Poland 1965 : Prehistoric animals // Set of 10 stamps

Poland 1965 : Prehistoric animals  // Set of 10 stamps

• Issue Date 05.03.1965
• Fischer 1421-1430 | Michel 1570-1579  Scott: 1307-1316 | Stanley Gibbons: 1549-1558 | Yvert: 1423-1432
• Author A. Heindrich
• Stamps in set: 10
• Size (width x height) 39,5 X 51 mm / 51 x 39,5 mm

Value / Description

1. 20 gr    Edaphosaurus; a reptile the from Permian--Carboniferous period.
2. 30 gr    Cryptoclidus; The camivorous plesiosaur lived fishing in the ocean in the Mesozoic era. Its body was flat, 5 meter long, covered with a smooth skin. It had four fin-like extremities and a short tail, used as a rudder. A small head with a pair of strong jaws placed on a long and versatile neck facilitated gaining of food.
3. 40 gr    Brontosaurus; The most popular specimen of the dinosaur group. It lived in the marshes of North America in the Jurassic period some 150 million years ago. It fed on plants. Its body was 18 meter long, weighed 20 ton.
4. 60 gr    Mesosaurus;  Lived in the Permian period in the ocean of the southern hemisphere. Its body was not longer than 70 cm. It had a long beak-like mouth with a real collection of needle sharp teeth. Owing to the long shape of its body, long tail and four paws with 5 fingers joined by a fin-like membrane, it was a marvelous swimmer and a real dread for fishes, which were its food. 
5. 90 gr    Stegosaurus. Lived in North America in the Jurassic period, feeding on plants. It was not dangerous. Its 9 meter long body moved with difficulty on two pair of paws. The short neck did not permit to reach for food placed in higher places. It was sheltered against the danger with an armour, and had for its defense a strong tail with prickles.
6. 1.15 zl  Brachiosaurus;  Lived in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods in the waters of America and North Africa. This reptile with a small head and long neck had a powerful body on four strong legs and a very strong tail. Measurements of the body: from head to tail 22 meters, neck 9 m, height 12 m. It lived on the land as well as under the water. 
7. 1.35 zl  Styracosaurus;  A dinosaur very similar in exterior appearance to the present rhinoceros. It lived in the Cretaceous period in North America. Its powerful head and neck were covered with an armour and several big horns, one of them fixed on the nose of the animal was 50 cm long. In the fight it was not be beaten.
8. 3.40 zl  Corythosaurus;  A dinosaur looking like a kangaroo. The 10 m long body moved on a strongly developed pair of hinder legs and a long tail. The front legs were very weak. It lived in the Cretaceous period on territories rich in water and plants, probably on the entire globe.
9. 5.60 zl  Rhamphorhynchus;   Lived in the Jurassic period. The skeleton of this strange flying reptile was found in the Jurassic beds in Bavaria (Germany) and some remnants in Africa. The span of the "wings" was 80 cm. The long beak-mouth was strongly teethed. Fishes and insects were its food. A specific characteristic of this animal was its long tail facilitating steerage in plunging and flying.
10. 6.50 zl  Tyrannosaurus; 14 m long and 5 m tall, living in the Cretaceous period. Its mouth 1 m long with powerful jaws and sharp strong teeth are the best proof of its carnivorous mode of life. Its strong hind legs and a long tail supported the big heavy body of the monster. The pair of underdeveloped front legs was without significance. It hunted even the biggest dinosaurs. 

Paleontology is a science which introduces us in the fascinating and mysterious world of the prehistorical flora and fauna. The Polish Post issued in March  1965  a set of 10 stamps titled "Prehistoric Animals". Stamps are based on the illustrations of Zdenek Burian, the Czech painter and book illustrator whose work played a central role in the development of palaeontological reconstructions during his remarkable career spanning five decades. Originally recognised only in his native Czechoslovakia, Burian's fame later spread to the international audience, and a number of artists later attempted to emulate his style. He is regarded by many as the most influential palaeo-artist of the modern era.

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