Andrewsarchus Toy and a Theory about Time Travel

Plastic Andrewsarchus at Tapir and Friends Animal Store

We have a theory about time travel here at Tapir and Friends. Secretly (well, not secret anymore), we believe that someone actually discovered time travel a long time ago, but instead of being decorated as a hero and written up in all the history books and scientific journals, our poor explorer got eaten right out of his time machine by an angry Andrewsarchus, and the rest, well, isn't history. Poor time traveler. If you'd like your own collection of extinct beasts, please visit our prehistoric life section. Enter at your own risk. They may or may not be hungry today.  

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Andrewsarchus Plastic Toy

That's right...this bad boy had HOOVES!!

Our Plastic Andrewsarchus

Our small plastic Andrewsarchus toy is just the right size replica for your prehistoric life shoebox diorama. This little Andrewsarchus model will fit in a shoe box along with other examples of extinct animals from the Earth's past. Add a few rocks, plants, grass, make a river or stream from anything that strikes your imagination, and there you go - a scene of life on our planet as it might have been millions of years ago. Our plastic toy Eocene mammal is painted to look the way paleontologists imagine the animal looked in real life, although of course nobody really knows. That's part of the fun and mystery – you can imagine Andrewsarchus any way you like! It is made of solid plastic and is quite durable. The name "Andrewsarchus" is molded onto the bottom of the animal. Be sure to take a look at our other prehistoric figurines.

About Andrewsarchus

To date the only fossil remains found of this amazing Eocene (55-37 MYA) hoofed predator are a skull and a few bone pieces. They were found in Mongolia in 1924 during an expedition led by paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews, for whom the creature is named. After extensive study of the skull, it was concluded that this creature was a member of the only known group of carnivorus hoofed mammals called Mesonychids, which looked somewhat like wolves with hoofed toes. Mesonyx obtusidens, a small North American relative, was the model for current depictions of this predator. From the size of the skull (3 feet long), it was determined that Andrewsarchus was approximately 6 foot tall at the shoulder and 13-18 feet long (over twice the size of today's brown bear), making it the largest carnivous mammal in the world. There is a commentary on Andrewsarchus on the Laelaps blog. For additional information, check out the Andrewsarchus page and the "What are Mesonychids?" page.

 This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Neanderthal

He's from when "fast food" was HARDER to get!!!

Our Plastic Neanderthal Man

Our small plastic Neanderthal toy is just the right size replica for your prehistoric life shoebox diorama. This little caveman model will fit in a shoe box along with other examples of extinct life from the Earth's past. Add a cave woman, a few plastic animals, rocks, plants, grass, make a river or stream from anything that strikes your imagination, and there you go - a scene of life on our planet as it might have been thousands or hundreds of thousands of years ago. Our plastic toy cave people are made of solid plastic and are quite durable. Be sure to take a look at our other prehistoric figurines, including other Neanderthals.

About Neanderthals

Neanderthals were an alternate (and now extinct) evolution of human beings who lived in what is now Europe and central Asia from 600,000 years to as modern as 24,500 years ago. Neanderthals are scientifically classified as both a subspecies of human (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) and as an entirely separate human species (Homo neanderthalensis). This unique dual classification reflects a split amongst scientists regarding Neanderthals' relationship to modern humans.

Originally depicted by both popular culture and the scientific community as dark-skinned, hairy, over-muscled brutes, new evidence now suggests that Neanderthals were more likely light-skinned with no more facial or body hair than modern humans. While Neanderthals were significantly stronger than modern humans, examinations of Neanderthal skulls show that the cranial capacity of Neanderthals were as large as modern humans, allowing the theory that Neanderthal brains were at least as large, and possibly larger, than modern human brains. Far from thoughtless brutes, it is now concluded that Neanderthals existed in large social groups, had a language, and were capable of producing advanced tools and solving problems. Were you to see a Neanderthal man in a modern setting, dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, you would probably think nothing more extravagant than, "That dude really works out."

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Saber-toothed Cat

En garde!

Our Plastic Smilodon Replica

The lines of hair are moulded into the plastic, and details include painted stripes and moulded and painted tongue, claws and foot pads! The length of 4 1/2 inches is measured from nose to tail and the height of 2 1/2 inches is measured to the top of the head. It comes with an informational tag in French, Italian, Spanish, German, and English. Made of solid plastic by Safari, Ltd., one of the best names in plastic animals, its superior design and details make it a museum-quality replica or collector's item, and yet the price puts it in range for the average collector of plastic animals. This sturdy, durable saber toothed cat is also excellent for use in school projects, dioramas, or even as a children's toy. The word "SABER TOOTHED CAT" is embossed on the underside.

About Smilodon

The smilodon, or sabertooth cat (sometimes also called saber-tooth tiger), roamed parts of North and South America around the time of the last Ice Age. The most familiar is the Smilodon fatalis, of which many remains have been found in the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits. It became extinct about 11,000 years ago.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Doedicurus Small Plastic Toy

Let me introduce the armadillo's bad-tempered older brother!

Our Plastic Doedicurus Replica

Our small plastic doedicurus toy is nice for any fan of Ice Age animals. The fine details may make it look bigger in the photo than it really is, but this miniature extinct giant armadillo replica is just the right size for your prehistoric life or Ice Age shoebox diorama. Our doedicurus model will fit in a shoe box along with other examples of extinct animals from the Earth's past. Add a few rocks, plants, grass, make a river or stream from anything that strikes your imagination, and there you go - a scene of life on our planet as it might have been many thousands of years ago. Our plastic toy Pleistocene mammal is painted to look the way paleontologists imagine the animal looked in real life, although of course nobody really knows. That's part of the fun and mystery – you can imagine Doedicurus any way you like! It is made of solid plastic and is quite durable. The name "Doedicurus" is molded onto the bottom of the animal. Be sure to take a look at our other prehistoric figurines.

About Doedicurus

With a height of almost five feet and weighing in at over 2300 kg, the Doedicurus (Doedicurus clavicaudatus) was the largest known species of glyptodonid, or large armored ancestors of modern armadillos. Doedicurus is one of the better-known species of animal from the last glacial period. Doedicurus lived about 11,000 years ago in North and South America.

Aside from its impressive armor, the most distinctive feature of Doedicurus is the large, mace-like knob of spiked bone at the end of its fully-armored tail. Scientists have speculated that, while an effective defense against contemporary predators, the tail was probably used mostly in competitive combat with other doedicurus. This stems from fossils bearing impact damage in their armor plates indicative of the animal’s tail-club.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Macrauchenia Plastic Toy

Not QUITE a tapir...not QUITE a camel...

Our Plastic Macrauchenia Replica

Our small plastic macrauchenia toy is a great little replica for any fan of Ice Age animals. It is just the right size replica for your prehistoric life or Ice Age shoebox diorama. This little Macrauchenia model will fit in a shoe box along with other examples of extinct animals from the Earth's past. Add a few rocks, plants, grass, make a river or stream from anything that strikes your imagination, and there you go - a scene of life on our planet as it might have been many thousands of years ago. Our plastic toy Pleistocene mammal is painted to look the way paleontologists imagine the animal looked in real life, although of course nobody really knows. That's part of the fun and mystery – you can imagine Macrauchenia any way you like! It is made of solid plastic and is quite durable. The name "Macrauchenia" is molded onto the bottom of the animal. Be sure to take a look at our other prehistoric figurines.

About Macrauchenia

The first fossils of Macrauchenia was discovered by Charles Darwin in South America. Macrauchenia was an ungulate mammal that lived until approximately 15,000 years ago. It resembled a humpless camel with a short trunk, but is not related to either camels nor elephants. Rather, Macrauchenia is related to no modern animal…with its extinction, it ended the evolutionary line of its Order (Litopterna).

Macrauchenia weighed about 1000 kg and was about 10 feet long. The most unique feature of this mammal is the placement of its nostrils on top of its skull, rather than in front. While early scientists theorized that these nostrils were used like a snorkel (implying Macrauchenia was primarily aquatic), most scientists now believe the nostrils were the base of a short trunk, which would protect them from the dust of its native savannahs.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Stuffed Woolly Mammoth Mother

The detail on this stuffed animal is really breath-taking!!

Our Stuffed Woolly Mammoth Mom

We think this stuffed woolly mammoth toy is exceptional. It is so lifelike and compelling. Although it is made of synthetic materials, it looks real. This beautifully detailed woolly mammoth measures 16 long, 6 1/2 inches wide and 12 inches high to the top of the head. The animal's tusks are made of soft short-napped fabric. The designer of this unique line of stuffed animals takes pride in the European heritage of his realistic animal design. Each piece is hand-cut and stitched.

This is not your ordinary stuffed animal. Our plush woolly mammoth has the charm and quality you'll want to keep for a lifetime. It is the kind of toy your child will remember for years to come. It is the kind of "pet" a young child will want to name and create his or her own stories about.

The literature says, "The magical kingdom of Hansa plush was originally created for the most exclusive European clientele. Europeans have treasured these lifelike heirloom creatures for over twenty years. . . . Each Hansa piece is a handcrafted masterpiece, lovingly designed from portraits of real animals. The 'skin' for each of these marvelous beasts is hand-cut and trimmed, never stamped out by machine. The fabric for spotted and striped animals is custom designed and specially manufactured in small lots to Hansa's exacting specifications."

To find our other Hansa stuffed toy animals, or see our entire inventory of stuffed animals, stuffed beanies and plush hand puppets, check out our Stuffed Animal Page. Be sure to see our other mammoth- and elephant-related toys and gifts.

 

About Woolly Mammoths

The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) is perhaps the best-known species of mammoth. The earliest bone records of this species are around 150,000 years old, and it went extinct over most of its range approximately 10,000 years ago. A race a dwarf woolly mammoths existed on Wrangel Island off the coast of Russia until roughly 3700 years ago. Amazingly, many specimens of woolly mammoth remains are not fossilized, but are frozen organic matter.

Fully-grown woolly mammoths could be as tall as 13 feet and weighed nearly 9 tons. It’s named for the thick coat of shaggy hair which could grow to over three feet in length and was probably shed in the summer months. Unlike modern elephants, the woolly mammoth had numerous glands under its skin that secreted fatty grease into the mammoth’s hair. These characteristics, along with a typical fat layer nearly three inches thick, gave the woolly mammoth excellent insulation against both wet and cold weather conditions.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Cavewoman and Child

Going out for groceries was a little different then!

Our Plastic Cavewoman With Child

Our small plastic Cavewoman and Child toy is just the right size replica for your prehistoric life shoebox diorama. This little cavewoman and child model will fit in a shoe box along with other examples of extinct life from the Earth's past. Add a cave man, a few plastic animals, rocks, plants, grass, make a river or stream from anything that strikes your imagination, and there you go - a scene of life on our planet as it might have been thousands or millions of years ago. Our plastic toy cavewoman and child is made of solid plastic and is quite durable. Be sure to take a look at our other prehistoric figurines including cave people.

About Neanderthals

Our caveman & family appear to be stylistic replicas of neanderthals, an alternate (and now extinct) evolution of human beings who lived in what is now Europe and central Asia from 600,000 years to as modern as 24,500 years ago. Neanderthals are scientifically classified as both a subspecies of human (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) and as an entirely separate human species (Homo neanderthalensis). This unique dual classification reflects a split amongst scientists regarding neanderthals relationship to modern humans.

Originally depicted by both popular culture and the scientific community as dark-skinned, hairy, over-muscled brutes, new evidence now suggests that neanderthals were more likely light-skinned with no more facial or body hair than modern humans. While neanderthals were significantly stronger than modern humans, examinations of neanderthal skulls show that the cranial capacity of neanderthals were as large as modern humans, allowing the theory that neanderthal brains were at least as large, and possibly larger, than modern human brains. Far from thoughtless brutes, it is now concluded that neanderthals existed in large social groups, had a language, and were capable of producing advanced tools and problem solving. Were you to see a neanderthal man in a modern setting, dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, you would probably think nothing more extravagant than "that dude really works out".

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Caveman

Add this guy to your shoebox diorama!

Our Plastic Caveman

Our small plastic Caveman toy is just the right size replica for your prehistoric life shoebox diorama. This little caveman model will fit in a shoe box along with other examples of extinct life from the Earth's past. Add a cave woman and child, few plastic animals, rocks, plants, grass, make a river or stream from anything that strikes your imagination, and there you go - a scene of life on our planet as it might have been thousands or millions of years ago. Our plastic toy caveman is made of solid plastic and is quite durable. Be sure to take a look at our other prehistoric figurines including cave people.

About Neanderthals

Our caveman & family appear to be stylistic replicas of neanderthals, an alternate (and now extinct) evolution of human beings who lived in what is now Europe and central Asia from 600,000 years to as modern as 24,500 years ago. Neanderthals are scientifically classified as both a subspecies of human (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) and as an entirely separate human species (Homo neanderthalensis). This unique dual classification reflects a split amongst scientists regarding neanderthals relationship to modern humans.

Originally depicted by both popular culture and the scientific community as dark-skinned, hairy, over-muscled brutes, new evidence now suggests that neanderthals were more likely light-skinned with no more facial or body hair than modern humans. While neanderthals were significantly stronger than modern humans, examinations of neanderthal skulls show that the cranial capacity of neanderthals were as large as modern humans, allowing the theory that neanderthal brains were at least as large, and possibly larger, than modern human brains. Far from thoughtless brutes, it is now concluded that neanderthals existed in large social groups, had a language, and were capable of producing advanced tools and problem solving. Were you to see a neanderthal man in a modern setting, dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, you would probably think nothing more extravagant than "that dude really works out".

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Andrewsarchus

A magnificent replice of a facinating animal!

Our Plastic Andrewsarchus

Made of solid plastic by Safari, Ltd., one of the best names in plastic toy animals, this Andrewsarchus's superior design and details make it a museum-quality replica or collector's item, and yet the price puts it in range for the average collector of plastic animals. It measures 4 1/2 inches from the pointy teeth to the curve of the tail and stands 1 7/8 inches tall. It comes with an informational tag in French, Italian, Spanish, German, and English. This sturdy, durable prehistoric predator is also excellent for school projects, novelties, party favors or even as a children's toy. You can make a marvelous Ice Age shoebox diorama using this and other plastic creatures from our gift shop. Come see our other ice age predator toys and gifts.

About Andrewsarchus

To date the only fossil remains found of this amazing ice age hoofed predator are a skull and a few bone pieces. They were found in Mongolia in 1924 during an expedition led by paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews, for whom the creature is named. After extensive study of the skull, it was concluded that this creature was a member of the only known group of carnivorus hoofed mammals called Mesonychids, which looked somewhat like wolves with hoofed toes. Mesonyx obtusidens, a small North American relative, was the model for current depictions of this predator. From the size of the skull (3 feet long), it was determined that Andrewsarchus was approximately 6 foot tall at the shoulder and 13-18 feet long (over twice the size of today's brown bear), making it the largest carnivous mammal in the world. There is a video link and some very interesting discussion on Andrewsarchus on the Laelaps blog. For additional information, check out the Andrewsarchus page and the "What are Mesonychids?" page at Bluelion.org.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

What the heck is Andrewsarchus?

Thanks to Walking with Prehistoric Beasts and many peoples' general fondness for and fascination with prehistoric animals, Andrewsarchus is one of the more popular models in our online gift shop. I was thrilled this morning to find a discussion about our current state of knowledge (or lack thereof) on one of the blogs I enjoy reading: Laelaps. I recommend reading this blog post. Brian has included a video clip from Walking with Prehistoric Beasts showing Andrewsarchus hopping and moving about, as well as a photo and a drawing of its skull and some interesting comments.