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| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Dinosaurs David E. Fastovsky, David B. Weishampel, 2009-01-12 From the authors of The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs, comes a general introduction to the study of dinosaurs for non-specialists, designed to excite readers about science by using the ever-popular animals - the dinosaurs - to illustrate and discuss geology, natural history and evolution. While it focuses on dinosaurs, it also uses them to convey other aspects of the natural sciences, including fundamental concepts in evolutionary biology, physiology, life history, and systematics. Considerable attention is devoted the nature of science itself: what it is, what it is not, and how science can be used to investigate particular kinds of questions. Dinosaurs is unique because it fills a gap between the glossy, fact-driven dinosaur books for younger readers, and the higher-level academic books, addressing the palaeontology of dinosaurs exactly as professionals in the field do. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Dinosaurs David E. Fastovsky, David B. Weishampel, 2012-08-27 Updated with the material that instructors want, Dinosaurs continues to make science exciting and understandable to non-science majors through its narrative of scientific concepts rather than endless facts. It now contains new material on pterosaurs, an expanded section on the evolution of the dinosaurs and new photographs to help students engage with geology, natural history and evolution. The authors ground the text in the language of modern evolutionary biology, phylogenetic systematics, and teach students to examine the paleontology of dinosaurs exactly as the professionals in the field do using these methods to reconstruct dinosaur relationships. Beautifully illustrated, lively and engaging, this edition continues to encourage students to ask questions and assess data critically, enabling them to think like a scientist. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Dinosaurs David E. Fastovsky, David B. Weishampel, 2016-11-28 Fully updated, lively and beautifully illustrated in full colour, Dinosaurs encourages students to ask questions and think like a scientist. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Of Whales and Dinosaurs Kevin Y.L. Tan, 2015-04-18 Singapore's collection of Southeast Asian animals–one of the world's largest–dates back to the old Raffles Museum, officially established in 1878.With the opening of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in 2015, the original Raffles Museum has reincarnated and the loop on its remarkable 127-year history has closed. Beneath the sleek exterior of today's modern museum building lies a saga of titanic struggles and changes. That the collections survived at all–through the multiple challenges of the nineteenth century, the disruption of World War Two, and its potential disintegration in the face of Singapore's modernization–is nothing short of miraculous. This book is not only an institutional history of the museum but also tells the story of frustrations, commitment and courage of the numerous individuals who battled officialdom, innovated endlessly and overcame the odds to protect Singapore's natural history heritage. The book features 108 historical photographs and natural history illustrations printed in full colour throughout. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs David E. Fastovsky, David B. Weishampel, 2005-02-07 This 2005 edition of The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs is a unique, comprehensive treatment of this fascinating group of organisms. It is a detailed survey of dinosaur origins, their diversity, and their eventual extinction. The book can easily be used as a teaching textbook for a class, but it is also written as a series of readable, entertaining essays covering important and timely topics appealing to non-specialists and all dinosaur enthusiasts: birds as 'living dinosaurs', the new feathered dinosaurs from China, 'warm-bloodedness'. Along the way, the reader learns about dinosaur functional morphology, physiology, and systematics using cladistic methodology - in short, how professional paleontologists and dinosaur experts go about their work, and why they find it so rewarding. The book is spectacularly illustrated by John Sibbick, a world-famous illustrator of dinosaurs, commissioned exclusively for this book. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Dinosaur Paleobiology Stephen L. Brusatte, 2012-04-30 The study of dinosaurs has been experiencing a remarkable renaissance over the past few decades. Scientific understanding of dinosaur anatomy, biology, and evolution has advanced to such a degree that paleontologists often know more about 100-million-year-old dinosaurs than many species of living organisms. This book provides a contemporary review of dinosaur science intended for students, researchers, and dinosaur enthusiasts. It reviews the latest knowledge on dinosaur anatomy and phylogeny, how dinosaurs functioned as living animals, and the grand narrative of dinosaur evolution across the Mesozoic. A particular focus is on the fossil evidence and explicit methods that allow paleontologists to study dinosaurs in rigorous detail. Scientific knowledge of dinosaur biology and evolution is shifting fast, and this book aims to summarize current understanding of dinosaur science in a technical, but accessible, style, supplemented with vivid photographs and illustrations. The Topics in Paleobiology Series is published in collaboration with the Palaeontological Association, and is edited by Professor Mike Benton, University of Bristol. Books in the series provide a summary of the current state of knowledge, a trusted route into the primary literature, and will act as pointers for future directions for research. As well as volumes on individual groups, the series will also deal with topics that have a cross-cutting relevance, such as the evolution of significant ecosystems, particular key times and events in the history of life, climate change, and the application of a new techniques such as molecular palaeontology. The books are written by leading international experts and will be pitched at a level suitable for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers in both the paleontological and biological sciences. Additional resources for this book can be found at: http://www.wiley.com/go/brusatte/dinosaurpaleobiology. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Epigenetics Revolution Nessa Carey, 2012-03-06 Epigenetics can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behavior of biological life on Earth. It explains why mapping an organism's genetic code is not enough to determine how it develops or acts and shows how nurture combines with nature to engineer biological diversity. Surveying the twenty-year history of the field while also highlighting its latest findings and innovations, this volume provides a readily understandable introduction to the foundations of epigenetics. Nessa Carey, a leading epigenetics researcher, connects the field's arguments to such diverse phenomena as how ants and queen bees control their colonies; why tortoiseshell cats are always female; why some plants need cold weather before they can flower; and how our bodies age and develop disease. Reaching beyond biology, epigenetics now informs work on drug addiction, the long-term effects of famine, and the physical and psychological consequences of childhood trauma. Carey concludes with a discussion of the future directions for this research and its ability to improve human health and well-being. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Feathered Dinosaurs John A. Long, Peter Schouten, 2008 In this book, palaeontologist and popular science author John Long unravels the mysteries of the origin of birds and the evolution of flight. He details the transition from small, feathered dinosaur to primitive flying bird - a shift that is now widely accepted as an anatomically seamless evolutionary event.--Jacket. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Dinosaurs Spencer G. Lucas, 2016 This book is an introduction to dinosaurs, providing the basic concepts of biology and geology needed to understand dinosaur science--the main taxonomic groups, the origin and extinction of dinosaurs, and dinosaur behavior--as well as a discussion of dinosaurs in popular culture. -- |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Dinosauria David B. Weishampel, Peter Dodson, Halszka Osmólska, 2007-12-17 This second edition includes coverage of dinosaur systematics, reproduction, life history strategies, biogeography, taphonomy, paleoecology, thermoregulation & extinction. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Beasts Before Us Elsa Panciroli, 2021-06-10 For most of us, the story of mammal evolution starts after the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, but over the last 20 years scientists have uncovered new fossils and used new technologies that have upended this story. In Beasts Before Us, palaeontologist Elsa Panciroli charts the emergence of the mammal lineage, Synapsida, beginning at their murky split from the reptiles in the Carboniferous period, over three-hundred million years ago. They made the world theirs long before the rise of dinosaurs. Travelling forward into the Permian and then Triassic periods, we learn how our ancient mammal ancestors evolved from large hairy beasts with accelerating metabolisms to exploit miniaturisation, which was key to unlocking the traits that define mammals as we now know them. Elsa criss-crosses the globe to explore the sites where discoveries are being made and meet the people who make them. In Scotland, she traverses the desert dunes of prehistoric Moray, where quarry workers unearthed the footprints of Permian creatures from before the time of dinosaurs. In South Africa, she introduces us to animals, once called 'mammal-like reptiles', that gave scientists the first hints that our furry kin evolved from a lineage of egg-laying burrowers. In China, new, complete fossilised skeletons reveal mammals that were gliders, shovel-pawed Jurassic moles, and flat-tailed swimmers. This book radically reframes the narrative of our mammalian ancestors and provides a counterpoint to the stereotypes of mighty dinosaur overlords and cowering little mammals. It turns out the earliest mammals weren't just precursors, they were pioneers. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Dinosaur Artist Paige Williams, 2018-09-13 New Yorker magazine staff writer Paige Williams delves into the surprisingly perilous world of fossil collectors in this riveting true tale In 2012, a New York auction catalogue boasted an unusual offering: ‘a superb Tyrannosaurus skeleton’. In fact, Lot 49135 consisted of a nearly complete T. bataar — a close cousin to the more-famous T. rex — that had been unearthed in Mongolia. At 2.4 metres high and 7.3 metres long, the specimen was spectacular, and the winning bid was over $1 million. Eric Prokopi, a 38-year-old Floridian, had brought this extraordinary skeleton to market. A one-time swimmer who’d spent his teenage years diving for shark teeth, Prokopi's singular obsession with fossils fuelled a thriving business, hunting for, preparing, and selling specimens to clients ranging from natural-history museums to avid private collectors like Leonardo DiCaprio. But had Prokopi gone too far this time? As the T. bataar went to auction, a network of paleontologists alerted the government of Mongolia to the eye-catching lot. An international custody battle ensued, with Prokopi watching as his own world unravelled. The Dinosaur Artist is a stunning work of narrative journalism about humans' relationship with natural history, and about a seemingly intractable conflict between science and commerce. A story that stretches from Florida's Land O' Lakes to the Gobi Desert, The Dinosaur Artist illuminates the history of fossil collecting — a murky, sometimes risky business, populated by eccentrics and obsessives, where the lines between poacher and hunter, collector and smuggler, and enthusiast and opportunist can easily blur. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Natural History Museum Book of Dinosaurs Tim Gardom, 2006 Unlike an encyclopedia, a data book or even a learned exposition, this book is designed to be read from start to finish as the developing story of a remarkable group of animals. It is an ideal introduction to dinosaurs for dinosaur fans and general readers alike. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Wildlife Photographer of the Year - Unforgettable Behaviour Rosamund Kidman Cox, 2017 These are the most memorable images of animal behaviour from the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. They have been specially selected for this unique book from the hundred of thousands of images received over the last 50 years. From a flamingo courtship dance to Amazon river dolphins playing water polo, the images show extraordinary, surprising and often deeply moving acts of animal behaviour. Each photograph is accompanied by a short story describing how the picture came to be taken and its importance both photographically and as a record of an unforgettable moment. The collection gives us a glimpse into an often hidden world of love, death, survival and joy, and many of these award-winning images have inspired photographers and others to better understand the lives of our fellow animals. Capturing animal behaviour as it has rarely been seen before, this beautiful book is a must-have for photographers and all those with a passion for animals. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs Tom Jackson, 2023-09-05 Travel back in time to meet the most magnificent dinosaurs in close up. The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs takes you back to prehistoric times to meet 36 incredible beasts. From the terrifying T. rex to the speedy Velociraptor, this book depicts some of the most incredible dinosaurs in stunning and accurate original illustrations. Intriguing facts accompany every illustration, so you can learn which is the largest land predator ever found, how the feathered Deinonychus kept its huge hooked claws sharp, and why Triceratops had a large bony frill. This is the perfect book for dinosaur-lovers everywhere. 36 DINOSAURS: Learn about dozens of dinosaurs from all over the world, from the stealthy Spinosaurus to the mighty Dreadnoughtus. BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED: Vibrant, detailed images bring these incredible beasts to back to life. FASCINATING FACTS: Includes hundreds of fascinating facts in an easy-to-read format that will excite dinosaur-lovers of all ages. MAP OF THE DINOSAUR WORLD: A full-page color map shows where each dinosaur originates. COLLECT THE SERIES: More beautifully illustrated collections for all ages include The Magnificent Book of Extinct Animals, The Magnificent Book of Cats, The Magnificent Book of Sharks, The Magnificent Book of Horses, and The Magnificent Book of Birds. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The World of Dinosaurs Mark A. Norell, 2019-03-08 “The ultimate dino tour.”—Library Journal, Best Reference 2019 “Perhaps the easiest way to glimpse . . . all this new knowledge is to leaf through Norell’s The World of Dinosaurs. . . . One of the principal paleontologists of our time.—New York Review of Books “A delight.”—Open Letters Review “Possibly the best general audience dinosaur book of 2019.”—Paleoaerie Dinosaurs have held sway over our imaginations since the discovery of their bones first shocked the world in the nineteenth century. From the monstrous beasts stalking Jurassic Park to the curiosities of the natural history museum, dinosaurs are creatures that unite young and old in awestruck wonder. Digging ever deeper into dinosaurs’ ancient past, science continues to unearth new knowledge about them and the world they inhabited, a fantastic time when the footprints of these behemoths marked the Earth that we humans now walk. Who better to guide us through this ancient world than paleontologist Mark A. Norell? A world-renowned expert in paleontology, with a knowledge of dinosaurs as deep as the buried fossils they left behind, Norell is in charge of what is perhaps America’s most popular collection of dinosaur bones and fossils, the beloved displays at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In The World of Dinosaurs, he leads readers through a richly illustrated collection detailing the evolution of these ancient creatures. From the horns of the Protoceratops to the wings of the Archaeopteryx, readers are invited to explore profiles of dinosaurs along with hundreds of color photographs, sketches, maps, and other materials—all rooted in the latest scientific discoveries—sure to both capture the imagination and satisfy a prehistoric curiosity. The World of Dinosaurs presents an astonishing collection of knowledge in an immersive visual journey that will fascinate any fan of Earth’s ancient inhabitants. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Complete Dinosaur Michael K. Brett-Surman, Thomas R. Holtz, James O. Farlow, 2012-06-27 Praise for the first edition A gift to serious dinosaur enthusiasts --Science The amount of information in these] pages is amazing. This book should be on the shelves of dinosaur freaks as well as those who need to know more about the paleobiology of extinct animals. It will be an invaluable library reference. --American Reference Books Annual An excellent encyclopedia that serves as a nice bridge between popular and scholarly dinosaur literature. --Library Journal (starred review) Copiously illustrated and scrupulously up-to-date... the book reveals dinos through the fractious fields that make a study of them. --Publishers Weekly Stimulating armchair company for cold winter evenings.... Best of all, the book treats dinosaurs as intellectual fun. --New Scientist The book is useful both as a reference and as a browse-and-enjoy compendium. --Natural History What do we know about dinosaurs, and how do we know it? How did dinosaurs grow, move, eat, and reproduce? Were they warm-blooded or cold-blooded? How intelligent were they? How are the various groups of dinosaurs related to each other, and to other kinds of living and extinct vertebrates? What can the study of dinosaurs tell us about the process of evolution? And why did typical dinosaurs become extinct? All of these questions, and more, are addressed in the new, expanded, second edition of The Complete Dinosaur. Written by many of the world's leading experts on the fearfully great reptiles, the book's 45 chapters cover what we have learned about dinosaurs, from the earliest discoveries of dinosaurs to the most recent controversies. Where scientific contention exists, the editors have let the experts agree to disagree. Copiously illustrated and accessible to all readers from the enthusiastic amateur to the most learned professional paleontologist, The Complete Dinosaur is a feast for serious dinosaur lovers everywhere. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Paleontology Derek Turner, 2011-04-28 In the wake of the paleobiological revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, paleontologists continue to investigate far-reaching questions about how evolution works. Many of those questions have a philosophical dimension. How is macroevolution related to evolutionary changes within populations? Is evolutionary history contingent? How much can we know about the causes of evolutionary trends? How do paleontologists read the patterns in the fossil record to learn about the underlying evolutionary processes? Derek Turner explores these and other questions, introducing the reader to exciting recent work in the philosophy of paleontology and to theoretical issues including punctuated equilibria and species selection. He also critically examines some of the major accomplishments and arguments of paleontologists of the last 40 years. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Dinomania Boria Sax, 2018-10-15 From Jurassic Park to Sue the T-Rex and Barney, our dino love affair is as real, as astonishing, and as incomprehensible as the gargantuan beasts themselves. At once reptilian and avian, dinosaurs enable us to imagine a world far beyond the usual boundaries of time, culture, and physiology. We envision them in diverse and contradictory ways, from purple friends to toothy terrors—reflecting, in part, our changing conceptions of ourselves. Not unlike humans today, dinosaurs seem at once powerful, almost godly, and helpless in the face of cosmic forces even more powerful than themselves. In Dinomania, Boria Sax, a leading authority on human-animal relations, tells the story of our unlikely romance with the titanic saurians, from the discovery of their enormous bones—relics of an ancient world—to the dinosaur theme parks of today. That discovery, around the start of the nineteenth century, was intimately tied to our growing awareness of geological time and the dawn of the industrial era. Dinosaurs’ vast size and power called to mind railroads, battleships, and factories, making them, paradoxically, emblems of modernity. But at the same time, their world was nature at its most pristine and unsullied, the perfect symbol of childhood innocence and wonder. Sax concludes that in our imaginations dinosaurs essentially are, and always have been, dragons; and as we enter a new era of environmental threats in which dinos provide us a way to confront indirectly the possibility of human extinction, their representation is again blending with the myth and legend from which it emerged at the start of the modern age. Fun and ferocious, and featuring many superb illustrations of dinosaurs from art, popular culture, film, and advertising, Dinomania is a thought-provoking homage to humanity's enduring dinosaur amour. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Why Dinosaurs Matter Kenneth Lacovara, 2017-09-19 What can long-dead dinosaurs teach us about our future? Plenty, according to paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara, who has discovered some of the largest creatures to ever walk the Earth. By tapping into the ubiquitous wonder that dinosaurs inspire, Lacovara weaves together the stories of our geological awakening, of humanity’s epic struggle to understand the nature of deep time, the meaning of fossils, and our own place on the vast and bountiful tree of life. Go on a journey––back to when dinosaurs ruled the Earth––to discover how dinosaurs achieved feats unparalleled by any other group of animals. Learn the secrets of how paleontologists find fossils, and explore quirky, but profound questions, such as: Is a penguin a dinosaur? And, how are the tiny arms of T. rex the key to its power and ferocity? In this revealing book, Lacovara offers the latest ideas about the shocking and calamitous death of the dinosaurs and ties their vulnerabilities to our own. Why Dinosaurs Matter is compelling and engaging—a great reminder that our place on this planet is both precarious and potentially fleeting. “As we move into an uncertain environmental future, it has never been more important to understand the past.” |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The God Con Lee Moller, 2017-06-24 The crucifix is in! You can fool most of the people most of the time. In The God Con, Lee Moller, a life-long atheist and skeptic, looks at organized religion through the lens of the con. Organized religion has been selling an invisible product, that it never has to deliver, for thousands of years. It has given us bigotry, rampant pedophilia, terrorism, and bloodshed beyond imagining. And its acolytes have, in turn, given organized religion power over their bank accounts, their reproduction, and their very “souls”. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Biology of the Sauropod Dinosaurs Nichole Klein, Kristian Remes, Carole T. Gee, P. Martin Sander, 2011-04-22 Sauropods, those huge plant-eating dinosaurs, possessed bodies that seem to defy every natural law. What were these creatures like as living animals and how could they reach such uniquely gigantic sizes? A dedicated group of researchers in Germany in disciplines ranging from engineering and materials science to animal nutrition and paleontology went in search of the answers to these questions. Biology of the Sauropod Dinosaurs reports on the latest results from this seemingly disparate group of research fields and integrates them into a coherent theory regarding sauropod gigantism. Covering nutrition, physiology, growth, and skeletal structure and body plans, this volume presents the most up-to-date knowledge about the biology of these enormous dinosaurs. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Dinosaurs Without Bones Anthony J. Martin, 2021-07-13 Bubbles over with the joy of scientific discovery as he shares his natural enthusiasm for the blend of sleuthing and imagination.—Publishers Weekly, starred review What if we woke up one morning all of the dinosaur bones in the world were gone? How would we know these iconic animals had a165-million year history on earth, and had adapted to all land-based environments from pole to pole? What clues would be left to discern not only their presence, but also to learn about their sex lives, raising of young, social lives, combat, and who ate who? What would it take for us to know how fast dinosaurs moved, whether they lived underground, climbed trees, or went for a swim?Welcome to the world of ichnology, the study of traces and trace fossils – such as tracks, trails, burrows, nests, toothmarks, and other vestiges of behavior – and how through these remarkable clues, we can explore and intuit the rich and complicated lives of dinosaurs. With a unique, detective-like approach, interpreting the forensic clues of these long-extinct animals that leave a much richer legacy than bones, Martin brings the wild world of the Mesozoic to life for the 21st century reader. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Trees P. A. Thomas, 2000-02-13 Trees are familiar components of many landscapes, vital to the healthy functioning of the global ecosystem and unparalled in the range of materials which they provide for human use. Yet how much do we really understand about how they work? This 2000 book provides a comprehensive introduction to the natural history of trees, presenting information on all aspects of tree biology and ecology in an easy to read and concise text. Fascinating insights into the workings of these everyday plants are uncovered throughout the book, with questions such as how are trees designed, how do they grow and reproduce, and why do they eventually die tackled in an illuminating way. Written for a non-technical audience, the book is nonetheless rigorous in its treatment and will therefore provide a valuable source of reference for beginning students as well as those with a less formal interest in this fascinating group of plants. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The First Fossil Hunters Adrienne Mayor, 2023-04-11 The fascinating story of how the fossils of dinosaurs, mammoths, and other extinct animals influenced some of the most spectacular creatures of classical mythology Griffins, Centaurs, Cyclopes, and Giants—these fabulous creatures of classical mythology continue to live in the modern imagination through the vivid accounts that have come down to us from the ancient Greeks and Romans. But what if these beings were more than merely fictions? What if monstrous creatures once roamed the earth in the very places where their legends first arose? This is the arresting and original thesis that Adrienne Mayor explores in The First Fossil Hunters. Through careful research and meticulous documentation, she convincingly shows that many of the giants and monsters of myth did have a basis in fact—in the enormous bones of long-extinct species that were once abundant in the lands of the Greeks and Romans. As Mayor shows, the Greeks and Romans were well aware that a different breed of creatures once inhabited their lands. They frequently encountered the fossilized bones of these primeval beings, and they developed sophisticated concepts to explain the fossil evidence, concepts that were expressed in mythological stories. The legend of the gold-guarding griffin, for example, sprang from tales first told by Scythian gold-miners, who, passing through the Gobi Desert at the foot of the Altai Mountains, encountered the skeletons of Protoceratops and other dinosaurs that littered the ground. Like their modern counterparts, the ancient fossil hunters collected and measured impressive petrified remains and displayed them in temples and museums; they attempted to reconstruct the appearance of these prehistoric creatures and to explain their extinction. Long thought to be fantasy, the remarkably detailed and perceptive Greek and Roman accounts of giant bone finds were actually based on solid paleontological facts. By reading these neglected narratives for the first time in the light of modern scientific discoveries, Adrienne Mayor illuminates a lost world of ancient paleontology. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: How Wildlife Photography Became Art Rosamund Kidman Cox, 2021-09 Featuring many of the greatest nature photographs of all time, this book charts the development of nature photography, from the first hand-held cameras and the color film revolution of the 1960s, to the increasingly sophisticated photographs of wild animals and unexplored places that are taken today. The prize-winning images include ground-breaking portraits, breathtaking aerial shots, underwater photography, close-up imagery, and much more. The images are accompanied by captions that put the photographs in context, explaining their importance, and revealing the vision, talent, passion, and technique of the world's leading wildlife photographers. All those who are passionate about photography and who have followed this compelling competition since its inception 55 years ago will treasure this magnificent volume. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Fantastic Fossils Donald R. Prothero, 2020-03-31 Nothing fills us with a sense of wonder like fossils. What looks at first like a simple rock is in fact a clue that reveals the staggering diversity of ancient environments, the winding pathways of evolution, and the majesty of a vanished earth. But as much as one might daydream of digging a hole in the backyard and finding a Tyrannosaurus, only a few places contain these buried treasures, and when a scientist comes across a remnant of prehistoric life, great care must be taken. What do budding paleontologists need to know before starting their search? In Fantastic Fossils, Donald R. Prothero offers an accessible, entertaining, and richly illustrated guide to the paleontologist’s journey. He details the best places to look for fossils, the art of how to find them, and how to classify the major types. Prothero provides expert wisdom about typical fossils that an average person can hope to collect and how to hunt fossils responsibly and ethically. He also explores the lessons that both common and rarer discoveries offer about paleontology and its history, as well as what fossils can tell us about past climates and present climate change. Captivating illustrations by the paleoartist Mary Persis Williams bring to life hundreds of important specimens. Offering valuable lessons for armchair enthusiasts and paleontology students alike, Fantastic Fossils is an essential companion for all readers who have ever dreamed of going in search of traces of a lost world. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Dog Ádám Miklósi, 2018-03-01 This hardback almanac is the perfect edition addition to any dog lover's library and a useful tool for anyone considering acquiring a four-legged friend for their household. - Countryside magazine (National Farmers' Union) Provides a good read for those wanting a better understanding of their canine companion. For those working with dogs, in any capacity, the book is a must-read. - The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors Divided in sections and beautifully illustrated with photographs, The Dog: A Natural History is a fascinating, comprehensive exploration of everything we know about dogs so far - in terms of biology, evolution, behaviour and their role in our lives and culture. - Dogs Monthly There are plenty of books out there about living with and training a dog. The Dog: A Natural History is something much wider-ranging: an in-depth look at every aspect of the species, from prehistoric origins to its biology, its behaviour, and its relationship with humankind. An initial chapter on Evolution & Development looks at dogs’ ancestors. Chapters on Anatomy & Biology, Society & Behaviour, and Dogs & Humans follow, accessing the most recent studies on everything canine. From hunting patterns to diversity, and training methods to classification, you’ll find everything you ever wanted to know in this comprehensive study. To finish, a canine Directory offers extended profiles and portraits of a range of the most popular breeds. From first to last, it’s a book that will prove irresistible to anyone curious about how the dog gained his prime position in the human world. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Dinosaurs Darren Naish, Paul M. Barrett, 2018-09 Fully illustrated and immersive guide to the latest research in these incredible animals. Discover the groundbreaking developments in dinosaur research with this state-of-the-art guide to dinosaur biology. Written by experts from a leading dinosaur research centre, this book begins by tracing the evolution of the dinosaur from 225 million years ago through to the end of the Cretaceous Period, exploring how they lived and what happened during the great extinction event. Research on these fantastic animals is proceeding at a faster pace than ever before. Dinosaurs explores the most recent global discoveries and the major role that new technologies play in revealing previously inaccessible and unknown details about how dinosaurs lived, such as the use of CT-scanning we can now look inside a dinosaur skull and gain new information on brains and sense organs. This engaging book reveals the latest findings about dinosaur anatomy and behaviour, evolution, diversity and lifestyle, and is lavishly illustrated with artwork, photographs and artistic reconstructions that bring these iconic creatures to life. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Explore Fossils! Cynthia Brown, Grace Brown, 2016-01-19 In Explore Fossils! With 25 Great Projects, readers can expand their dinosaur obsessions into learning opportunities that take them beyond Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and even Tyrannosaurus rex to other animals, plants, and microbes that lived long before humans. Explore Fossils! introduces young readers to the history of life on Earth as revealed by fossils. Kids learn how fossils form and about the different types of fossils and the world of long ago—its landscape and the plants and animals that lived then. Scientists use radiometric dating to test fossils to discover when they were made, what organisms made them, what those organisms used for energy, what killed them, and a whole lot of other information. All from rocks! That’s a lot of information stored under our feet. Activities include creating plaster fossils, using popcorn to illustrate radiometric dating, and exploring what might have caused mass extinctions by making a lava flow and simulating an asteroid impact. By studying the past, not only do students meet amazing plants and animals, they are also encouraged to consider their own role in geological time to make thoughtful hypotheses about the future. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals Donald R. Prothero, 2016-12-06 The ultimate illustrated guide to the lost world of prehistoric mammals After the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, mammals became the dominant terrestrial life form on our planet. Roaming the earth were spectacular beasts such as saber-toothed cats, giant mastodonts, immense ground sloths, and gigantic giraffe-like rhinoceroses. Here is the ultimate illustrated field guide to the lost world of these weird and wonderful prehistoric creatures. A woolly mammoth probably won't come thundering through your vegetable garden any time soon. But if one did, this would be the book to keep on your windowsill next to the binoculars. It covers all the main groups of fossil mammals, discussing taxonomy and evolutionary history, and providing concise accounts of the better-known genera and species as well as an up-to-date family tree for each group. No other book presents such a wealth of new information about these animals—what they looked like, how they behaved, and how they were interrelated. In addition, this unique guide is stunningly illustrated throughout with full-color reconstructions of these beasts—many never before depicted—along with photographs of amazing fossils from around the world. Provides an up-to-date guidebook to hundreds of extinct species, from saber-toothed cats to giant mammoths Features a wealth of color illustrations, including new reconstructions of many animals never before depicted Demonstrates evolution in action—such as how whales evolved from hoofed mammals and how giraffes evolved from creatures with short necks Explains how mass extinctions and climate change affected mammals, including why some mammals grew so huge |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Romancing the Birds and Dinosaurs Alan Feduccia, 2020-10-15 Birds and dinosaurs have dominated human interest for decades. In this well-supported revolutionary view of the field, critical questions are explored with credible evidence and biological thought. Are birds derived directly from advanced dinosaurs, or are they closely related dinosaur cousins? Did flight originate via the natural gravity-assisted trees-down model, or from the improbable “gravity-resisted” ground-up model? Were the earliest birds ground-predators or trunk-climbing gliders? Were dinosaurs hot-blooded with insulating protofeathers, or highly active, cold-blooded reptiles? These are among the questions addressed in this path-breaking book. Current consensus suggests that early birds were earth-bound and flight began on the ground. Reversing that logic, since birds are hot-blooded, by inference so too were dinosaurs, and extraordinarily complex feathers, flight brain and inner ear, evolved before flight in dinosaurs. The iconic early bird Archaeopteryx, despite innumerable flight and arboreal features, is now displayed as an earth-bound predator that could not fly. In reality, we have yet to provide satisfactory explanations for much of the biological origin and early evolution of birds. Among the questions addressed is whether truly feathered dinosaurs are in reality lost or hidden birds? The architectural complexity of feathers leads the author to the conclusion that if an animal has evolved extraordinarily complex, aerodynamically-designed feathers, an avian flight hand, flight membranes, and a flight brain, it's a bird. Birds and dinosaurs captivate and enchant the human imagination. These intriguing animals have dominated the field of paleontology and evolution for the past half century, engendering heated debate on avian ancestry, the origin of flight and feathers, and the biology of their fossils. Are birds living dinosaurs? In this series of entertainingly contentious and captivating essays evolutionary biologist Alan Feduccia writes with verve and humor to expose major problems in the field and advocate liberation from the shackles of consensus thinking about birds and dinosaurs. He maintains that the euphoria of paleontologists claiming to have solved the major problems of bird evolution is premature, largely generated by the adoption of a rigid, cult-like methodology, heavily blended with ideology, and excluding many biological and geological principles. He adroitly exposes and elucidates major mistakes in the field and their aftermath. Romancing the Birds and Dinosaurs is a lucid revelation of clarity and synthesis, a fascinating unveiling of the underlying science that has produced the good, but also often appalling fossil research and wild speculation in bird and dinosaur evolution. A must read for anyone interested in this rapidly evolving field, the short, concise and incisive essays provide the reader with access to this complex topic. REVIEWS and WORDS OF PRAISE In this strikingly unconventional and brilliant book, Professor Alan Feduccia presents the current status of the recent controversy about the origin of birds with clarity and vigor. A thought-provoking personal exploration of what the bird fossils represent. ---Sankar Chatterjee, Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Geosciences and Curator of Paleontology, Texas Tech University. Feduccia's book eloquently reminds us that consensus science is to be shied away from especially when it is used to plead special cases against basic scientific principles. The concept of “lost birds” is particularly intriguing as it defines what birds are and how special science obfuscates the simplicity of evolution. ---David A. Burnham, Associate Researcher, University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. Based on a thorough understanding of the empirical evidence, Feduccia presents a convincing account of avian origins from their putative ancestors. ---Walter J. Bock, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Columbia University and Research Associate, American Museum of Natural History. With candor, clear thinking, humor, and abundant evidence, Alan Feduccia’s Romancing the Birds and Dinosaurs should be mandatory reading for the countless millions who are intrigued by dinosaurs and their relatives, the birds. Feduccia points out the many empirical and logical shortcomings in the stubborn majority view that birds evolved from dinosaurs, an idea now solidly entrenched as dogma in education and popular culture. This new book will be as interesting to those who study human behavior and scientific methods as it will to students of vertebrate evolution. ---David W. Steadman, Curator of Ornithology, Professor of Biology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Window Into the Jurassic World Nicholas G. McDonald, Richard Bergen, Friends of Dinosaur Park and Arboretum, Inc, 2010 |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: My Beloved Brontosaurus Brian Switek, 2013-04-16 A Hudson Booksellers Staff Pick for the Best Books of 2013 One of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Spring Science Books A Bookshop Santa Cruz Staff Pick Dinosaurs, with their awe-inspiring size, terrifying claws and teeth, and otherworldly abilities, occupy a sacred place in our childhoods. They loom over museum halls, thunder through movies, and are a fundamental part of our collective imagination. In My Beloved Brontosaurus, the dinosaur fanatic Brian Switek enriches the childlike sense of wonder these amazing creatures instill in us. Investigating the latest discoveries in paleontology, he breathes new life into old bones. Switek reunites us with these mysterious creatures as he visits desolate excavation sites and hallowed museum vaults, exploring everything from the sex life of Apatosaurus and T. rex's feather-laden body to just why dinosaurs vanished. (And of course, on his journey, he celebrates the book's titular hero, Brontosaurus—who suffered a second extinction when we learned he never existed at all—as a symbol of scientific progress.) With infectious enthusiasm, Switek questions what we've long held to be true about these beasts, weaving in stories from his obsession with dinosaurs, which started when he was just knee-high to a Stegosaurus. Endearing, surprising, and essential to our understanding of our own evolution and our place on Earth, My Beloved Brontosaurus is a book that dinosaur fans and anyone interested in scientific progress will cherish for years to come. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Evolutionary Catastrophes V. Courtillot, Vincent Courtillot, 2002-03-07 Mass extinction and cataclysmic volcanic activity: will fascinate everyone interested in the history of life and death on our planet. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Saurians Richard Moody, 2010 The discovery of dinosaurs and other large extinct saurians - a term under which the Victorians commonly lumped ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs and their kin - makes exciting reading and has caught the attention of palaeontologists, historians of science and the general public alike. The papers in this collection go beyond the familiar tales about famous fossil hunters and focus on relatively little-known episodes in the discovery and interpretation (from both a scientific and an artistic point of view) of dinosaurs and other inhabitants of the Mesozoic world. They cover a long time span, from the beginnings of modern scientific palaeontology in the 1700s to the present, and deal with many parts of the world, from the Yorkshire coast to Central India, from Bavaria to the Sahara. The characters in these stories include professional palaeontologists and geologists (some of them well-known, others quite obscure), explorers, amateur fossil collectors, and artists, linked together by their interest in Mesozoic creatures. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs Nicholas C. Fraser, Hans-Dieter Sues, 1997-08-28 The early Mesozoic period was a critical period in the evolution of life on land when most of todays major groups of terrestrial vertebrates arose and dinosaurs and pterosaurs rose to prominence. In recent years this period has received a great deal of attention from palaeontologists, and it is now felt that the small vertebrates which lived in the shadows of the first dinosaurs tell us a great deal about the evolution of modern terrestrial ecosystems. This book is an attempt to collate all the information on the small vertebrates and features contributions by experts with international reputations in their fields. There are chapters on the taxonomy and phylogeny of the key vertebrate groups followed by a section dealing with the most significant fossiliferous assemblages worldwide. The final section looks at how faunal turnover at this time is measured and examines the possibility of mass extinctions. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Codex Douglas Preston, 2011-02-23 Greetings from the dead,' declares Maxwell Broadbent in the videotape he left behind after his mysterious disappearance. A notorious treasure hunter and tomb robber, Broadbent accumulated over half a billion dollars' worth of priceless art, gems and artefacts before vanishing - along with his entire collection - from his mansion in New Mexico. As a final challenge to his three sons, Broadbent has buried himself and his treasure somewhere in the world, hidden away like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. If the sons wish to claim their fabulous inheritance, they must find their father's carefully concealed tomb. The race is on, but among the treasures is an ancient Mayan codex that may hold a secret far more important than the wealth of riches around it, and the brothers aren't the only ones in pursuit. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: Walking with Dinosaurs Tim Haines, 2000 Descibes the earth's environment when dinosaurs flourished, the characteristics and habits of various species, and how changes in climate, landmasses, and vegetation led to the extinction of these massive reptiles. |
| dinosaurs a concise natural history: The Natural History Museum Book of Rocks & Minerals Chris Pellant, Helen Pellant, 2020-04 A comprehensive, illustrated identification guide for beginners and serious collectors alike, featuring special color photography of specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London. Rocks and minerals are naturally occurring compounds formed by intense geological processes in the Earth's crust such as volcanic eruptions. With striking color photography of rocks and minerals from around the globe, this detailed and easy-to-use guide is designed to help readers identify specimens and begin collecting. Fully fact-checked by the Department of Mineralogy at the Natural History Museum, London, this guide will give you geological knowledge at your fingertips. |
Dinosaurs: News, features and articles | Live Science
5 days ago · Dinosaurs might still roam Earth if it weren't for the asteroid, study suggests. By Richard Pallardy published 1 May 25. The dinosaurs were not in decline before the asteroid …
A brief history of dinosaurs - Live Science
Jul 6, 2021 · Famous dinosaurs from this period include T. rex, Triceratops, Spinosaurus and Velociraptor. The largest dinosaurs on record, including Argentinosaurus, date to the …
Dinosaurs: Facts about the reptiles that roamed Earth more than …
Mar 14, 2025 · 5 fast facts about dinosaurs. The heaviest known dinosaur is thought to be Argentinosaurus, a supermassive titanosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period.It may …
Australia's 'upside down' dinosaur age had two giant predators, …
Feb 26, 2025 · A new study has revealed that "hug of death" megaraptorids and previously unknown carcharodontosaurs shared Australia's unique Antarctic dinosaur ecosystem during …
What was the fastest dinosaur? | Live Science
Apr 28, 2025 · Compsognathus proved to be the fastest of the dinosaurs Sellers modeled, but he modeled only a small number of dinosaurs. Despite what many people might expect, he found …
'Exquisitely preserved' ginormous claws from Mongolia reveal …
Mar 25, 2025 · Related: 166 million-year-old fossil found on Isle of Skye belongs to pony-size dinosaur from Jurassic Therizinosaurs are a group of dinosaurs that lived across what is now …
Dinosaurs dominated our planet not because of their massive size …
Feb 13, 2024 · Dinosaurs may have taken over the planet and ruled for over 160 million years thanks to the way they walked, a new study suggests. By adapting to walk on both two and …
What color were the dinosaurs? - Live Science
Apr 24, 2022 · Other dinosaurs had complex camouflage. The first dinosaur Vinther ever studied was a small, bird-like animal called Anchiornis. Based on the melanosomes, Vinther and his …
Dinosaurs weren't going extinct before the asteroid strike
May 1, 2025 · Dinosaurs weren't in decline when an asteroid smashed into Earth and wiped them out, scientists say. Instead, the idea that dinosaur diversity was declining before the asteroid …
What if a giant asteroid had not wiped out the dinosaurs?
Feb 22, 2025 · One fateful day 66 million years ago, the dinosaurs — which had inhabited Earth for about 165 million years — got a nasty surprise: A roughly 9-mile-wide (15 kilometers) …
Dinosaurs: News, features and articles | Live Science
5 days ago · Dinosaurs might still roam Earth if it weren't for the asteroid, study suggests. By Richard Pallardy published 1 May 25. The dinosaurs were not in decline before the asteroid …
A brief history of dinosaurs - Live Science
Jul 6, 2021 · Famous dinosaurs from this period include T. rex, Triceratops, Spinosaurus and Velociraptor. The largest dinosaurs on record, including Argentinosaurus, date to the …
Dinosaurs: Facts about the reptiles that roamed Earth more than …
Mar 14, 2025 · 5 fast facts about dinosaurs. The heaviest known dinosaur is thought to be Argentinosaurus, a supermassive titanosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period.It may …
Australia's 'upside down' dinosaur age had two giant predators, …
Feb 26, 2025 · A new study has revealed that "hug of death" megaraptorids and previously unknown carcharodontosaurs shared Australia's unique Antarctic dinosaur ecosystem during …
What was the fastest dinosaur? | Live Science
Apr 28, 2025 · Compsognathus proved to be the fastest of the dinosaurs Sellers modeled, but he modeled only a small number of dinosaurs. Despite what many people might expect, he found …
'Exquisitely preserved' ginormous claws from Mongolia reveal …
Mar 25, 2025 · Related: 166 million-year-old fossil found on Isle of Skye belongs to pony-size dinosaur from Jurassic Therizinosaurs are a group of dinosaurs that lived across what is now …
Dinosaurs dominated our planet not because of their massive size …
Feb 13, 2024 · Dinosaurs may have taken over the planet and ruled for over 160 million years thanks to the way they walked, a new study suggests. By adapting to walk on both two and …
What color were the dinosaurs? - Live Science
Apr 24, 2022 · Other dinosaurs had complex camouflage. The first dinosaur Vinther ever studied was a small, bird-like animal called Anchiornis. Based on the melanosomes, Vinther and his …
Dinosaurs weren't going extinct before the asteroid strike
May 1, 2025 · Dinosaurs weren't in decline when an asteroid smashed into Earth and wiped them out, scientists say. Instead, the idea that dinosaur diversity was declining before the asteroid …
What if a giant asteroid had not wiped out the dinosaurs?
Feb 22, 2025 · One fateful day 66 million years ago, the dinosaurs — which had inhabited Earth for about 165 million years — got a nasty surprise: A roughly 9-mile-wide (15 kilometers) …
