If you only have room for a couple of dinosaur models, then you ought to have the king of the Cretaceous Sea, the Mosasaurus, in your collection. This big guy was to the sea of Companian and Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous as Tyrannosaurus rex was to the land of the Maastrichtian age of the Upper Cretaceous period. They were all kings of their respective domains.
While this model kit from Bandai, the Planosaurus Mosasaurus Model Kit, looked a lot less menacing than the CGI variant from Jurassic World, it is kind of an educational kit. Part of the Bandai’s Planosaurus line of dinosaur plastic model kits, the model kit lets you “learn” about the extinct creature from 82 to 62 million years ago by checking out the aquatic dinosaur’s skeleton and skin as you put it together.
The build starts with the “skeletal build” before adding on the “skins” to restore the appearance of this majestic creature. Though it is probably not 100% scientifically accurate but it’d be fun for kids and adults alike to learn about the creature that once rule the Cretaceous sea. The best part is, no tools and no adhesives are required to assemble the model kit.
The model accurately replicated the fearsome set of teeth worn by the Mosasaurus, along with the iguana/monitor lizard-like fine-scale skin. The completed model features a mouth that opens and closes, and the fins, neck, and tail are movable which allows you to recreate the swimming poses which you can then set on a display on the included pedestal.
The Bandai Planosaurus Mosasaurus Model Kit went on sale on June 24, priced at 1,870 yen [JP] (about US$13). If anyone’s interested, you can pick it up from Hobby Link Japan for US$13.41.
Recommended for ages 6 and up.
Images: Bandai [JP].
