bloodedness and high activity and fast growth in the therapsids, absolutely. But geeze! Our colleagues back then, in the ‘70s, the senior dinosaur colleagues, most of them just harrumphed at it. “Dinosaurs? Dinosaurs? No. Naked. Dinosaurs were naked. Therefore they were coldblooded.” Even John Ostrom, I had a bunch of arguments with him, he said, “Ah, we’ve got from the Solnhofen, the Late Jurassic, we’ve got pterosaurs and they have hair, hair-like feathers. Some had insulation on them, yes, yes, as noted by the Germans in 1890 and been confirmed. And then the birds, you’ve got birds in the Solnhoffen. Archaeopteryx has feathers. Its body is insulated, but the dinosaurs from Solnhofen? Compsognathus? You can’t find any hair on that.” Actually you can. The first feathered dinosaur from China was a compsognathid-like guy, covered nose to toes with hair-like feathers. What people call proto-feathers. And Lordy, a primitive theropod! In fact, virtually all theropods found with reeeally good skin show insulation. There’s even a Megalosaurus specimen, described two and a half years ago - megalosaurs are pretty primitive dudes, a Late-Triassic grade of theropod. This little fella had fur, all over. So the quarries that produce really good skin confirm what the histologists tell us, they’re growing fast, and the only reason to evolve insulation is to keep body heat in, which they were doing. So getting back to your question, “What’s the biggest unanswered zone?” There’s a whole bunch about extinctions and evolutionary rates, but the, um, balance of adaptations in sauropods is still a huge hanging question. They grew pretty dang fast. As fast as elephants. TC: Hmm. BB: But elephants are so damn brainy. TC: Yeah. BB: They have an endocranial volume that can be 50, 60, 70 times that of Brontosaurus, Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus and that’s just wrong. I mean, THAT’S – JUST – WRRONNG! (laughs) TC: Like you said earlier, that makes me really wonder about what we perceive as emotion or what can be validated as emotion, or can be found to be true emotion. When we were talking about large animals, like the sauropods, I thought about elephants and how emotional and their bonds… BB: YES! YES! TC: It just kind of made me rethink every movie I’ve seen where there’s a group of them (elephants) whether it’s animated, or real footage or CGI, and wondering if we’ve gotten close at all in showing (*sauropods), you know, showing any kind of similar parental lookout or parental behavior or parental protection… BB: Can I tell you something? TC: ...even with each other as adults in groups and you know, it’s a neat idea. BB: Well the proboscideans are interesting, because up until we starting shooting them, they were really successful. If you go to the Pliocene or the Early Pleistocene of Africa, you’re gonna find 5 or 6 different species of proboscidean, representing three huge clades: the mastodontids, mammutids, the true elephants – Elephantids, and then the deinotheres, and they’re all pretty old groups. You have a couple of species per fauna, so you can have 8 or 9 species of proboscideans and they’re all – quite – brainy. And now we know they’re very social and socially connected using infrasound to pass messages.. TC: Right. BB: ..and even though, there are very high-grade carnivores within the Plio-Pleistocene proboscideans and you have three kinds of true cat, sabretooths, the homatheres with sharp-edged sabers and very, very, long legs, they’re saber-toothed hyenas, I mean cheetahs, and then you have the smilodonts which have very short, massive legs like jaguars – sabretooth jaguars. And then there are the uh, um, intermediate, uh, groups, uh, but they’re not affecting the proboscideans much. You can get a new sabretooth like Barbourofelis shows up in the Middle Miocene, North America, and doesn’t seem to affect the numbers, diversity, of proboscideans. It’s in um, it’s in Africa and Eurasia too, Barbourofelis comes in and adds to the diverPrehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

weren’t. (laughing) Why go sity of predators, doesn’t cause through the trouble of (still any extinction. The weird thing laughing) insulating youris, you know, we mammals self? That’s expensive to pretty well failed in being produce all that stuff. And macro-predators. None of us now are multi-ton. We’re not then you look at the locothe size of an allosaur, cermotor equipment. These are atosaur, T. rex, not even close. leggy, fast, and the Uh, WHYYYYYY? I don’t Congregationalist was know. This is just another right. The Reverend unsolved mystery. Why is it, Hitchcock was right. These that we mammals, have never are ground-running birds. approached dinosaur size as top He wrote that in 1837 for predators? canthrosaur footprints, A polar bear is a top predator. which we call dinosaurs. He said, “These tracks, the hind A really big polar bear is 1500 feet are arranged like a bird pounds. That’s a really big bear. Matt Mossbrucker, Tony and they’re walking on their A really big saber-tooth, what Campagna, unk. and toes with the ankle high off was the biggest one? the ground.” True that. Barborofelis or one of the Robert T Bakker (*Yes, Dr. Bob said, “True Asiatic homotheres, maybe 600 pounds? Maybe 700? The that.”) And long strides, extinct mammal predators, yes. And sometimes in some of the hyaenodontids, hyainailouros, probably going polar bear sized groups. He said all of that in 1837 and elaborated over the next decade and over 1,000 pounds, but they’re not 8 tons. They’re not 5 tons. Your big a half. It’s neat if you think about it, I may need to talk to a lawyer about that allosaurs are 5 tons. Your big tyrannosaurs are 6, 7 tons. We appear to be Universal Pictures and those Jurassic Parks. The Congregationalist Church size-wise-failures somehow. I – don’t – know. I don’t have an explanation of America is owed several of tens of billions of dollars for the Jurassic Park franchise. (He’s saying this jokingly, I think.) for that. Do you? TC: Oh, well, certainly not. No. I don’t know that I’ve even ever conTC: (laughing) That’s funny! sidered all of that, but when you say it it’s like, “Why haven’t more people BB: He’s very vivid in describing these guys and he’s got it right. You thought about that or tried to work out an idea or something?” I don’t know. know, he was counting toe bones from tracks. He didn’t have a single foot. BB: I think it may be tradition. Traditionally the really, really good mam- And he had the phalangeal number, the joint number, it’s 2, 3, 4, 5, 3. Two mal paleontologists, and there’ve been a lot of great ones, since the time of toe bones in the big toe, Toe #1. Three in the next toe. Four in the next toe, the Reverend Buckland - who did great work with hyeanas, most of them, which is the middle toe, and five in your outer toe and then zero. There was the more recent ones don’t work on the statistics of dinosaur communities. no pinky toe in any of these ground running birds. That’s exactly right! You know, measuring all of the allosaur bones in a particular zone and then Totally right. He had only one important skeleton and that was the all of the herbivores, realize that, you know, these Late Jurassic carnivorous Anchisauus, prosauropod, which was excavated with a large keg of black dinosaurs are pushing elephant-size in weight 2 tons, 3, 4, 5, 6 tons. Ditto in powder in excavating a well in Massachusetts in the Early Jurassic (rock), the Cretaceous. As soon as you get into the Age of Mammals note the feel- KA-BLUE-EE!!! (laughs) and a great cloud of black powder smoke (laughing, the feeling for predator body size is an order of magnitude lower. Just ing) people saw fragments of bone (Bob makes a sound of bone fragments lower. Whyyy? (laughing) I – don’t – know. There must be something. And spinning through the air at great speed that I cannot even try to reproduce you could if you wanna praise mammals, you could say, “Well, dinosaurs phonetically. Sorry.) and they picked them up and tried to glue them back never succeeded at being mouse-sized.” And that’s absolutely true. There together and that is the Type of Anchisaurus polyzelus. And his colleagues aren’t any mouse-sized dinosaurs. If you’d find a dinosaur that was like in Massachusetts looked at the bones and said, “Hey Ed! The bones are holPsittacosaurus, how heavy are they? A couple dozen pounds. That would be low!” The discovery of hollow bones in dinosaurs was a blown-up skeleton. a big mammal but that’s a tiny dinosaur. The third wing of the unexplained TC: Wow! paleobiology, why did dinosaurs fail at small critters, until the dinosaurs BB: It wasn’t enough for him to put the animal back together. He did sugwere flying? gest that it had a big tail though. He couldn’t find tails in the thousands of Now ya got birds and there’s birds almost as small as the smallest mam- footprints he looked at. Couldn’t find tails. TC: Right. mals. The smallest mammals are a couple grams. The Pygmy Shrew and a BB: He concluded they were pretty tailless like a modern bird. It did not couple of rodents that push just a couple of grams. Well the smallest bird, hummingbirds, are getting down there but they’re flying. (laughs) They’re occur to him they could have long tails held off the ground during all of the animals’ activity. Which we now know (laughs) to be true. (laughs) Con-greflying. TC: So let me ask you this with those ideas about things that are not fig- ga-tional-ists, I don’t think you have very many in your part of the country. ured out yet and kind of tying back into the article, “The Dinosaur TC: No. I don’t think so. (*I’m in Southeast Arkansas.) BB: Congregationalists are interesting guys. They were at the forefront Renaissance” of ’75, What’s left to fix in our view of dinosaurs? What do of abolition and they more or less took over the Connecticut Valley. you see that still hasn’t been … Deerfield Academy’s first and then Amherst, Yale – they were BB: Well it’s.. Congregationalists, and Harvard went kind of a whole different direction TC: I don’t know. Stuff not caught up or figured out yet. BB: There are some pennies that haven’t dropped yet. I kicked the they went Unitarian. My grandmother said once, I asked her about that when machine to try and get the penny to drop. I was not surprised; I was happy I was about 6, and she said, “Bob, being a Unitarian is better than having no to see all of the feathered, the insulated dinosaurs, being found, um, as small beliefs at all but not by much.” as Microraptor and getting up to Yutyrannus. Yutyrannus is 20, 22 feet long. TC/BB: (laughs) BB: And those were wise words from Grandma Meyer. That’s hundreds and hundreds of pounds. That’s polar bear size. They’re insulated. And yet still some of our colleagues want to argue, “Well they may be insulated but still inside they were cold-blooded lizards.” No they Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

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Mesozoic Media by Mike Fredericks

Dinosaurs of Darkness: In Search of the Lost Polar World (Life of the Past) Second Edition by Thomas H. Rich and Patricia Vickers-Rich Series: Life of the Past, Paperback: 332 pages, Indiana University Press; Second edition, ISBN10: 0253047390, ISBN-13: 978-0253047397 I’ll tell you one thing that early paleontologists and paleoartists were not picturing and that was dinosaurs living in snow. Dinosaurs of Darkness opens a doorway to an interesting former world, between 100 million and 120 million years ago, when Australia was far south of its present location and joined to Antarctica. Dinosaurs lived in this polar region. How were the polar dinosaurs discovered? What do we now know about them? Thomas H. Rich and Patricia Vickers-Rich are a married couple and scientists from Melbourne Australia who have played crucial roles in their discovery. In this book they describe how they and others collected the fossils that helped explain our knowledge of this realm and how painstaking laboratory work and analyses continue to unlock the secrets of the polar dinosaurs. This scientific adventure makes for a long but interesting story. It took over seven hundred excavators almost four decades of digging to help tell this story, especially at “Dinosaur Cove.” Dinosaurs of Darkness is a thorough, engrossing account of the way scientific research is conducted and how hard and rewarding it is to excavate the remarkable life of the past. The award-winning first edition has been thoroughly updated with the latest discoveries and interpretations, along with over 100 new photographs and charts, many in color. Fantastic Fossils: A Guide to Finding and Identifying Prehistoric Life by Donald R. Prothero 336 pages, Columbia University Press, 9-780231195782 Fossils fill us with a sense of wonder and possibilities. What looks at first like a simple rock is in fact a clue that reveals the great diversity of ancient life, environments, the winding pathways of evolution, and the majesty of a vanished earth. As much as one might dream of digging a hole in the backyard and finding a dinosaur skeleton, only a few places contain these buried treasures, and when a scientist comes across a remnant of prehistoric life, great care must be taken. What do budding paleontologists need to know before starting their search? In Fantastic Fossils, Donald R. Prothero offers an accessible, entertaining, and richly illustrated guide to the paleontologist’s journey. He details the best places to look for fossils, the art of how to find them, and how to classify the major types. Prothero provides expert wisdom about typical fos52

sils that an average person can hope to collect and how to hunt fossils responsibly and ethically. He also explores the lessons that both common and rarer discoveries offer about paleontology and its history, as well as what fossils can tell us about past climates and present climate change. Illustrations by the paleoartist Mary Persis Williams bring to life hundreds of important specimens. Offering valuable lessons for armchair enthusiasts and paleontology students alike, Fantastic Fossils is an essential companion for all readers who have ever dreamed of going in search of traces of a lost world. Most pages have a b&w photo of a fossil or related subject. A full color section is also in the middle of the book. Donald R. Prothero is a prolific Research Associate in Vertebrate Paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He has taught college geology and paleontology for 40 years at institutions such as Columbia University, Vassar College, Knox College, and Pierce College, and currently at Cal Poly Pomona. For 27 years, he was Professor of Geology at Occidental College in Los Angeles and Lecturer in Geobiology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He earned his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in geological sciences from Columbia University. He is the author of over 300 scientific papers published in leading journals and over 30 titles in geology, paleontology and evolutionary biology. The Dissection of Vertebrates 3rd Edition by Gerardo De Iuliis PhD and Dino Pulerà MScBMC CMI Paperback: 416 pages, Academic Press; 3rd edition ISBN-10: 0124104606, ISBN-13: 978-0124104600 Detailed and concise dissection directions, updated valuable information and fantastic illustrations make The Dissection of Vertebrates, 3rd Edition the new ideal manual for students in comparative vertebrate anatomy, as well as a superb reference for vertebrate and functional morphology, vertebrate paleontology, and advanced level vertebrate courses, such as in mammalogy, ornithology, ichthyology, and herpetology. This newly revised edition of the most comprehensive manual available continues to offer today’s more visually oriented student with a manual combining pedagogically effective text with clear, accurate and attractive visual references. This new edition features updated and expanded phylogenetic coverage, revisions to the illustrations and text of the lamprey, shark, perch, mudpuppy, frog, cat, pigeon, and reptile skull chapters, and new sections on amphioxus or lancelet (Branchiostoma, Cephalochodata), a sea squirt (Ciona, Urochordata), shark musculature, a gravid shark, shark embryo, cat musculature, and the sheep heart. Using the same systematic approach within a systemic framework as the first two editions, The Dissection of Vertebrates, 3rd Edition covers several animals commonly used in providing an anatomical transition sequence. Nine animals are covered: amphioxus, sea squirt, lamprey, shark, perch, mudpuppy, frog, cat, and pigeon, plus five reptile skulls, two mammal skulls, and the sheep heart. PT subscriber Dino Pulera is a fine artist with full art throughout, even an area on the skull of T. rex and author Gerardo De Luliis (with Dino) has precise method of writing which is usuPrehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

ally easy to understand.

Horizon Beta (Horizon Arc Book 4) by D. W. Vogel Future House Publishing In D. W. Vogel‘s Horizon Alpha trilogy of books, humans leave a dying Earth in search of a planet to become their new home. Circumstances force them to land on a new world full of deadly dinosaur-like creatures. The books are real page turners. Now an entirely new series of “Horizon” books starts the Beta series. Other ships from Earth end up on a different planet and wouldn’t you know it, the dinosaurs this time are replaced by giant insect-like creatures. With Horizon Beta, time has passed and the humans now are well mixed in with the underground world of the giant insects and don’t remember the spaceships that brought them here. They are happy competing with each other to gain favor with their new masters, but some stray humans exist on the planet with different ideas. What can they teach the humans in the underground and how will it change the world they have come to accept? Like Horizon Alpha, Horizon Beta is another real page turner, well written and suspenseful. It definitely keeps you engrossed and I highly recommend it. Available at Amazon.com Jurassic Park Collectibles by Kristof Thijs, Paperback: 96 pages, Amberley Publishing, ISBN-10: 144567923X, ISBN-13: 978-1445679235 Back when Prehistoric Times magazine was in its infancy (still in diapers, pacifier) every dino fan had recently read Michael Chrichton’s book Jurassic Park. To say we were all eagerly awaiting Steven Spielberg’s version of the book in movie theaters, would be a colossal understatement. Why wouldn’t we be excited? Rumor on the street was that, thanks to computer generated special effects, we would feel like we had actually seen a dinosaur. Then, the entire world went dinosaur crazy! Clothes, toys, even food packaging had dinosaurs on it. There was tons of Jurassic Park related merchandise and even plain dinosaur merchandise. If you were a collector, you had a very thin pocketbook. It was my job to try to keep up with it all and list and report it all here within the pages of PT. I scoured the stores but I also cheated by obtaining a merchandising list of all of the licensed Jurassic Park items available. Action figure collecting (mostly super heroes) was already a popular hobby so when Kenner began releasing line after line of Jurassic Park action figures, they quickly became collectible too. Some were sold exclusively in stores like Target and Walmart and the chase was on. Over the years, Jurassic Park collectibles internet sites have come up. Now I have a book listing many of the Jurassic Park items that have become collectible some 27 years later with an emphasis on action figures. In no way is this book complete nor all inclusive of the many JP items that came to the Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

market. The author is Belgian (his English is fine) so he may make up for some missing items by showing many JP items found only in Europe. The book starts off with Kenner action figures and some other items based upon the original movie. He then includes chapters showing the many collectibles from the second movie, the third movie and then the first Jurassic World film. He also includes a chapter on the Chaos Effect action figures by Kenner. These were hybrid dinosaurs and I personally thought they were so ridiculous I paid very little attention to them in the stores at the time. So, this is a fairly small and thin book but it is nicely photographed and completely in full color. The text is minimal and no price guide is included, although the author does point out some of the items that are rare. I don’t know if the author “spared no expense” in putting together his Jurassic Park Collectibles book, but I think it would certainly be fine for a new collector to the Hobby. Eat to ROAR by Gloria Barone Rosanio (Author), Karina Pearse LaMalfa (Contributor), James Rosanio (Illustrator) Spiral-bound: 28 pages Payton Press, LLC ISBN-10: 0996308326 ISBN-13: 978-0996308328 How about a cookbook aimed at kids but also designed for the entire family to cook “dino-lecious” snacks and meals? This creative cookbook encourages children to cook and eat like the plant-eating dinosaurs. Most dinosaurs were herbivores and ate only vegetation. Some grew to be huge because their diet of leaves and ferns required so much digestion that they needed an extra-long intestine, which could fit only in large dinosaurs. By offering tasty plant-based recipes for families to try, the Dinosaur Connoisseur, Saber-Tooth Kitty and their dinosaur friends hope children will enjoy their food and grow up healthy and strong. Eat to roar! Talented artist Jim Rosanio sent us a copy of his book for review and it really is a fun book for all. Jim draws kid-friendly, realistic, and accurate dinosaurs (somehow) and the recipes are easy to follow and all named after a prehistoric animal of course. The text is full of puns for all ages. A colorful, and original book for the family to enjoy at home.

Dinosaur expert and film maker Donald Glut is at it again with two new, must have, DVDs. “I Was A Teenage Movie Maker” tells the story in amateur movies how Don got the film bug at an early age and from 1953 to 1969 made monster movies. Lots of fun with over 12 hours of material on two discs. Tons of films, behind the scenes, interviews (Forrest J Ackerman) and much more. Also from Don Glut, his “Dinosaurs VS. Apes” is now available on DVD. Two documentaries packed with film clips and interviews with famous special effects artists from the good old days of stop-motion like Ray Harryhausen and Jim Danforth and much more. Both DVDs are available from Amazon.com. 53

PALEONEWS

The smallest dinosaur ever found was a weird, primitive bird, researchers say The fossil skull of the new species, dubbed Oculudentavis, meaning "eye tooth bird," is just over half an inch long. It is the smallest dinosaur ever found; a birdlike creature weighing less than a tenth of an ounce. It has been discovered inside a drop of amber, where it was preserved for 99 million years. Researchers think the animal was smaller than the bee hummingbird, the smallest known modern bird. "It's really tiny," said one of the scientists who studied the new dinosaur, Jingmai O'Connor, a paleontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing. "And it's just weird on multiple levels." That weirdness is of particular interest to dinosaur experts, particularly because there is still a question about whether the tiny dinosaur is also a primitive bird. Modern birds evolved from dinosaurs, but even with just the surviving skull, the researchers say Oculudentavis is very different from modern birds. "It's a new ecology, never seen before," O'Connor said. Oculudentavis had rows of sharp teeth and probably ate insects. The skull has large eyes with small pupils, so the dinosaur probably had good eyesight and hunted during the day. But its eyes don't point forward like those of modern birds. Instead, Oculudentavis had eyes that bulged out to the sides and no binocular vision, the researchers found. O'Connor said she thinks Oculudentavis evolved its tiny size to live on islands. As such, the dino lived at the same time as some giant dinosaurs about DNA was found 99 million years ago but perhaps not in the from a baby same place. Hypacrosaurus fossil Such miniaturization, called insular or island dwarfism, can be a response to an island's limited food sources, and it is seen in modern animals. "The bee hummingbird comes from Cuba. The tiniest vertebrate is a little frog from Madagascar," O'Connor said. The Oculudentavis fossil was found in 2016 in northern Myanmar inside a block of amber, the dried resin of ancient trees. It made its way into a museum in China before it was studied by paleontologists. The scientists were able to make detailed scans of the fossil with powerful X-rays while leaving the amber intact, said one of the researchers, Luis Chiappe, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. “Oculudentavis is one of only a few dinosaurs fossilized in amber that have been recovered by researchers. The more common process of fossilization in rocks preserves only much larger animals,” Chiappe said. "Amber has the potential of capturing very small animals," he said. "It opens up a window into a portion of the biodiversity that lived during the age of the dinosaurs that the normal fossil record does not capture." Some other dinosaur experts are perplexed by the fossil and what it suggests. Although the researchers aren't certain that Oculudentavis was a primitive bird, a flying dinosaur, in other words, that's the conclusion they've reached based on the shape of its skull. "This is a highly interesting fossil," said paleontologist Gerald Mayr of the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, who was not involved with the new study. "If the authors are correct that it is a bird skull, it would show that our current understanding of avian evolution is still very incomplete." 54

'Reaper of death,' newfound cousin of T. rex, discovered in Canada The "reaper of death" is the first newfound tyrannosaur species to be named in Canada in 50 years. The fossils of this newly discovered Tyrannosaurus rex cousin, a vicious, meat-eating dinosaur with serrated teeth and a monstrous face that scientists are calling the "reaper of death," has been discovered in Alberta, Canada. At 79.5 million years old, Thanatotheristes degrootorum is the oldest known, named tyrannosaur on record from northern North America. T. degrootorum lived during the Cretaceous period, the last period of the Left: An artistic rendering of Oculudentavis dinosaur age, which lasted imagining what it looked like preying on an from about 145 million to insect.©HAN Zhixin / Los Angeles Natural 65 million years ago. The History Museum Above: Skull seen in amber. imposing beast had a mouthful of steak-knifelike teeth that were more than 2.7 inches (7 centimeters) long. This dinosaur had more teeth than other tyrannosaur species. From snout to tail, the dinosaur measured about 26 feet (8 meters) long, or about the length of four king-size mattresses lined up end to end and about 8 feet tall. Like other tyrannosaurs, the "reaper of death" ("Thanatos" is the Greek god of death and "theristes" is Greek for "reaper," which is how the team derived Thanatotheristes), had strange bumps on its skull that gave it a monstrous appearance. But it also had a one-of-a-kind feature: a distinct set of vertical ridges that ran from its eyes along its upper snout. "These ridges are not like anything we've ever seen before in other tyrannosaur species," Voris said. "Exactly what the ridges do, we're not quite sure." Parts of the two dinosaur's skulls and jaws were discovered by the Canadian couple John and Sandra De Groot of Hays, Alberta. The only other dinosaurs found in this rock formation were plant eaters: the horned dinosaur Xenoceratops foremostensis and the pachycephalosaur Colepiocephale lambei, study co-researcher Darla Zelenitsky, an assistant professor of paleontology at the University of Calgary said. Given that these herbivores are from the same rock layer as T. degrootorum, it's a good guess that they were the daily special on the carnivore's menu, Zelenitsky said. The De Groot family told the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta about the discovery, but it wasn't until Voris was going through the museum's collections that he realized it was a newfound species. After studying the nearly 3-foot-long (80 cm) skulls, Voris and his colleagues found that T. degrootorum was similar to other tyrannosaurs in southern Alberta and Montana, including Daspletosaurus, because it had a long and deep snout. "These [features] differ from tyrannosaur groups in other regions: the more lightly built relatives, like Albertosaurus, that tended to live slightly farther north in south-central Alberta, and more primitive forms with shorter, bulldog-like faces of the southern USA, including New Mexico and Utah," Zelenitsky said. It's unclear why these tyrannosaurs had such different body types and head shapes, but it could be due to differences in diet — that is, the type of prey they ate and their strategy for hunting them, Zelenitsky said. The new discovery shows that Daspletosaurus-like tyrannosaurs were diversifying in the northern part of western North America about 80 million years ago, said Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, who wasn't involved in the study. But these long- and deep-snouted tyrannosaurs appeared to stay in their neck of the woods, he said. "This seems to be a bigger theme: There were different subgroups of tyrannosaurs characteristic of certain times and places, and they did not all mix together," Brusatte said. Moreover, T. degrootorum wasn't as huge as T. Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

the fossil during daylight hours for nearly a year, so they had to move fast. The team had just four hours each day to work before the tide came in and submerged the fossil. “It had an extremely pointed snout and was probably poking its pointy schnoz into cracks and crevices in coral reefs and feeding on soft-bodied critters,” Druckenmiller said. Its specialization may have been what ultiScientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have identified mately led to its extinction. “We think these animals were highly specialized a new species of thalattosaur, a marine reptile that lived more to feed in the shallow water environments, but when the sea levels dropped and food sources changed, they had nowhere to go.” than 200 million years ago. Once the fossil was identified as a new species, it needed a name. To honor the local The new species, Gunakadeit joseeae, is the most complete thalattosaur culture and histoever found in ry, elders in Kake North America and representaand has given tives of Sealaska paleontologists Corp. agreed the new insights Tlingit name about the tha“Gunakadeit” lattosaurs’ would be approfamily tree. p r i a t e . Scientists Gunakadeit is a found the fossea monster of sil in Southeast Tlingit legend Alaska in that brings good 2 0 1 1 . fortune to those Thalattosaurs who see it. The were marine second part of the reptiles that lived more new animal’s than 200 milname, joseeae, lion years ago, recognizes Thanatotheristes degrootorum had a unique set of ridges on its upper snout. during the mid to late Triassic Researchers have only two skulls from this new species, but here is what the dinosaur Primaky’s mother, Joseé Period. They grew to lengths of may have looked like nearly 80 million years ago. (Both Images: © Julius Csotonyi) Michelle DeWaelheyns. up to 3-4 meters and lived in equatorial oceans worldwide until they died out near the end of the Triassic. Baby dinosaur skull held ‘evidence of DNA’ from 75 million “When you find a new species, one of the things you want to do is tell years ago people where you think it fits in the family tree,” said Patrick Druckenmiller, earth sciences curator at the University of Alaska Museum “Evidence of DNA” and cartilage have been pulled from the skull of a 75of the North. “We decided to start from scratch on the family tree.” million-year-old baby dinosaur found in northwest Montana, according to a Prior to the discovery of Gunakadeit joseeae, it had been two decades joint report by N.C. State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The discovery is getting international since scientists had thoroughly updated thalatattention, in part because the idea is remtosaur interrelationships, Druckenmiller said. The iniscent of the plot of the “Jurassic Park” process of re-examining a prehistoric animal’s family tree involves analyzing dozens and dozens films and book. However, the research is of detailed anatomical features from fossil specinowhere near what’s needed to clone a dinosaur, National Geographic pointed mens worldwide, then using computers to analyze out Tuesday. the information to see how the different species The evidence of DNA was found in the could be related. form of “exquisitely preserved cells with“It was so specialized and weird, we thought it in preserved calcified cartilage tissues,” might be out at the furthest branches of the tree,” the Chinese Academy of Sciences reporthe said. Instead it’s a relatively primitive type of ed. The fragments had a structure “consisthalattosaur that survived late into the existence of the group. tent with chromosomes,” the release said. “Thalattosaurs were among the first groups of Alida Bailleul of the Chinese Academy land-dwelling reptiles to readapt to life in the of Sciences said her “heart almost ocean,” Kelley said. “They thrived for tens of milstopped beating” when she saw the evilions of years, but their fossils are relatively rare dence, the release said. “They suggest DNA can preserve for so this new specimen helps fill an important gap Artist's depiction of Gunakadeit joseeae. © Artwork by tens of millions of years, and we hope that in the story of their evolution and eventual extinc- Ray Troll, copyright 2020) this study will encourage scientists worktion.” ing on ancient DNA to push current limits That the fossil was found at all is remarkable. It was located in rocks in the intertidal zone. The site is normally underwater and ... reveal all the unknown molecular secrets that ancient tissues have,” all but a few days a year. In Southeast Alaska, when extreme low tides hit, the release said. people head to the beaches to explore. That’s exactly what Jim Baichtal, a The baby dinosaur involved was a “Hypacrosaurus, a duck-billed geologist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Tongass National Forest, was doing dinosaur that lived in what is now Montana during the late Cretaceous perion May 18, 2011, when low tides of -3.7 feet were predicted. He and a few od,” according to the N.C. State press release. Mary Schweitzer, a professor colleagues, including Gene Primaky, the office’s information technology of biology at N.C. State, was part of the international team that worked on professional, headed out to the Keku Islands near the village of Kake to look the project and has been defending the study from skeptics. She says the for fossils. Primaky saw something odd on a rocky outcrop and called over researchers did tests with chemical marks on the “preserved fragments” and Baichtal, “Hey Jim! What is this?” Baichtal immediately recognized it as a the results supported “the idea that some fragmentary DNA may remain fossilized intact skeleton. He snapped a photo with his phone and sent it to within the cells,” the N.C. State release said. “We do not say that it is Druckenmiller. A month later, the tides were forecasted to be almost that dinosaur DNA, although that would be a reasonable interpretation,” said low, -3.1 feet, for two days. It was the last chance they would have to remove Schweitzer. rex, which lived about 12 million years later, but its discovery shows that tyrannosaurs "weren't all colossal hypercarnivores like T. rex, but there were many subgroups that had their own domains and their own unique body types and probably hunting styles during the very latest Cretaceous period," Brusatte said.

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Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

MPC No. 838 blister card: “Have you all (10) of them?” by Pat Schaefer

In 1962, MPC introduced a blister card, showcasing prehistoric figures; it remained in production until at least 1984. During those 22 years, MPC consistently identified it, only as, No. 838. That is not to say that the product itself was unchanged. While the MPC identifier remained static, many subtle, and, not so subtle changes occurred to the card and its contents. Having just a number is not enough to be able to track the history of a product and determine possible variants. But if one looks closely, one can see the card evolve, and use these changes to time and identify distinct versions of it. There are 7 specific types of change affecting the card. Some of these types of change were made more than once. In all, the card morphed 18 times in 22 years, resulting in 10 distinct versions of the No. 838 blister

card. “Have you all (10) of them?” Which one(s) do you have? Read on and discover. Data source aside: This analysis utilized 2 blister cards, 3 card images, and 7 catalogs. A card is the best source of information, it only lacks the year. Information from the card image varies. A large image is generally better than a small one. A small one is ok for seeing big, easy to spot, changes; a large card image can be as good as the card itself. Only catalogs unambiguously tie the product to the year. Because they are dated, catalogs also help to determine the sequential order of the changed values. The catalog gives much of the same information as the card itself, but, the catalog’s illustration is just a card image and, at that, it is usually a small one, so, that is a limitation on how much the catalog can help. Another wrinkle in the Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

story of the manufacturer’s catalog is that the pictured item may or may not have come from the production line. Sometimes pre-production items are illustrated. These can differ from production items in small ways and cannot be relied upon to determine every detail of the final product. Part I: What types of change. There are 7 types of change: 1) number of figures, 2) card’s registered copyright warning, 3) company trademark, 4) 70s safety message, 5) name of card, 6) height of card, 7) width of card. Some types of change appear to be correlated with each other. Not all types of change are employed in this analysis. The analysis has rejected changes like which figures are included, and the parade of formal corporate titles, as, those changes do not add any important detail to the card’s overall history. Part II: What are the changed values? For each type of change, this analysis reports the original value, how many times it changed, and lists the changed value(s). The number of figures: original value: 12; changed three times; changed value(s): 5, 8, 10. The card’s registered copyright warning: original value : no © warning; changed three times; changed value(s): ©1964, ©1970, no © warning. Note that, for this change, one value has been used twice. The company trademark: original value: “M Stamp”; changed four times; changed value(s): “M to the MP”, “M Double Dot”, “M Left”, “Miner” (see pictures to match nickname with trademark). The product safety message: original values: “Pre-70” (same as “None”); changed twice; changed value(s): 3, age restrictions (“Not recommended for children under N years of age”); 5, age grading (“For ages N ...”). The numeric age has been merged with the message’s format as “For 5”, and “Not 3”. The utility of this consolidation is that on smaller card images it is easier to determine the format of the message than to read the age number in the ad copy. The name of the card: original value: Monstrous Mammals; changed four times; changed value(s): Prehistoric Monster Mammals, Prehistoric Monster replicas, Prehistoric Monsters, Prehistoric Monsters Mammals. Comment: The card’s name or its ad copy 57

format can change to accommodate changes in card size. The height of the card: original value: 15”; changed once; changed value(s): 13.5”. The width of the card: original value: 10”; changed once; changed value(s): 8.5”. Part III: How the changed values aggregate to form distinct versions. When all of the changed values have been compiled, one can distinguish 10 unique collections, 10 different versions of MPC No. 838. These 10 versions can be classified as major or minor. The change in the number of figures alone is not enough to create a robust taxonomy. But if one combines the number of figures with the © warning, then it creates a classification with 6 major versions (Version 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). That leaves 7 minor versions that differ, as above, but, also by, smaller changes in the card’s ad copy (2A, 2B, 2C, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B). Lumper or splitter, you choose. For the purposes of developing a card chronology, splitting is best. MPC No. 838 Version 1: Changed values: Figures: 12, Registered Copyright Warning: No © warning, Company Trademark: “M Stamp”, 70s Safety Message: Pre-70, Name: Monstrous Mammals, Height: 15”, Width: 10”; Data Source: blister card, and 1962 MPC catalog. MPC No. 838 Version 2A: Changed values: Figures: 12, Registered Copyright Warning: ©1964, Company Trademark: “M Stamp”, 70s Safety Message: Pre-70, Name: Prehistoric Monster Mammals, Height: 15”, Width: 10”, Data Source: card image. MPC No. 838 Version 2B: Changed values: Figures: 12, Registered Copyright Warning: ©1964, Company Trademark: “M to the MP”, 70s Safety Message: Pre-70, Name: Prehistoric Monsters Mammals, Height: 15”, Width: 10”, Data Source: blister card. MPC No. 838 Version 2C: Changed values: Figures: 12, Registered Copyright Warning: ©1964, Company Trademark: “M Double Dot”, 70s Safety Message: Pre-70, Name: Prehistoric Monsters Mammals, Height: 15”, Width: 10”; Data Source: 3 card images, and 1967 catalog. MPC No. 838 Version 3: Changed values: Figures: 12, Registered Copyright Warning: ©1970, Company Trademark: “M Left”, 70s Safety Message: “None”, Name: Prehistoric Monsters, Height: 15”, Width: 10”; Data Source: 2 card images, and 1970 MPC catalog. MPC No. 838 Version 4: Changed values: Figures: 10, Registered Copyright Warning: ©1970, Company Trademark: “M Left”, 70s Safety Message: “For 5” , Name: Prehistoric Monsters, Height: 15”, Width: 10”, Data Source: 1972 MPC catalog. Not showing catalog illustration here but it is a 10 figure blister card. MPC No. 838 Version 5A: Changed values: Figures: 8, Registered Copyright Warning: ©1970 , Company Trademark: “M Left”, 70s Safety 58

Message: “For 5” , Name: Prehistoric Monsters, Height: 13.5”, Width: 10”, Data Source: 1973 MPC catalog. Not showing catalog illustration here but it is an 8 figure blister card with a “For 5” ,70s Safety Message. MPC No. 838 Version 5B: Changed values: Figures: 8, Registered Copyright Warning: ©1970, Company Trademark: “M Left”, 70s Safety Message: “Not 3” , Name: Prehistoric Monsters, Height: 13.5”, Width: 10”, Data Source: 1973 MPC catalog. Not showing catalog illustration here but is an 8 figure blister card with a “Not 3”, 70s Safety Message. MPC No. 838 Version 6A: Changed values: Figures: 5, Registered Copyright Warning: No © warning, Company Trademark: “M Left”, 70s Safety Message: “Not 3”, Name: Prehistoric Monster replicas, Height: 13.5”, Width: 8.5”, Data Source: 1981 MPC catalog. Not showing catalog illustration here but except for trademark, similar to image of Version 6B. MPC No. 838 Version 6B: Changed values: Figures: 5, Registered Copyright Warning: No © warning, Company Trademark: “Miner”, 70s Safety Message: “Not 3”, Name: Prehistoric Monster replicas, Height: 13.5”, Width: 8.5”, Data Source: 1984 MPC catalog. Part IV: What is the chronological order of the changes. The changed values as seen in catalogs have been tabulated (in this table, the values are left justified with yellow shading). This listing, the “MPC No. 838 Catalog” chart, puts the changes in chronologic order. Catalog comments: The 1962 catalog info is from Jim McGough’s article in Playset Magazine #85. The 1967 catalog is cover only for current trademark. The 1970, 1972, 1973 catalogs use pre-production cards (no bubble, and/or no figure description ad copy), this limits their usefulness. The 1981, 1984 catalogs use production cards. Part V: What is the sequential order of the changes. A catalog chart can also be used to determine the sequential order of the changes. However, 8 of the changed values are not found in these MPC catalogs. There are 3 missing © warnings including initial value, 2 missing card names, 1 missing trademark value, and initial values for height and width. So, the analysis will need outside help to fully determine the sequence of change. These missing values might be found in the card data. Cards do not generally have dates, the exception being cards with a © warning. Three cards have been selected and included (in the chart, the values are left justified with green shading), the chart renamed to indicate the additions. The first card matches the 1962 catalog and determines the initial height, width, and © warning, which is not seen in the magazine photos and cannot be interpolated. The next 2 cards work together. Both have a ©1964 date which places them between the 1962 and 1967 catalog entries. The catalog order Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

of the trademarks positions one before the other. The second card’s trademark matches that in the 1962 catalog and this puts it before the third. These additions leave us with only 1 missing value: ©1970. The number of figures. The sequential order of changes: 12, 10, 8, 5. No missing values, all data found in the catalogs. The number of figures dropped with a rise in the average price of oil in the 70s. The price rise drove production costs up, and MPC responded by reducing the number of figures (see oil price charts in PT #126 & #131). The card’s registered copyright warning. Missing value(s): initial value, ©1964, ©1970. This change includes a date, and a problem. The date seems to offer help with ordering the changes, but as this date grows stale, it can be misleading. Copyright registration dates are fixed at the time of first issuance, and thus, confirm an earliest possible date. But, in time, this initial value gets repeated on the cards printed and sold at later dates. To avoid this shortcoming, one places the card in the year of the copyright date, and, then, if necessary, slides the card down until it is consistent with the order of all the other changes. With the help of the added cards, the complete sequential order of changes: no © warning, ©1964, ©1970, no © warning. The company trademark. Missing value(s): “M to the MP”. With the help of the added cards, the complete sequential order of changes: “M Stamp”, “M to the MP”, “M Double Dot”, “M Left”, “Miner”. The 70s product safety message. Sequential order of changes: “Pre-70” (same as “None”), “For 5”, “Not 3”. No missing values, all data found in the catalogs. We believe this follows the evolution of product safety laws and regulations. Too much to tell here but product safety laws began to pick up steam and teeth in late 60s or early 70s. Small children choking on swallowed objects was one of the earliest targets. As near as we can tell the messages started as suggestions with age grading (“For ages 5 ...”) but immediately gave way to more strongly worded formulations, age restrictions (“Not recommended for ages 3 ...”). The name of the card. Missing value(s): Prehistoric Monster Mammals, Prehistoric Monsters Mammals. With the help of the added cards, the complete sequential order of changes: Monstrous Mammals, Prehistoric Monster Mammals, Prehistoric Monsters Mammals, Prehistoric Monsters, Prehistoric Monster replicas. The height of the card. Missing value(s): initial value. With the help of the added cards, the complete sequential order Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

of changes: 15”, 13.5”. The height of the card changed in the 70s as the price of oil rose. As the average price of oil goes up, the number of figures goes down, the card’s size is reduced. When the card went from 10 to 8 figures, MPC adjusted the height. The width of the card. Missing value(s): initial value. With the help of the added cards, the complete sequential order of changes: 10”, 8.5”. The width of the card changed as the price of oil continued to rise. As the average price of oil goes up, the number of figures goes down, the card’s width shrinks. When the card went from 8 to 5 figures, MPC adjusted the width. Part VI: A Timetable for versions of MPC No. 838 blister card. A simplified Timetable recipe: 1) construct a framework for the Timetable, that is, a table of types of change by year, in which to enter the changed values; 2) add CATALOG data for changed values in chronological order, using catalog year; 3) add CARD data for changed values in sequential order, matching the sequence of changes as seen in the catalogs; 4) if a card matches a catalog entry, merge catalog and card data; 5) interpolate changed values for years with no data. For those years with no data, probable values are interpolated following a set of rules, deviating only when outside data informs us otherwise (in the chart, the interpolated value is right justified, with no shading). The interpolation scheme assumes there is a value, and, it is either the same as the one before or the one after; then, splits the difference in years between those two values. Outside data utilized in the Timetable. Catalog data supports the sequential order of the “70s Safety warning” values but available data places “For 5” in 1972 and “Not 3” in 1981. To assist in bridging the gap we will rely on the interpretation of the MPC No. 874 blister card (see PT #131). This interpretation fixes the “For 5”, “Not 3” transition in 1973 and 1974. These keystone values are right justified (interpolated) but with orange shading (indicating a MPC No. 874 card source). The interpretation of the No. 874 blister card also fixes 1976 as rock bottom for figure count reduction. Alternate Timetables aside: While the changed values are, to the best of our knowledge, in sequential order, the timetable process does not result in a unique chronology. Indeed, there are 14 years with missing data and interpolated values, new data for any one of those years could either validate our guesses or require us to shift the timetable values. So that is the history of the MPC No. 838 blister card, as we now know it. Which one(s) do you have? Do you have others? I invite you all to keep digging, who knows what treasures we shall find. What history is yet to be (re)written? 59

Dinosauriana Imagined 10 The French Collection Part I: Starlux Redux by Robert Telleria [email protected] Full set of Starlux minus Hominids

Expanding the already prolific “La Prehistoire” set which included over 80 dinosaurs and prehistoric animals plus a set of hominids at first may seem futile. After all, what creatures didn’t the famous French toy company make? Released over a period of about 20 years through the 1980s, Starlux still managed to overlook some obvious choices (Dunkleosteus, Smilodon, Brachiosaurus) which were featured in nearly every popular book at the time. Most of everyone's favorites were present - bonehead Pachycephalosaurus, armored Acanthopholis, Polacanthus, Scelidosaurus, Scolosaurus. Yes, there was no official Ankylosaurus, the usual and largest choice, but their Euoplocephalus was close enough in size and look. In the early 1970s Kentrosaurus was that “other” stegosaur My dinos/birds/pterosaurs which really didn't have a figure from any manufacturer for many years, so I added a similar genus (the French Lexovisaurus – before shoulder spikes were in fashion). Starlux ceratopsians include Protoceratops, Psittacosaurus, Monoclonius, Styracosaurus, and Triceratops. This was a period before Pachyrhinosaurus and Torosaurus were popular alternatives, so to balance two centrosaurines I chose a chasmosaurine Pentaceratops. Sauropods include Dicraeosaurus, Diplodocus and Brontosaurus which I always thought was intended to be Brachiosaurus due to its posture and head sculpting. So the first version of Diplodocus (before Starlux decided to copy the pose of an Invicta Diplodocus) substitutes in my mind and my collection for Brontosaurus. My “proper” Brontosaurus could also pass as Camarasaurus. Mamenchisaurus I modified from a Scientific Toy Brachiosaurus by bulking up legs and feet and shaving its head crest. I added a bipedal prosauropod which should have made the cut at some point due to its common inclusion in toys and many kids' books – Plateosaurus. I was tempted to paint it the ridiculous pink scheme Megalosaurus got. If I 60

do another, Saltasaurus (Titanosaure?) is on deck. Ornithopods include Anatosaurus, Corythosaurus, Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus, and the first Ouranosaurus and Shantungosaurus in toy form. Camptosaurus is often neglected but ever present in the dino books of the day. Hypsilophodon on a tree branch, as it was popularly (and erroneously) depicted into the 1980s particularly by British artists, may have been an idea Starlux tossed around. Lastly, there's the array of theropods. From the small Coelophysis, Deinonychus, and Struthiomimus, to Megalosaurus, Allosaurus, Spinosaurus (a first by any company), and of course, Tyrannosaurus. I did not want to repeat the shape of a tyrannosaur (Gorgosaurus) so I looked at other well-known theropods of the late 1960s. I chose Ceratosaurus after nearly going with Teratosaurus (remember how many 1960s/70s books still showed this genus as a theropod?) Aurora made smaller theropod Compsognathus as an accessory dino (based on art in Dinosaurs and More Dinosaurs) as well as Archaeopteryx (then considered an early bird). My Compy and Arch are nearly the same dimensions; the latter is actually a sculpt I began for the Marolin set but it also fits in with Starlux. Because of its presence in so many kids books, rather unspectacular grebe-like Cretaceous bird Hesperornis was done; the only other Starlux Prehistoire true avians are Phororhacus and Diatryma.

Other Prehistoriques One aspect that made Starlux so interesting to follow were their regular additions of Triassic dinosauriforms like Euparkeria, Ornithosuchus, Saltoposuchus, Protosuchus, and Tanystropheus. An aetosaur was in order I chose Stagonolepis over the spikier Desmatosuchus, only because the former was better known for the time. Beating out Kronosaurus, pliosaur Brachauchenius joins the usual marine reptile troupe of Tylosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Nothosaurus and Ichthyosaurus. Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

Phobosuchus nearly made the cut but I don't think it would have been so different than Starlux's crocodile so I passed on it. However, paddle-limbed crocodyliform Geosaurus and the croc-like “Phytosaure” (likely Mystriosuchus) made up for its absence of a giant croc. Sarcosuchus would have been a good choice but the genus was as yet undiscovered in the Starlux golden age. Adding to the giant chelonian Archelon is My fish Proganochelys, which was also available as a yellow Schleich miniature in 1979. I don't know if Starlux would have added a “Draco flying lizard” due to very delicate parts but I made the winglike scales one piece on my Longisquama. For its unique wing structure I chose this over the Draco like Icarosaurus or Kuehnosaurus (although one was available as an Aurora accessory). In the world of Permian fauna, pelycosaurs Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus were joined by the absurdly proportioned caseid Cotylorhynchus. Pareiasaurs Bradysaurus and Scutosaurus are present, but a dinocephalian, Moschops, in the Ajax/Marx tradition, begged to be done. I couldn't resist doing Estemmenosuchus for its monstrous crown. The lone dicynodont Endothiodon is sculpted generically so I added the more obvious Lystrosaurus although Placerias nearly made the cut. The diverse cynodonts are solely represented by Cynognathus but absent was any gorgonopsid so I added Lycaenops. Placodonts are solely represented by Placochelys (filling in for Placodus) but the turtle-like Henodus should have been included! Pterosaurs Pteranodon, Pterodactylus, Rhamphorhynchus were joined by Dimorphodon and then-recently found Quetzalcoatlus which I made larger than the others. The Starlux range is praised for its attention to Paleogene mammals. With Gigantocamelus and Alticamelus, the two most prominently featured extinct camels in the 1970s, I knew no more of these artiodactyls (or any like Megaloceros, Synthetoceras or Aurochs) were required. For perissodactyls there was room for expansion, except in rhinos and kin, where Starlux covered the bases: Uintatherium, Brontotherium, Woolly Rhinoceros, plus Arsinoitherium, related closer to elephants than rhinos, was for many years the only figure of this strange creature available. The largest land mammal ever, Baluchitherium, arguably could have been a larger and nicer sculpt. Eohippus (Hyracotherium) is the lone prehistoric horse for other genera may not be too distinguishable from modern equids. Related was Palaeotherium, which, as with the Starlux figure, was long thought to be tapir like. Although I didn't make one, knuckle-walking Chalicotherium represents a most unusual group of extinct perissodactyls, that Starlux only hinted at with Moropus. There are plenty of proboscideans – from the primitive Moeritherium, to the large Mastodonte, Deinotherium, Platybelodon, and of course, two different Woolly Mammoths. So what else was there to do except an Imperial Mammoth, which I modified from a Prehistoire Woolly Mammoth version 1, where you can bend the tusks to a curl. Bear dog Amphicyon didn't make the cut as it would have looked too similar to Andrewsarchus. So kids could have their very own killer wart hogs, I added an “Entelodonte”(Dinohyus or Archaeotherium, you decide!) The best known fossil cat, Smilodon, joins Machairodus and Panthera spelasa in representing felids. Distinctive Thylacosmilus is the other saber cat I made. Since the Starlux Cave Bear is on all fours, I made short faced bear Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

Arctodus upright, modified from their sole giant sloth Megatherium. A Starlux “Zoo” Kangaroo was modified into prehistoric Australia’s Procoptodon. Spiky tailed Doedicurus was added to join Glyptodon. Basilosaurus represents the best known prehistoric cetacean known in the 70s and the only cetacean in the set. In the 70s and 80s nobody made a figure of Basilosaurus except the large one by Jonas Studio. Ambulocetus and Pakicetus would have been great fun to make but these primitive “walking whales” were described too late. In the world of hominins, I knew I should add a more primitive ancestor to the existing “Java Man” (Homo erectus/Pithecanthropus), Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons. Lucy the Australopithecus was discovered in 1974. In true French style, I made the toy anatomically correct with breasts and bare buttocks. Originally I had her posed to carry a young baby but thought depicting her pregnant may be more original since one of Starlux's Neanderthal females has a baby. She is carrying a bone “tool” a la 2001: A Space Odyssey which was released the year Starlux Prehistoire debuted. Orangutan-colored Dryopithecus from the Miocene began life as Gigantopithecus; a genus lesser understood. For amphibians, we have Mastodonsaurus My non-dino reptiles and a pair of Diplocaulus. Starlux never did Eryops officially but the Labyrinthodont is likely that genus. I felt the salamander-like Eogyrinus would have been a good choice if done in the 1980s, a good decade ahead of Play Visions' version. I couldn't think of anything to make related to transitional tetrapods Eusthenopteron and Ichthyostega. I considered adding Carboniferous invertebrates (Meganeura, Arthropleura) but decided against them as no others are in the existing line save for a trilobite in nodule fossil, Devonian armored fish Cephalaspis and Drepanaspis are joined by Climatius and Dinichthys. Doing the array of bizarre fossil sharks (Helicoprion, Stethacanthus, etc.) would have been welcome, and later companies like Cadbury, Safari and Diramix saw their appeal, but I stayed conservative and made a tiny Coelacanth to round out the assortment. Prior to this I always subbed out the 1977 Life-Like Hobby “World of …“ accessory animals Lycaenops, Hypsilophodon, Henodus – all uncannily omitted from the Starlux line-up. This is probably a first in print or for the Internet: the primary source for Starlux designers for prehistoric reptiles after 1975 was Giovanni Caselli's artwork. My mammals Many animals I selected were not in the book(s) but were common in other popular titles of the era. You can trace the pink Megalosaurus and plateosaurs back to Caselli. Had Starlux not already released Stegosaurus, it may have been the first toy of that genus with flat plates. DISCLAIMER: The models in this article are not intended to misrepresent or confuse the public about the products offered by the respective companies. These models were sculpted by the author, for non-commercial purposes, and are purely for speculative fan entertainment. Models are copyright Cloaca Productions/Epoch Scale Models. Photos of existing sets from Dinosauriana: The Essential Guide to Figural, Toy and Model Dinosaurs.

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Fig. 5

Cowboys and Dinosaurs By David Bengel The Valley of Gwangi (1969); is it a western? Is it a melodrama? Is it a dino flick? Why yes - it's all of the above! The stop motion effects by Ray Harryhausen are always a treat and they Fig. 2 Fig. 1

all the major parts for strength. (fig. 1) I filled and blended the seams with Aves Apoxie Sculpt. Before it cured, I replicated the skin texture on the model by pushing some small brass tubes into the Apoxie which was a good match to the existing skin. (fig. 2, 3) After a coat of gray primer I airbrushed black into Fig. 3

hold up very well. But the big question is, what color is Gwangi? He changes color throughout the film. He could be green, blue, purple, grayish, reddish, and a few variations that change from shot to shot. I found a couple of articles online which explained that this was due to budgetary issues as they were not able to do a lot of the color testing that was needed for the process photography.

Fig. 4

Fig. 8

open mouth Gwangi

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I've always seen him as blue, so I went with that. This is a resin kit sculpted by Joe Laudati who has a great knack for absolutely nailing the look and feel of Harryhausen's creatures. The kit stands 8" tall and is about 14" long. It also has two head options, mouth opened or closed. As with all resin kits, parts were washed and thick super-glue was used for assembly. I filled a few pinholes with acrylic modeling paste. Paints are primarily Vallejo Model Color. I drilled matching holes, glued and inserted pins in

the shadows and white onto the highlights. This is a preshading technique that is applied before the color coats. (fig. 4) The blue color was slowly built up with the airbrush as to not obscure the shading. I followed that with a lighter blue gray on the highlights. (fig. 5) I used a premade dark gray acrylic wash, made by Vallejo, to accentuate the scales and followed that with a round of light gray drybrushing to give it some depth and interest. (fig. 6) After detailing the mouth Fig. 6 and eyes, I finished it off by applying dark gray chalk pastels to the deepest folds. (fig. 7) The base was simply done with craft acrylics and a brown wash with some drybrushing. (fig. 8)

Prehistoric Times No.133 Spring 2020

Finished model

Fig. 7

The Gwangi T. rex kit is currently available from http://www.joelaudati.com Price is $125.00 plus $16.00 USPS shipping (overseas rates apply). Pay via check, money order to: Joe Laudati, 5 Southside Ave #8C, New Paltz, NY 12561 Inquiries or PayPal orders: [email protected]