Although live music venues were allowed to reopen last month, the jazz world hasn't really bounced back, and it feels like an extended period of self-isolation. This naturally spurred me to put more effort into model making. And so, I decided to tackle one of the challenging kits from my personal collection that I mentioned last time: the Stegosaurus skeleton, sculpted by Shigeru Yamazaki for Kaiyodo.

This kit dates back to around 1996, and compared to early garage kits, it's significantly easier to assemble, with parts generally fitting well at their intended angles (unlike the very first garage kits, which required shaping the joining surfaces from scratch). However, as it's a resin kit, some fine-tuning and ingenuity are still necessary. For reference, please take a look at the assembly instructions, which are not particularly user-friendly (Image 1).

*This time, after assembly, I realized it wouldn't stand stably on the base (it must be due to the fallen tree and uneven footing of the base!). I ended up having to reattach the limbs and shoulder blades.

Then there's the attachment of the dermal plates on the back, which I complained about in Dinosaur Treasure House Vol. 26 (Yamazaki refers to them as "dorsal fins" in the instructions; I like that, so I'll use "dorsal fins" from now on). The specified method of "connecting them like prayer beads with metal wire" seemed difficult for precise positioning, so I connected each plate individually to the neural spines of the backbone with thin copper wire. The copper wire is not noticeable, and the dorsal fins appear to float, so I think it turned out quite well.

*After it was almost assembled, I discovered an article by Yamazaki about his原型制作 (original model creation) in "Dinosaur Science Frontline" No. 13 (Gakken, March 1996). There were many things the assembly instructions didn't clarify, and I thought, "If only I had seen this before starting..." but it was too late.

Since this kit offers a lot of freedom, I researched Stegosaurus before building it, and it really brought home how mysterious this familiar dinosaur truly is. Even just the dorsal fins raise so many questions: their arrangement—why is it like this for Stegosaurus, when most other stegosaurs have neatly paired dorsal fins? And their function—the prevailing theory seems to be that they were for display and heat regulation, but how did they evolve this way from other stegosaurs?

*"Dinosaur Science Frontline" No. 4 (Gakken, November 1993), which proved very helpful, had a bold structure, dedicating more than half its pages to stegosaurs. In particular, George Olshevsky, of the nostalgic BCF hypothesis https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%80%E3%82%A4%E3%83%8E%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89, wrote a detailed 40-page article titled "The Origin and Evolution of Stegosauria." It's quite niche and difficult to follow. I'm ashamed to admit that I only skimmed it back then.

First, I had to decide how to attach the dorsal fins. The options were either a single alternating row or two alternating rows (the latter seems to be the current prevailing theory). (Two symmetrical rows aren't possible with the parts. If I made a single upright row like the National Museum of Nature and Science exhibit, I'd have leftover parts, which would be a waste...) However, the diagram in the instructions largely depicted a single row, so I followed that. I was relieved to see that Yamazaki's example in the aforementioned Frontline No. 13 also showed a similar arrangement. Incidentally, in skeletal models that will be introduced later, the dorsal fins are often molded integrally with the neural spines, so a single row is naturally the mainstream. Some recent models, including the luxurious Favorite model, have two rows that flank the neural spines. In any case, since the dorsal fins are not articulated with the skeleton, their exact attachment method cannot be definitively determined, so it's good if it looks nice. (Is it possible that even if the bases of the dorsal fins are embedded in the flesh in a single row, the parts visible in living models are in two rows?)

The same applies to the tail spikes (which are called thagomizers) https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B5%E3%82%B4%E3%83%9E%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B6%E3%83%BC. In recent reconstructions, they are often depicted protruding horizontally almost straight out. However, in the 90s, according to Olshevsky's theory mentioned earlier, they were horizontal but pointed obliquely backward, extending beyond the tip of the tail. I adopted that theory for this model, given the period. The kit is designed mostly this way, but assembling it as instructed, with two pairs of spikes glued on top of the tail, felt a bit off. So, I decided to attach them horizontally to the sides of the tail, taking them apart and reattaching them one by one.

*Olshevsky illustrated how the backward-angled spikes, when the tail was swung, would strike an attacker from behind at just the right angle. This was convincing in its own way, but could it really have worked so perfectly? The spike holes found in Allosaurus bones, much like the mosasaur tooth marks on ammonites, always make me think, when I see replicas on TV shows demonstrating how they "fit perfectly," that it all seems a bit too convenient! And even if they did penetrate deeply into the bone, I can't help but wonder if the slender tip of the tail, no matter how reinforced with muscle, wouldn't have sustained damage itself. It's an unnecessary worry, similar to my concerns about the Diplodocus's tail, supposedly capable of cracking like a whip at supersonic speeds.

The last mystery is the armor under the throat, which is said to be dermal ossicles. Yamazaki calls it the throat armor, so I'll adopt that term. Why does only Stegosaurus have armor? And who would it protect a throat so low to the ground from? These are questions, but what's most intriguing is its discovery history. In fact, this throat armor already existed in the famous specimen called "Roadkill," discovered by Marsh in the late 19th century. Take a look here: https://www.si.edu/object/nmnhpaleobiology_3448873

Also, please check this out. It's a page by Kazunari Araki.

http://dinosaurs.art.coocan.jp/image/collection/knightst.htm

A model reconstructed by Charles Knight based on Marsh's fossil. To own such a thing... that's cheating!

Nevertheless, the armor was subsequently sealed away, and when it reappeared, it was often presented as a recent discovery—in fact, I thought so myself until I re-read "Frontline" this time. Moreover, Yamazaki himself captioned a photo of "throat armor" in his production article in Frontline No. 13 with "Proof of the latest version!" The reappearance of the throat armor likely dates from around the articulated fossil discovered in 1992: https://www.colorado.edu/coloradan/2019/02/11/dinosaur-sky

*This articulated fossil, which is occasionally seen, is 50% fake, according to "Dinosaur Pantheon." http://www.dino-pantheon.com/kaneko/USA_1997/kaneko97frame.html

Someone please tell me why Marsh's armor was disregarded, and why the throats of Stegosaurus in illustrations and models were unprotected for about a century afterward.

After enjoying the Stegosaurus so much, here's the finished product (Image 2). You can't help but feel attached to it. The color is my own imagined "Morrison Formation" color.

Now, naturally, a special feature on Stegosaurus figures to commemorate its completion. Since the number of living models is astronomical, I'll focus only on skeletons.

First, here are some relatively new models from the 2000s onwards, complete with throat armor (Image 3). The representative Favorite model can be thoroughly examined on this website (in the Dinosaur Real Figure corner). From left to right: Pose Skeleton (Re-ment) / Dinosaur Skeleton Museum (Epoch Co. Gacha) / r_planning. All are about 15cm in size, and the plates are in two rows.

It's a pity that the Pose Skeleton's tail tip, despite being able to swing horizontally, has upward-pointing spikes. So, I tried heating it with a hairdryer and bending it horizontally (Image 4). The co-star is the Allosaurus from Epoch Co.'s Dinosaur Museum. Looking at it this way, it really does feel like it could actually pierce something.

(Image 5) A masterpiece kit by Gakken, which also appeared in Dinosaur Treasure House Vol. 60. Although it was also released as a plastic model (1978), it was originally an appendix to a science magazine for different school grades. The renewed version on the left appeared in the October 2003 issue of "Science for Fourth Graders." The tail and spikes have been updated to a more modern style.

On the left of (Image 6) is a re-issue from GLENCOE MODELS in the 90s, making its reappearance since Dinosaur Treasure House Vol. 56. The original was the world's first dinosaur plastic model from ITC (1957). On the right is a snap kit released by Andrew McMeel Publishing around the late 90s. It came in an egg-shaped case with extras like a booklet and a poster. This old-style Stego is quite well-made, but the Hypacrosaurus and Velociraptor from the same series are exquisite. At one time, they were available in Japan too.

(Image 7) is a glow-in-the-dark model of unknown manufacturer, also likely from the 90s. While its proportions are decent, it's broadly made, with neural spines and such boldly omitted. Since it looked unexpectedly beautiful when photographed in the dark, I'll present it with the "GLOWS IN THE DARK" logo from the nostalgic Aurora Monster Series plastic models I found online.

(Image 8) shows confectionery toys and others. From left: Meiji Dinosaur Country Chocolate (painted) from the 70s / Sapporo Boy Omoshino Cup from the 80s / ChocoRasaurs (2001) / Kaiyodo's Gacha "Dinosaur Full Skeleton Exhibition Room" (2018). And this one might be a treasure. It's a miniature of the Stegosaurus skeleton that adorned Dr. Yamane's study in the original Godzilla film, distributed exclusively at the "Great Monster, Great Special Effects Anthology" film screening event held in Kyoto in 2014. As unbelievable as it sounds, it's being sold on Amazon for 59,900 yen. I doubt anyone would buy it, though. By the way, I got mine for a few hundred yen on Yahoo! Auctions.

*The ChocoRasaurs and the skeleton exhibition room models are very similar, but the pose of the forelegs has been changed. The two on the left are also very similar, but they are completely different, with different numbers of dorsal fins and shapes of the ilium.

(Image 9) The Stego from the DOM plain wood dinosaur series, the first skeletal model in my collection. If my memory serves me correctly, I bought it at the "Great Dinosaur Exhibition" in 1979. It was about 80cm long and expensive at 5800 yen at the time. Until then, no commercial dinosaur skeletal models existed in Japan, so I remember being very satisfied displaying it in my room. It had been left on a chest of drawers for many years, and when I took it down this time, the right front leg was missing. It probably fell into the gap in the chest of drawers... sad.

To cleanse the palate after the Stegosaurus model feature, here's a look at some fleshed-out versions. I've selected some that I think are quite rare. (Image 10) The top row features a 1950s MILLER from the US (Dinosaur Treasure House Vol. 55) and a souvenir from the German Kleinwelka Dinosaur Park (Klenwelka) (New Dinosaur Treasure House Vol. 38 also has an Iguanodon).

The bottom left is a ceramic one from Sinclair Oil (Dinosaur Treasure House Vol. 35); it's smaller than the plastic version but has the same shape.

The front row are all made of metal: Alva(Dinosaur Treasure House Vol. 55) / SRG(Dinosaur Treasure House Vol. 5) / Linemar(Dinosaur Treasure House Vol. 55).

These are rare tin-toy friction-powered cars. The dorsal fins seemed to have been made of rubber, and they are often missing in auction photos, but mine has traces of them adhering, which perhaps makes it even more valuable?

Behind that isn't an antique, but a model from the Boston Museum of Science released in 1994. https://www.dinofan.com/Collectibles/CollectiblesItemsPicView.aspx?ITID=79046

However, it's rare in another sense because it specifically claims to be a Stegosaurus ungulatus and incorporates Dr. Robert Bakker's theory of four pairs of spikes. http://ancientruler.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-36.html

That's it for the Stegosaurus models. But while building the Stegosaurus skeleton, I also made something else for a change of pace, perhaps? (Image 11)

This is a resin kit from "Trilobite Design Italia" that I casually bought at a mineral show last year (or the year before) and left on my desk: Hallucigenia and Scaphites planus, an abnormally coiled ammonite from Hokkaido.

Actually, after making the Tully Monster last time, I inexplicably developed a fondness for making invertebrate models, which are easy to build. I had fun making this one too. Incidentally, I also decided to bring into the spotlight the Opabinia and Anomalocaris (unpainted) that I bought at a Wonder Festival in the early 90s, when Burgess Shale fauna gained attention, and had quietly displayed, as well as the impactful first-generation Hallucigenia (all by unknown manufacturers). And the small photo in the middle is a small piece I made by kneading clay one day in the mid-90s, after the Hallucigenia reconstruction was flipped upside down. It somehow survived. The left side is still the head. Hallucigenia took on the appearance shown above in 2015.

(Image 12) is a correction and apology for the previous entry. I wrote that I wanted to display the 1/20 scale Mastodonsaurus from Bullyland next to same-scale Triassic dinosaurs, but that these didn't exist. This was a terrible misunderstanding. In fact, Bullyland does have a "1/20 Triassic series," and the Mastodonsaurus was part of it. What's more, I actually owned all six types but didn't realize it because they were scattered. How embarrassing... On top of that, in "New Treasure House Vol. 20," I mistakenly identified the Arizonasaurus in the lower left as a Spinosaurus. This is a major blunder that warrants returning my fee, though the statute of limitations has passed. Let's regain our composure and introduce the "Triassic companions surrounding Mastodonsaurus." On the left are the Crurotarsi. From top to bottom: Batrachotomus from Germany / The regrettable Arizonasaurus https://paleontology.sakura.ne.jp/arizonasaurusu.html Paratypothorax http://paleontology.sakura.ne.jp/parathipotorakkusu.html

On the right are dinosaurs, and finally, some familiar names: Plateosaurus / Liliensternus https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AA%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A8%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%AB%E3%83%8C%E3%82%B9

And in the foreground is not Bullyland, but Safari's "feathered" Coelophysis.

"Stegosaurus at Home" Finally, I'd like to conclude with a gallery of book covers featuring Stegosaurus. (Image 13)