The study of theropod dinosaurs, the name of the sub-order Dinosauria, which includes a lot of meat eaters in the news lately. There were a series of exciting discoveries and new discoveries and a new series of carnivorous dinosaurs have been named and described. A new superstar is without doubt one of the theropod Giganotosaurus (Caroline Giganotosaurus), why? The answer is simple, most paleontologists consider this large carnivore from Argentina to be the largestmeat-eating dinosaur known to science. For over a Century, T. rex was heralded as the biggest, there is some evidence to suggest that Tyrannosaurus rex may reclaim its title, but for the moment it is "Giant Southern Lizard", as that is what Giganotosaurus means; that holds sway.
In recognition of the new popularity and fame of Giganotosaurus, a number of model manufacturers have produced scale models of it. First, there was Safari and their graceful and delicate looking model launched a couple of years ago. Bullyland followed last year with a scale model of Giganotosaurus as part of their famous Museum Line range, this animal had an articulated jaw and a bright red head. Now Schleich of Germany have got in on the act and produced their own scale model of Giganotosaurus, the only addition this year to their highly acclaimed Saurus Replica series.
Getting to Grips with Giganotosaurus
Discovered back in 1993, Giganotosaurus has had a remarkable rise in the dinosaur popularity stakes, although T. rex remains the most popular dinosaur in the world, in our own customer surveys, Giganotosaurus is gaining bit by bit, year on year. This is not bad, especially when you consider that this dinosaur was only formerly named and described fifteen years ago. The fossils of Giganotosaurus were found in Patagonia (Neuquen Province), Argentina, unlike most Theropod genera (Carcharodontosaurus, Deltadromeus and Megalosaurus for example), Giganotosaurus is known from an almost complete skeleton. Two specimens were found, in close proximity to each other, the first discovery turned out to be an animal with nearly three-quarters of its skeleton preserved. Nearby, the jawbone of an even larger specimen of Giganotosaurus was found. Although it is difficult to provide an accurate assessment of the size and scale of this member of the Allosauroidea clade, especially since in the fossil specimens a lot of the tail bones are missing, scientists have estimated this animal to be over 14 metres long. This makes it fractionally bigger than the largest Tyrannosaurus specimen known - "Sue" which is on display at the Field Museum of Chicago. Giganotosaurus weighed between 4-8 Tonnes and its skull was bigger than any excavated Tyrannnosaur material. It has been suggested that this dinosaur specialised as a hunter of the large, herbivorous Titanosaurs that shared its mid Cretaceous environment. An analysis of the ratio between the upper and lower leg bones suggests that Giganotosaurus was not a fast runner. However, it would not need speed to catch up with the big Titanosaurus, just the ability to tackle animals that could weigh as much as 100 Tonnes and the new Schleich model depicts an animal more than capable of this.
The new Giganotosaurus Model from Schleich
The Schleich Giganotosaurus (product code 16464) stands an impressive 20 cm tall (measured head height) and is approximately 36 cm long. It is interesting to note that in the new 2010 collectors handbook and catalogue from this German manufacturer there are no measurements given for the actual models. However, we always like to measure them ourselves and publish the scale information online. Based on the scientific papers published on Giganotosaurus we have estimated this model to be based on a 1:20 scale, putting it into the same scale range as the other big Theropods in the Schleich range, namely T. rex, Spinosaurus and Allosaurus. Interestingly, in the promotional photographs we were sent, the Giganotosaurus is depicted in combat with the Schleich Spinosaurus. Although these two large meat-eaters did exist in the same geological time period (Albian faunal stage of the mid- Cretaceous), they lived in different parts of the world and it is relatively safe to assume that a Spinosaurus never met a Giganotosaurus. The head of the model is turned into the body to some extent and the tail is bent back a little, this provides a degree of animation to the otherwise static model and makes it more stable in its bipedal stance. We had reservations as to how stable such a big model would be when it was in the prototype stage, but the subtle adjustment of the head and tail position has maintained the centre of balance over the hips, eliminating any problems about getting the model to stand up.
Exquisite Detail especially the Head
The Schleich Giganotosaurus is coloured light brown with some random tan spots running along the flank. There are spines along the entire body of the animal from the tip of the snout, along the head, down the neck and back and to the very end of the tail. We are not certain whether Giganotosaurus possessed such spines but the effect is most certainly very imposing. The rear legs are massive and very heavily muscled, an accurate assessment of the anatomy of this dinosaur, reflecting the scientific work on the body proportions. The tail is very deep-set and looks extremely powerful. This model has the thickest tail of any meat-eating dinosaur in the Schleich Saurus range. The tail is nearly twice as thick where it joins the body compared to the scale model of Tyrannosaurus.
Like most of the Theropod models in the Schleich range the head is shown with the mouth open (the exception to this is the Schleich Allosaurus model). To show a dinosaur with its mouth open is a common feature of most dinosaur models. This gives the design team the chance to show details of the mouth, the teeth and the tongue for example. The open mouth gives the impression of movement, as if the animal is roaring. In reality, it is very unlikely that dinosaurs walked around with their mouths open most of the time. A study of extant predators today such as lions and tigers suggest that dinosaurs would not have moved around with their jaws agape. Still, this small point aside, it has to be said that the head of the Giganotosaurus model is finished in exquisite detail, The teeth are well made and to scale and the anatomical features of the skull and jaws accurately portrayed. The eye is black and has a dull, lifeless quality that gives this model the appearance of a ruthless killer, which is certain to make this particular Giganotosaurus model a real favourite amongst dinosaur fans and model collectors.
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