Ichthyosaur Skeleton (3D puzzle)

ICHTHYOSAURUS SKELETON - 3D PUZZLE

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DINOSAUR:

Ichthyosaurs (Ichthyosauria, Gr. "fish lizards") are an extinct order of ichthyopterygian sauropsids that lived from the Early Triassic to the Late Cretaceous (approximately 245 and 90 million years ago), in what is now America, Europe and Asia The name was coined in 1840 by Sir Richard Owen

Ichthyosaurs were large marine reptiles with the appearance of fish and dolphins (see convergent evolution) During the Triassic, they evolved from still-unidentified terrestrial reptiles that returned to the water, in a process analogous to that experienced by dolphins and whales They were particularly abundant in the Jurassic period, until they were replaced as the dominant aquatic predators in the Cretaceous by plesiosaurs (Source: Wikipedia)

WHY CHOOSE THIS MODEL?

Most puzzle-type dinosaur skeleton models are derived, in most cases identical, from the patterns made in schools in the 90s/2000s These models were designed to be hand-sawn from 3 mm thick plywood sheets, so the "bones" were usually coarse, which is logical, as any delicate components in the design would have easily broken when sawn

For my designs, I have also started from the same old patterns, but I have taken advantage of current technical possibilities to adapt skulls, ribs, vertebrae, etc. and also the assembly patterns to the real skeletons of dinosaurs In the following image, we can compare the classic Stegosaurus model against my current design, in which the way the upper plates fit onto the ribs, or the change in the level of detail in elements such as the skull, is quickly appreciated

In this image, at first glance, we can see how, in the development of the Smilodon (saber-toothed tiger) skeleton system, every effort has been made not to deviate too much from the actual anatomy of the animal

On the other hand, efforts have also been made to adapt the designs to the latest theories accepted by the scientific community regarding the skeleton's structure In the following image, we can observe the classic Spinosaurus skeleton, made according to the oldest interpretation of the found bones, which somehow resembled a Tyrannosaurus, alongside my design, which is more in line with the interpretation currently accepted by the scientific community

DOWNLOADABLE STLs:

The dinosaur has two structures, one stretched and one arched, but the rest of the pieces are fully compatible with both, so a complete model and a spine of the other type could be printed, to combine Additionally, I also upload supports compatible with both versions, even though the stretched skeleton is able to stand on its own without support

I hope you like it In addition to all this, among the profiles, you can also choose between a version with small labels indicating the most important connections, and another without these aids The labels are attached with small lines 0.4 mm high, so they can be easily removed

DOWNLOAD LINKS TO OTHER MODELS IN THE COLLECTION:

Below are a series of links to other skeletons that you can also download for free Simply click on the image of each one, and you will automatically be redirected to the page: