The Dinosaur Anthologies

[JHG]

These analyses are going to be hard as I can’t log in to the Internet Archive…

[JHG]

These analyses are going to be hard as I can’t log in to the Internet Archive…

Or I could do analyses anyway and then fact check the fact checks.
Anyway, it’s likely a Ramoceros story wouldn’t be too inaccurate except for maybe featuring an anachronistic bison.

[JHG]

Taking us to China, it's time for Mamenchisaurus to shine! Only...the story doesn't specify a species. Luckily, the info section just spills out that it's M. hochuanensis. As for the fossil formation, it'll be the Shaximiao Formation from the Late Jurassic since it contains everybody present and accounted for in the story.
This story shows the Mamenchisaurus in mixed herds which is...possible? Just because they're big doesn't mean herds are suddenly needless but they'd be way more expensive to maintain. One gets separated by slipping off a cliffside which could happen. A Gongbusaurus appears and it is accurate! Not sure if it would be feathered or not and the name is misspelled in the story. A couple of Yangchuanosaurus appear and they...actually would be a threat especially in pairs. Zigongosaurus later appear as do Tuojiangosaurus and there's...problems. Zigongosaurus has been debated upon whether it's a distinct genus or just another Mamenchisaurus as M. fuxiensis but as far as known, the former is supported. But having Mamenchisaurus look like a diplodocid and Zigongosaurus look like a brachiosaurid is just...weird since they were both mamenchisaurids and looked pretty similar in life. Tuojiangosaurus is nice but the spikes should be horizontal. The Sinocoelurus is too dubious a name to use but thankfully small theropods like the one shown in the book are guaranteed to exist and they should be feathered too.
So, it's reflective of some outdated understanding of Chinese dinosaurs but there's not a lot to change to update it.

[JHG]

The Tyrannosaurus one is pretty accurate! Mostly. I would wish there be less tail dragging and more upright Triceratops but I’ll take what I can get. The Parasaurolophus unfortunately don’t belong and should be replaced with Edmontosaurus. Also, the hadrosaurs should not be swimming away but running. Alamosaurus though, shouldn’t be so easy to beat although it is handwaved as a young individual. The Struthiomimus should be feathered and it’s not.

Shoot! Should specify the formation I would pick is Hell Creek. This does make the Alamosaurus out of place geographically but…they can travel!

[JHG]

The American mastodon(At least, I think the species is Mammut americanum) story is pretty compelling and I wish this series would cover the Paleozoic/Prehistory's Antiquity and Cenozoic/Prehistory's Modern age more but I still like the Mesozoic/Prehistory's Medieval age a lot. Anyway...much of the creatures are rendered right because since it's the Pleistocene and so close to our time, the artists were running out of excuses to give creatures the wrong colors. There are however, a couple of egregious errors that are common but wrong regardless; The Columbian mammoth and the mastodon shouldn't have hair and at most just sparse hair. Woolly mammoths aren't a good phylogenetic bracket because they're just a highly specialized cold weather adapted species while Columbian mammoths and mastodons didn't live in areas quite as polar. The wolves(which might be dire wolves or not), pronghorns, horses, and bison are all familiar contemporary animals that nobody should question the look of. The Smilodon is accurate and it likely would prefer hunting the bison over any adult mastodon. I would complain about wolves hunting a Columbian mammoth but it is justified by being an injured individual. The Glyptodon makes a brief appearance and it looks right though it should have a 'helmet' of osteoderms. Throughout the story, it's emphasized that mastodons live in forests and this is confirmed true! So, just a little nitpicks and it's fine accuracy wise.

[Kyng]

Sounds like most of these are actually reasonably accurate (about as much as could reasonably be expected, given their age).

I was half-expecting some of them to be terrible - but I'm glad that wasn't the case! (At least, not so far )

[JHG]

Sounds like most of these are actually reasonably accurate (about as much as could reasonably be expected, given their age).

I was half-expecting some of them to be terrible - but I'm glad that wasn't the case! (At least, not so far )

Hehe, I just do these analyses because I really like these books even though they’re overshadowed.
That said, the Plesiosaurus one just doesn’t work on a scientific level.

[JHG]

The Woolly rhinoceros story is one I liked then and still like now. But surely, recent history can't be so hard to get right, right? RIGHT?! 
I cannot name a specific geologic formation so I'll just rely on using a generic Pleistocene Eurasian environment. Anyway...this rhinoceros is pretty much pegged as Coelodonta antiquitatus. It hanging out with Woolly mammoths is pretty much guaranteed since they lived in the same location and time. Humans attacking Woolly mammoths in H2H when Comanche and other Plains people won't so much as spear a bison?! That's unheard of! Seriously, humans did hunt Woolly mammoths but not quite like that. At least the Woolly mammoth herd dynamic is accurate from what I can tell; Hope that dead mammoth wasn't the queen...Anyway, a cave bear and her cubs appear later and them fishing seems more appropriate for brown bears as cave bears are known to be herbivorous as of now though omnivory isn't out of the question. Muskoxen appear and they're basically identical to today's muskoxen and I dunno if they really do PU stink. Megaloceros just called and it wants its name spelled right as it's NOT the junior synonym Megaceros. The Megaloceros is rendered accurately though and there's implications it can see better than a Woolly rhinoceros which is true! The wolves are accurate too and they totally would scavenge from people. Then, the last creature to introduce is the Homotherium and it's mostly accurate and its build is built for quick movements and speed and totally did hunt woolly rhinoceros but probably not like this. 
So...SPOT ON! SPOT ON!

[JHG]

The Deinosuchus story is one I find hard to place in a specific formation. I’ll have to use the “any fauna in the right time and place” counts approach.
Starting off, Plegadornis is just a junior synonym of Plegadis, an ibis genus. The idea of Deinosuchus nesting like today’s crocodiles has merit as they basically are just super size alligators. Velociraptor is out of place; Replace it with Dromaeosaurus. The Struthiomimus does fit the setting though so nice. The Parasaurolophus are likely to have been targeted by Deinosuchus but not in this instance. Alamosaurus is however showing up a bit too early but there’s not much that can be done as there’s no other sauropods from the Campanian Late Cretaceous. The next best thing is maybe an Agujaceratops(not showing up at all in this whole series.) The python might not be in the right time as well. Then Deinosuchus ends up ambushing a Corythosaurus in the methods known to have been used so kudos! I would have called the Tyrannosaurus anachronistic but then Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis might make some sense. Nonetheless, the more parsimonious approach would be to use Daspletosaurus.
So aside from some creatures misnamed, anachronistic, or geographically displaced, it’s accurate. Just not the best in scientific accuracy. It’s nice to focus on a not dinosaur for once.

[JHG]

The Ankylosaurus story broke me! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good story. Just hard to place scientifically since it mixes and mashes up Maastrichtian and Campanian fauna and the art style makes the Ankylosaurus look way more like Euoplocephalus; This part even bugged kid me! Ankylosaurus looks more like this. So I’ll instead do 2 analyses; One with Ankylosaurus in Hell Creek and another with its name changed to Euoplocephlus and the formation in Dinosaur Park.
Starting off with the Hell Creek Formation interpretation, the main character already has her appearance addressed so moving on to the Stenonychosaurus that should instead be Pectinodon and should be feathered to the point of looking like a literal bird. Hunting small mammals is proven but troodontids probably ate plants too. The Gravitholus should be replaced with Pachycephlosaurus but otherwise its herd dwelling and head butting battles are true to science. The Ankylosaurus is also really lucky to not be seriously injured from a tumble hillside. The Dromiceiomimus should be replaced by either Struthiomimus or Ornithomimus(my personal pick) and it goes without saying it should look more like an ostrich with a tail and have wings instead of pronated hands. The Parasaurolophus are awesome but don’t belong in Hell Creek; They can be replaced with Edmontosaurus which aren’t lambeosaurines but I’ll take what I can get since those are the only hadrosaurs known in Hell Creek. “Now it looked as if they would attack her.” YAY! Finally a story acknowledging hadrosaurs are POWERFUL! Tyrannosaurus in pairs is not known but is plausibly…SCARY! Ankylosaurus crouching down and swinging its tail makes sense as a defensive method and it works at least this time. Then the Tyrannosaurus attack an Alamosaurus which might’ve traveled to Hell Creek as they’re native to Ojo Alamo(same time, different location.) Alamosaurus being easier prey than Ankylosaurus is questionable though; They’re huge enough even a pair of Tyrannosaurus would be mad to attack one. Then a Triceratops appears and jousts another; Actually has fossil evidence! The Sauronitholestes and Parksosaurus should be replaced with Dakotaraptor or Acheroraptor(if the former is a chimerical genus after all) and Thescelosaurus. I have doubts a single sickle claw strike would kill though unless maybe it stabbed the throat. Ankylosaurus being diurnal is possible but it’s not definitive.
Maybe the replacement Euoplocephlus version will be smoother? Maybe.