Australopithecus (Dinotales Series 6 by Kaiyodo)

Toys representing early hominins are rare but truly decent ones are rarer still and by far the best models representing our ancestors and closest relatives come from Kaiyodo and other Japanese companies. Attempts from western companies are admirable but always rough around the edges. For that reason, the only hominins in my collection are from the Kaiyodo Dinotales line. Eleven years ago I reviewed their Paranthropus (Australopithecus) boisei and only just recently was I able to acquire their Australopithecus africanus, checking off another holy grail item for my collection.

Australopithecus is a genus of Hominidae that lived in eastern and northern Africa between 4.3-1.2 million years ago. They’re significant in that they blend ape-like characteristics, such as long arms and a comparatively small brain, with human-like adaptations for bipedalism. They are close evolutionary relatives to the Homo genus and probably direct ancestors. The famous specimen known as Lucy (AL 288-1) represents an Australopithecus afarensis and upon her discovery in 1974 was pivotal in informing our understanding of human evolution, being the most complete hominin discovered at the time.

Kaiyodo’s figure doesn’t represent Lucy’s species but rather Australopithecus africanus. Described by Raymond Dart in 1925, it was the first early hominin to be discovered. Discovered in Taung, South Africa, one juvenile specimen came to be known as the Taung Child and presented a small, ape-like cranium, combined with human-like teeth and jaws. Kaiyodo appears to have understood the significance in this and has sculpted their figure in the midst of eating a zebra carcass and displaying its human-like dentition in the process. Indeed, it’s a rather gory tableau, with blood on the face and lips of the Australopithecus and a bloody limb resting at its feet.

The Kaiyodo Australopithecus stands 2.25” (5.72 cm) tall, without the base. Male A. africanus reached a height of 54” (138 cm) while females were smaller and stood at a height of 49” (125 cm). With no sculpted genitals the Kaiyodo figure appears to represent a female, which would put it at 1/21 in scale.

The figure looks fantastic, and successfully recreates what is essentially a bipedal, non-human ape. The head is anatomically ape-like, with a smallish cranium and flattened nose, but the individually discernable teeth are decidedly human-like. The back is arched inwards somewhat, pushing out the belly, and the buttocks and legs appear strong and muscular. All five digits can be seen on each hand and foot, and the figure is covered in short hair that nicely follows the contours of the body. Only the face and chest are bare. I particularly like how the hair flows over the muscular shoulders and parts along the midline of the back. The base is sculpted to look like dry, cracked earth, with some small rocks scattered about, and the bloody zebra limb. The figure comes in four pieces that need to be assembled; the head, arms and food item, body and legs, and base.

This figure is available in black and red variants and the one I have is the black one. The Australopithecus is entirely black except for the eyes and mouth. The eyes are brown with black pupils set within gray orbits and the mouth is red, with red streaking down the chin, and white teeth. The food item that it’s holding is white with red spattering concentrated around where the mouth makes contact. The zebra limb is striped black and white with a gray hoof and red stump. The base is mottled brown with gray between the cracks. The paint application, especially on the face, is exceptional on this diminutive figure. The red variant is largely the same but with a black and reddish-brown body.

The Kaiyodo Dinotales Australopithecus figure is among the crown jewels of extinct hominid figures and essential in any collection wishing to display our extinct ancestors and relatives. And thankfully, it is readily available online too. If you’re in the United States, you’ll be faced with high shipping and import fees from the abundant overseas merchants, but local sellers get it on occasion and typically offer a fair price.