Vol. 61 Ichthyosaurs - Part 2: Utatsu Ichthyosaur Museum Memorial and Our Proud Ichthyosaur Skeletons
This is the second part of our special feature on ichthyosaurs.
As if to coincide with this special feature, the "Sea Dragons: Lords of the Mesozoic Seas" exhibition has started at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. Being short on information, I was caught off guard and surprised, but after checking the content online, it seems the main attractions are mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. So, those who favor ichthyosaurs should supplement their interest here.
I'd really love to see the type specimen of Utatsusaurus, but Katsuyama is so far away. However, if a limited-edition Utatsusaurus figure is released for the special exhibition, I absolutely can't miss out on buying it.
I’ve visited Utatsu Ichthyosaur Museum in Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, the hometown of Utatsusaurus, twice. Both times I stopped by during concert tours (it's not a place I could easily go on my own dime). The first time, as I briefly mentioned in Treasured Collection Vol.47, I stumbled upon it by chance on the way back from Kesennuma. Since the town was still called Utatsu-cho, I believe this was in 2003 or 2004 (it merged and became Minamisanriku Town in 2005).
The second time was in 2009. This time, I made time to go alone on my way from Sendai to Morioka. I still have the receipt from my souvenirs, so I know the date: January 9th, 11:45 AM! I had to be in Morioka by evening, so I woke up early.
The first time, I couldn't keep the band members waiting too long, so I hurried through the exhibition and couldn't carefully choose souvenirs. However, the Utatsusaurus tie pin and the replica of an Ichthyosaurus tooth from Lyme Regis (probably a museum original) that I mentioned in Vol.47 were good purchases.
The second time, I had plenty of time to explore, but the souvenir shop was filled with local products, and ichthyosaur merchandise was almost nonexistent. Originally, the Ichthyosaur Museum was part of a "Fisheries Promotion Center" and shared space with a local products store and a folklore museum, even featuring a restaurant serving local delicacies. I went shopping right around lunchtime, and local fishermen were having a good time drinking, inviting me to join. However, I had a train to catch and couldn't, and as I write this, many memories are flooding back. In the end, all I got was a T-shirt modestly labeled with "Ichthyosaur Man" and a generic cute dolphin character (perhaps named Uta-chan?) towel. Disappointing.
(Image 1) A precious brochure and admission ticket, now historical. These are from my second visit, and the town name is Minamisanriku Town.
(Image 2) The tie pin and tooth replica obtained on my first visit, and the T-shirt and towel from my second visit.
As you know, the museum was directly hit by the tsunami in the 2011 earthquake (it was a building right on the waterfront), suffering extensive damage and being torn down. There seems to be no prospect of reconstruction, but fortunately, most of the collection escaped being washed away. They were rescued and repaired, and some are reportedly on display in a new location.
・Minamisanriku Now: Minamisanriku Town's Official Blog
On Kuda-no-hama beach, where the Utatsu Ichthyosaur Museum once stood, a smaller "Ichthyosaur Museum" housing the in-situ fossil of the Kuda-no-hama Ichthyosaur, which survived the tsunami, has been rebuilt.
Now, let's move on to the ichthyosaur skeletal models, replicas, and actual fossils in my home.
Ichthyosaur Skeletal Figures
Just last time, I lamented the lack of popularity of ichthyosaur figures compared to plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, but skeletal figures are even more scarce.
I only have five in my collection.
In fact, most skeletal figures of Mesozoic marine reptiles are plesiosaurs. Perhaps their impressive appearance makes for good models. Kaiyodo garage kits (Treasured Collection Vol.31), unpainted dinosaurs (Treasured Collection Vol.11), candy toys (Treasured Collection Vol.44 and Choco La Zaurus), National Museum of Nature and Science gashapon, paper crafts, and even erasers — they've flourished in many areas. Previously, plesiosaurs were also included in Favorite's skull series.
Even mosasaurs, whose popularity has soared thanks to appearances in Jurassic World and being featured as the strongest in an NHK program, now aiming for the apex predator spot in the marine reptile figure ecosystem, have a scarce number of skeletal figures; I only have four.
(Image 3) Ichthyosaur skeletal figures, which barely outnumber the "strongest" mosasaur figures. The upper left is an Ophthalmosaurus from BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs, a Burger King bonus (New Treasured Collection Vol.8). The others are Ichthyosaurs; the middle row is Doyusha's "Skeletal Museum," and the front is the pleasantly well-made Geoworld excavation kit "Sea Monster Series." This series also includes Elasmosaurus and Mosasaurus (New Treasured Collection Vol.42), all of which are well-made despite being somewhat crude. The small item on the right is the legendary eraser (Treasured Collection Vol.53). Stuck in the upper right is an 11cm relief I recently acquired on Yahoo Auctions from a manufacturer called Amphi LLC. This manufacturer seems to create models using 3D data and printers, so this Ichthyosaur is likely one of them. Although scaled down, it should perhaps be called a replica rather than a figure.
Ichthyosaur Fossil Replicas & Real Fossils
In terms of the number of replicas and real fossils, at least in my home, ichthyosaurs far outnumber plesiosaurs and mosasaurs. This is simply because they are more "affordable" compared to dinosaurs and other marine reptiles (excluding Moroccan mosasaur teeth that can be bought by the heap).
The skeletons of plesiosaurs and mosasaurs are often large, displayed three-dimensionally in museums, and commercial replicas follow suit, so even a small skull replica can cost more than 100,000 yen. Ichthyosaur fossils, on the other hand, are mostly in relief form, which reduces the cost of replica production, making them inexpensive. Additionally, many are small individuals, making them easy to display. All these conditions make them easy impulse buys, which is why I've accumulated so many. Even real fossils, such as vertebrae, are almost as cheap as Moroccan mosasaur teeth, and every once in a while, I come across a breathtaking fossil at an affordable price.
* I don't know why there are so many ichthyosaur full-body skeletal fossils in relief form (perhaps due to their body shape?), but magnificent fossils seem to be excavated and sold in large quantities around Europe, to the extent that they are distributed to museums throughout Japan. I remember once encountering an ichthyosaur fossil enshrined in a frame, which seemed to bring good fortune, at a private museum I stumbled upon in the Tateshina Highlands. (Treasured Collection Vol.46)
Here are my collections, categorized by type.
First, Ichthyosaurus.
(Image 4) The full skeleton in the upper row was something I found at Tokyu Hands in the 80s, when fossil replicas were still rare, and I happily bought it. It's one of the earliest items in my replica collection. It's about 60cm long and I think it cost around 6,000 to 7,000 yen. Surprisingly, it's mounted on a wooden board.
The two skulls were acquired through a "Sekaimon" auction; the one on the left, from Lyme Regis, is well-made. Both were only a few thousand yen.
(Image 5) Also from Sekaimon, this is a full skeleton of Ichthyosaurus breviceps from Lyme Regis, characterized by its short snout. It measures approximately 120cm. Since it's displayed on a staircase wall, I couldn't take a direct frontal photo, so the image below is a composite of three photos. This impressive replica, including shipping from the UK, cost a mere 80,000 yen.
By the way, a Microraptor replica, despite being so small, lacking three-dimensionality, and merely having feathers drawn on it, was 120,000 yen at a mineral show—too expensive to buy. (Though it's not really a fair comparison.)
(Image 6) This is also an Ichthyosaurus from Lyme Regis, but it seems to have been made in Taiwan. It's about 70cm long. I bought it at a mineral show. It's a magnificent, three-dimensional, vivid in-situ replica. It's fantastic that it only cost around 40,000 yen!
(Image 7) Actual Ichthyosaur fossils. The two vertebrae on the right are from Lyme Regis; the remaining vertebrae and teeth are from Russia. The wonderfully articulated caudal vertebrae and the bone called the basioccipital, which connects to the cervical vertebrae, in the lower section are from Lyme Regis. All of these appear expensive at first glance, but the caudal vertebrae were probably less than 20,000 yen on Yahoo Auctions, and the rest were purchased at a mineral show for what I recall was between 3,000 and 7,000 yen.
(Image 8) Clavicle, coracoid (?), and humerus of an Ichthyosaurus from Holzmaden, Germany. This shows both sides of the plate. I discovered it at a mineral show a few years ago. It's magnificent, but something even more amazing that I bought at the same time will be introduced later.
Chinese Ichthyosaurs
(Image 9) This is a trendy ichthyosaur. The card indicated it was Cymbospondylus asiaticus, but this is now considered a synonym of Guizhouichthyosaurus. And this very Guizhouichthyosaurus is the "ferocious" ichthyosaur that made headlines last year for dying and fossilizing after failing to swallow a thalattosaur.
・Logmi
https://logmi.jp/business/articles/323258 (some errors)
・AFPBB
https://www.afpbb.com/articles/-/3300321
This skull is about 70cm, so perhaps it is a specimen a size smaller than the fossil that was found.
The fact that I learned this much is the result of my research for this ichthyosaur feature. I feel a little like I hit the jackpot. Also, it's irrelevant, but I thought Guizhou was "Keichou" because of the Keichousaurus, but it was Guizhou (it sounds like "Gee-zao"). I've become a little more knowledgeable. The question remains, what is "Keichou"?
And related to this, another big discovery!
It's the Thalattosaurus, which was its prey. I knew about Thalattosuchus (sea crocodile) and Thalattoarchon (giant ichthyosaur), but I only vaguely recalled Thalattosaurus. Since I had no knowledge of it, I immediately searched for it. (By the way, Thalatto means "sea," it seems.)
https://ja.wikinew.wiki/wiki/Thalattosaur
http://palaeos.com/vertebrates/diapsida/thalattosauria.html
The English version was a direct translation and not very clear, but after searching elsewhere, it seems to be an Archosauriformes. There seem to be some objections, though. Furthermore, there are images like these:
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Gunakadeit
...I was surprised.
Don't you think it looks similar to this? (Image 10)
This is something I found and bid on Yahoo! Auctions about 15 years ago, mixed in with a group of Keichousaurus. At the time, I thought it was a Mixosaurus and poked around the skull a bit. I noticed the teeth and other features were different, so I thought something was off, but I left it at that. If this is indeed a Thalattosaurus, it doesn't belong in my home, so if there are any interested researchers, please contact me. I will provide it as research material.
(Image 11) Mixosaurus replica
These are displayed on the left and right sides of the hallway. The larger one is about 85cm long. The actual color is darker, a "Guizhou color" similar to the Keichousaurus. These also cost about 40,000 yen at the mineral show.
Now, please take a look at my treasured ichthyosaur fossil.
(Image 12) Holzmaden Stenopterygius
(Image 8) It was purchased together with the item in (Image 8). It's part of a skull, but a magnificent scleral ring remains on the upper right. I was amazed at first sight, and then doubly amazed when I saw the price tag! It was only 50,000 yen. I hastily bought it so no one else would get it first. Finding such bargains is the real thrill of a mineral show.
(Image 13) This is an actual Mixosaurus skull I got at a mineral show two years ago, just before the pandemic. Although the lower jaw is broken and the upper jaw is missing, it's a wonderfully preserved fossil that is truly beautiful. It cost about 70,000 yen, but it was a great purchase.
Since the pandemic spread, full-scale mineral shows with international dealers have not been held. I can only hope those exciting few days return soon.
There's also some good news. This year, the summer dinosaur exhibition was held in the Tokyo metropolitan area for the first time in two years, and I was thrilled to go. The atmosphere of being surrounded by dinosaur skeletons is truly wonderful. The "Dinosaur Exhibition 2021" at Tokyo Dome City was small and didn't have many new exhibits, but I enjoyed being impressed once again by the size of the full skeleton of an Acrocanthosaurus, which I hadn't seen in a while. The later "Dinosaur Science Exhibition" at Pacifico Yokohama was a very high-quality exhibition with impressive displays and presentations. I was very satisfied with "Rain" and the other skeletal specimens, as well as the "shadow play" and "theater." However, I was disappointed that there were no official goods I wanted. I reluctantly bought only a Dakotaraptor plush toy and went home.
I was surprised to read the extremely detailed 190-page guidebook! At the end of the book, "Dinosaur Boy," who produced and supervised this exhibition, talks about his memories of participating in a dinosaur tour when he was 13 years old. In fact, I also participated in that "Frontline of Dinosaur Science: North American Tour." When I opened my old album, I found myself standing next to the young Dinosaur Boy in a group photo.
Come to think of it, I've met the people who are at the forefront of the dinosaur world today, including Dinosaur Boy, Tetsuto Miyashita, who is active in Canada, Tamako Kurosu, who is researching in China, and Shinya Miyata of Josai University Museum, when they were children. Of course, I haven't had any particular influence on them, but I can evaluate myself by saying that I didn't make them think, "I don't want to become a crazy dinosaur otaku like this," and thus cool their passion for dinosaurs.
(Image 14) Souvenirs I begrudgingly bought at the summer dinosaur exhibition.
A Mosasaurus 3D paper puzzle, which is neither official nor anything from Dinosaur Exhibition 2021 (it became the 4th Mosasaurus skeleton figure in my house), and the surprisingly familiar Dakotaraptor from the Dinosaur Science Exhibition.
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