Earlier than I start the evaluation, I wish to thank very long time member and pal of the weblog, Dan of Dan’s Dinosaurs, for supplying this determine for evaluation. You should purchase this Tyrannosaurus and all Eofauna fashions on his website, here.
Lastly! The wait is over! For these within the know, the Eofauna Tyrannosaurus has been a very long time coming, with talks of its manufacturing starting over two years in the past! We’ve all been affected person with Eofauna, a small-scale firm that prioritizes high quality over amount. Eofauna figures are few and much between however each one in every of their wares has been a meticulously researched and well-made masterpiece. And now right here we’re, the determine has been made and is discovering its place on collector’s cabinets all over the world, so let’s take a better look and see if this Tyrannosaurus was definitely worth the wait.
Eofauna advertises this mannequin as being Tyrannosaurus rex/imperator. That is due to a 2022 paper by Gregory S. Paul and colleagues that declare Tyrannosaurus rex truly represents three species, T. rex, T. imperator, and T. regina with Sue being the holotype for T. imperator. This research hasn’t been properly met by different Tyrannosaurus consultants and seems to have been largely forgotten. Regardless of the case, the Eofauna Tyrannosaurus is straight primarily based on Sue (FMNH PR 2081) and is marketed as such.
The Eofauna Sue measures 13” (33.02 cm) lengthy and stands 4.5” (11.43 cm) tall on the hips. The precise Sue measures about 40.5’ (12.34 meters) lengthy and stands 13’ (3.96 meters) tall on the hips. This places the determine within the 1/35 scale vary that it’s marketed in.
Sue is introduced in a striding posture together with her left foot behind the correct and pushing off the bottom. The tail sways gently rightwards after which left. The top is barely lifted and looking out rightward. General, the determine reveals glorious fluidity of motion and has an alert and assured countenance. She appears nice from each angle, as I believe the photographs will reveal!
Sue comes with a base and may be hooked up and unattached due to pegs that match into every foot. The pegs are plastic with metallic interiors that ought to stop them from warping or breaking off. My copy had some problem initially attaching to its base however as soon as hooked up I used to be in a position to take away and reattach it simply. Sue stands decently with out the bottom, however I wouldn’t show her with out it for a chronic interval. The bottom is modeled to seem like a dry forest ground, with a community of roots sprawling throughout it and bigger branches scattered about. It’s brown with a darker brown wash that brings out the finer particulars.
Sue comes with an articulated mouth, however it’s not like the articulated mouths you’re used to with different dinosaur figures. In most figures the jaw articulation is on the skin of the determine however right here it’s on the within. The jaw is articulated in such a means that when opened a portion of it slides down into the neck. It’s a novel method to articulate the jaw but it surely creates some ugly seams the place the decrease jaw inserts into the neck and skull. The seam working alongside the again of the top is considerably ugly too. It appears like a ventriloquist’s dummy, and that’s not a praise. That mentioned, having it in hand for over every week now, I’ve gotten over it, it’s not as visually off placing in particular person because it seems in footage, and the black paint helps conceal the seams. That is additionally the one actual adverse criticism I’ve about this determine.
A number of criticism has been lauded over the top typically, which deviates significantly from the Jurassic Park impressed T. rex reconstructions we’ve been seeing for over 30 years now. And sure, even fashions by PNSO and Rebor take cues from that design, whether or not you need to admit it or not. Eofauna does one thing completely different right here. The top is extra fleshed out than most reconstructions, with no seen fenestra and a chubby cheeked and virtually cute look, created by the musculature positioned over the jugal area. There’s completely no shrink wrapping right here!
The determine possesses lips however what’s extra notable is that the enamel are embedded deep throughout the gum tissue. This has led to complaints in regards to the enamel being too small, however they actually aren’t. Over on the weblog I in contrast this determine to the extant crocodile monitor which has absurdly massive enamel that in life can barely be seen. In actual fact, this determine seems to take lots of inspiration from monitor lizards which is sensible to me, since they’re additionally massive terrestrial reptilian predators.
Maybe greater than every other firm, Eofauna strives for realism of their figures. They aren’t making an attempt to enchantment to youngsters or the awesome-bro crowd, they’re making an attempt to reconstruct prehistoric animals in a biologically believable means. They haven’t any want for monstrous elaborations like uncovered enamel or offended forehead ridges. For that purpose, I believe lots of collectors are a bit greatly surprised by this determine. It’s simply not the traditional Tyrannosaurus they’re used to. However with so many just about equivalent Tyrannosaurus figures on the market I believe this one is a breath of contemporary air.
Previous the top that is principally the identical chunky tyrant everyone knows and love, and fantastically rendered too. Every little thing in regards to the determine is appropriately sturdy and stocky, besides maybe the arms that are as pitifully small as they must be. The neck is deep and thick, the torso is rotund, the thighs are thick, the legs and tail are muscular, and the toes are amply padded to help the burden of the heaviest biped the world has ever seen.
Taking a better take a look at positive particulars we see that the nostrils are positioned proper on the tip of the snout with a big portion of the nasal opening hid inside flesh, not like most reconstructions that simply depart the whole naris open and uncovered. Labial scales are sculpted alongside the lips and enormous scales are current throughout the snout however elsewhere on the top and physique the scales are small and pebbly, in line with Tyrannosaurus pores and skin impressions. A shallow crest runs over the nasal bone and though forehead ridges are current, they aren’t grossly exaggerated. Contained in the mouth we see a sculpted tongue and open nasal passages on the roof of the mouth.
Though it’s onerous to discern there’s a patch of positive feathers alongside the neck and again. Wrinkled folds of pores and skin are sculpted throughout the determine and most noticeable on the nape and underside of the neck, decrease torso, and alongside leg joints. These conform properly with the motion conveyed by the mannequin. Chicken-like tarsal scutes run alongside the toes. All bodily orifices are accounted for.
Now onto one other challenge of controversy amongst collectors, the paintjob. The determine is painted black over the face and black with grey bands alongside the again, which then transitions to a black chain-like sample over a yellow torso. The underside is a strong uninteresting yellow and the legs and arms are black. The chain sample transitions to a striped sample on the tail. I might have most popular it if the chain sample continued down the tail however that’s my solely criticism in regards to the paintjob.
Though some have claimed that the paint job is simply too busy or unrealistic I discover it to be fairly hanging and plausible too. As soon as once more, Eofauna seems to have taken inspiration from varanids, and this coloration palette brings the Nile monitor to thoughts particularly. Occupied with what the Hell Creek formation was like on the time of Tyrannosaurus, with a damp subtropical local weather consisting of swamps, forests, and floodplains, I believe these colours and a damaged sample would swimsuit Tyrannosaurus properly. Attempt to think about the Eofauna T. rex within the Florida Everglades, hanging out in a swampy, densely planted forest, with dappled daylight towards its pores and skin, and these coloration selections grow to be way more real looking than merely brown on brown.
For finer particulars we get an orange strip highlighting the nasal crest and grey forehead ridges. The eyes are orange with black pupils and though they’re virtually completely aligned on my copy, I’ve seen others the place they aren’t. The within of the mouth is shiny pink with a smattering of black speckles representing “hyperpigmentation”. It’s an odd alternative however I believe it’s neat. The enamel are white, however the paint software isn’t nice, however with them principally being hid I can solely think about how troublesome it will be to color them exactly.
The Eofauna Tyrannosaurus deviates significantly from the psychological picture most of us have of this animal to current a scientifically correct and biologically knowledgeable determine not like every other. This distinctive strategy to Tyrannosaurus, together with some uncommon jaw articulation, make the determine a little bit of an acquired style however when you’ve grow to be accustomed to it, I believe it is going to change your notion of this animal for the higher, and make different current efforts to make an correct Tyrannosaurus pale compared. I applaud Eofauna for reinventing Tyrannosaurus on this means and suppose it ought to discover a place on each dinosaur collector’s shelf. The Eofauna Tyrannosaurus is presently in manufacturing and whereas it retails for $50 on locations like Amazon it’s $39.99 over on Dan’s Dinosaurs, who I might as soon as once more wish to thank for supplying this determine.
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