Monthly Archives: February 2012

catch-up on Mammal Monday and Theropod Thursday

I’ve been lazy. Very lazy! I admit and take full responsibility for there not having been a Mammal Monday or Theropod Thursday post last time around, and the latest Mammal Monday being a day late. Let me make it up … Continue reading

Posted in Aves, Dinopics, Dinosauria, Mammal pic, Mammalia, Maniraptora, Theropoda, Zoos | 1 Comment

Plateo-bot 3

After I’d sent my initial critique and a request for more pictures of the Plateosaurus maquette to the company, artist Jeff sent me more pictures and a list of changes he had already implemented: 1.) I changed the number of … Continue reading

Posted in Dinosaur models, Plateo-bot | 3 Comments

Berlin Aquarium: more vintage palaeo art

I’ve shown you some of the palaeo art and the stained glass windows with marine animals of the Berlin Aquarium before. Here are the remaining palaeo art reliefs and tile mosaics, those that grace the front facing not the zoo, … Continue reading

Posted in Aquariums, Berlin, Dinosauria | 4 Comments

What it takes to fly

sometimes, it takes less than one might think! A Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix cornix) recently got in front of my camera at the Berlin Zoo. I took several shots of the head, then it fluttered off a few meters, and … Continue reading

Posted in Aves, Dinopics, Dinosauria, Maniraptora, Theropoda, Zoos | 5 Comments

Plateo-bot part 2

Last time, I showed you these photos of the Plateosaurus maquette made by Jeff Matney, the lead sculptor at Billings Productions Inc. Steve P. commented: Can I preempt a few of your reactions? 1) Overall too slenderly built, especially belly and … Continue reading

Posted in Plateo-bot | 4 Comments

Mammal Monday 13: giraffes and consorts

The giraffe house in the Zoologischer Garten Berlin is a beautiful old building in Moorish style – one of the few buildings that survived the war. Today, its interior has been adapted to modern standards, and it houses the giraffes … Continue reading

Posted in Mammal pic, Mammalia, Zoos | 3 Comments

Plateo-bot part 1

On June 8 of last year I received an email from one Robby Gilbert. Robby is the Prehistoric Display Advisor for Billings Productions Inc., a company that makes robotic dinosaurs. Now, robotic dinosaurs – I feel quite strongly about them, … Continue reading

Posted in "Prosauropoda", Dinosauria, Plateo-bot, Plateosaurus, Sauropodomorpha | 3 Comments

Big Mike

“Big Mike” is a tyrannosaur. Not just any tyrannosaur – Big Mike is a Tyrannosaurus rex specimen, number MOR 555. To be precise, “Big Mike” is the name given to the bronze casts of the specimen, which itself went by … Continue reading

Posted in Dinopics, Dinosaur models, Dinosauria, MOR, Theropoda, Tyrannosauridae, Tyrannosaurus | Leave a comment

Theropod Feeding Frenzy

Sharks are many people’s nightmares, especially during nighttime swims under the influence. JAWS is on everyone’s mind. The steel jaws suddenly coming up behind and biting half of you off…. In fact, sharks are quite cautious animals. And shark attacks … Continue reading

Posted in Aves, Dinopics, Dinosauria, Maniraptora, Theropoda, Zoos | 2 Comments

Dinopic of the Day 18: Iguasnowdon, the Ornithischian Who Came in from the Cold

The Ornithischian Who Came in from the Cold: The Iguanodon model in front of the Berlin Aquarium – previously shown without snow here.

Posted in Aquariums, Berlin, Dinopics, Dinosaur models, Dinosauria, Iguanodontia, Ornithischa, Ornithopoda | Leave a comment

Mammal Monday 12: Urzeit Park’s Tertiary

We’ve had a look at the Palaeozoic of Urzeit Park in the last installment, so let’s jump ahead to the second-youngest time covered: the Tertiary. There are seven models in this section, and admittedly two of the them are better … Continue reading

Posted in Aves, Dinopics, Dinosauria, Mammal pic, Mammalia, Maniraptora, Theropoda | 3 Comments

Urzeit Park’s Palaeozoic

We’ve had a look at Urzeit Park as a whole, and at all the Jurassic models, now is the time to address the next period – or rather, periods. I’ll lump all the Palaeozoic, because the total number of models … Continue reading

Posted in "fish", Dinosaur models, lower vertebrates, spineless stuff (invertebrates) | 4 Comments

Theropod Thursday 11: you think *I* look ridiculous?

Hogwash! You should see yourself! No beak, so how will you clean yourself, eh? Get hold of food? You mouth is useless for that task! And no down or contour feathers to cover your body, only that weird fuzz on … Continue reading

Posted in Aves, Dinopics, Dinosaur models, Dinosauria, Theropoda, Zoos | 2 Comments

Mammal Monday 11: caught in the…

….air!

Posted in Mammal pic, Mammalia, Zoos | 1 Comment

Places I’ve been, dinosaurs I’ve seen 5.2: more SMA

Today, I would like to talk a bit about a part of the Sauriermuseum‘s exhibition that has little to do with dinosaurs. The museum is not designed to be one huge, monolithic permanent exhibition supplemented by a tiny “special exhibit” … Continue reading

Posted in "fish", lower vertebrates, Mammalia, Sauriermuseum Aathal, spineless stuff (invertebrates) | 1 Comment