The Carnegie Safari Dinosaur Model - Giganotosaurus
When it comes to models of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, the American based company Safari has a deserved reputation for making realistic dinosaur replicas and other models of animals from pre-history. They have been making models for more than twenty years now and it is such a pleasure to see Safari introducing new replicas of dinosaurs, not just animals such as Tyrannosaurus rex but more unusual, but equally spectacular creatures such as the Giganotosaurus model.
Each replica in the Carnegie Dinosaur Collectibles range, a range that surprisingly, despite its name includes other prehistoric creatures as well, is to scale and they are sculpted under the guidance of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. Before a dinosaur model is put into full production it has to be authenticated by the palaeontologists at the museum. Having worked with a number of institutions developing dinosaur models and other merchandise we know what a rigorous process this can be. The end result is a collection of highly detailed prehistoric animals and the Giganotosaurus model is no exception.
Giant Southern Lizard - Giganotosaurus
Giant Southern Lizard, for that is what the name Giganotosaurus means, is coloured a pale blue, greyish colour with darker banding along the back and partially along the flanks. This colouration contrasts markedly with the other large Theropod models in the range such as the Tyrannosaurs. Clearly care has been taken to ensure that this model looks very different from the scale models of T. rex within the Carnegie Dinosaur Collectibles range. The animal is posed in an aggressive posture with jaws wide open as if this particular Giganotosaurus is roaring. Nice detail is revealed in the open mouth, with well painted teeth and fine detail in the palate. The teeth are of different sizes, in recognition of this dinosaur's ability to shed teeth and replace them throughout its life. These features, in combination with the superb paint job on the face, eye crests and the top of skull make the Giganotosaurus model really stand out. At just over 28 cm long and standing 15 cm tall this is a substantial replica and surprisingly, it is very stable on its two small feet. The tail is not used as a third point of contact with the ground to help balance the model, instead it is held out behind the animal in a more natural pose.
A Question of Scale
It is a relief to note that Carnegie Safari have resisted the urge to make this an outsized model. After all, they are trying to depict one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs known in the fossil record. A member of the Allosauridae that may have measured over 46 feet long and weighed 8,000 kilos or more. The scale chosen is 1:50, permitting the model makers to produce a reasonably sized dinosaur model that is light enough to be carried by a small child. The Giganotosaurus model at the 1:50 scale has been produced in the same scale as the Safari Tyrannosaurus rex model, this permits collectors to exhibit these models together allowing observers to see the differences between these two top predators. The Tyrannosaurus rex and Giganotosaurus models make a fine display when placed adjacent to each other.
Getting the Hands Right
One of the problems encountered by model makers when tackling large Theropod dinosaurs is how to get the fore-limbs and hands (manus) looking right. In Giganotosaurus the arms are much reduced and the three-fingered hands (digits 1, 2 and 3 anatomically), could not reach the mouth. When creating a model these arms and hands can look ungainly and out of proportion but the designers at Carnegie Safari have avoided this keeping the arms slung low under the body but angled forward in a grasping form of pronation. This is an accurate depiction if the re-constructed skeletons in the museums are anything to go by.
Sticking our Necks out About the Neck
The tall but narrow skull is well-detailed and contrasts with the box-like skull of the T. rex model. Interestingly, although the skull was much lighter than an equivalent sized Tyrannosaur, my only slight complaint is that the neck does not look muscular enough to carry the large head on the model. Allosaurs (Giganotosaurus is a member of the Allosauridae), have strong "S" shaped necks and I can imagine the neck being quite powerful to help drive the jaws into the flesh of this dinosaur's prey. A strong neck would also have resisted the forces applied to the skull as a wounded animal struggled as well as helping Giganotosaurus feed by being strong enough to help tear pieces of meat from the carcass of any dead animal.
This one small criticism aside, the Giganotosaurus model from Safari is a welcome inclusion into their Carnegie Dinosaur Collectibles range and would make a worthwhile addition to the collection of any dinosaur model enthusiast.
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