Written for non-specialists, this detailed survey of dinosaur origins, diversity, and extinction is designed as a series of successive essays covering important and timely topics in dinosaur paleobiology, such as "warm-bloodedness," birds as living dinosaurs, the new, non-flying feathered dinosaurs, dinosaur functional morphology, and cladistic methods in systematics. Its explicitly phylogenetic approach to the group is that taken by dinosaur specialists. The book is not an edited compilation of the works of many individuals, but a unique, cohesive perspective on Dinosauria. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of new, specially commissioned illustrations by John Sibbick, world-famous illustrator of dinosaurs, the volume includes multi-page drawings as well as sketches and diagrams. First edition Hb (1996): 0-521-44496-9 David E. Fastovsky is Professor of Geosciences at the University of Rhode Island. Fastovsky, the author of numerous scientific publications dealing with Mesozoic vertebrate faunas and their ancient environments, is also scientific co-Editor of Geology. He has undertaken extensive fieldwork studying dinosaurs and their environments in Montana, North Dakota, Arizona, Mexico, and Mongolia. David B. Weishampel is a professor at the Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine. Weishampel is best known for discovering, researching, and naming several rare European dinosaur species. During the 1980s Weishampel gained fame for his work with American paleontologist Jack Horner and later named the famous plant-eating, egg-laying Orodromeus, Horner. Now, a decade after his pioneering studies with Horner, Weishampel is most widely known for his current work on the Romanian dinosaur fauna. He is the author and co-author of many titles, including The Dinosaur Papers, 1676-1906 (Norton, 2003); The Dinosauria, (University of California, 1990); and Dinosaurs of the East Coast, (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996).
- Covers all of the latest discoveries in dinosaur paleobiology written by two world experts
- Comprehensive and detailed, yet utterly readable and entertaining
- Beautifully illustrated by world-famous dinosaur artist, John Sibbick
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Reviews & endorsements
"I'm hard pressed to think of another available book as accessible as this for a novice to learn about dinosaurs." American Scientist
"The presentation of the book is superb...for palaeontologists it is the best single book on the subject." Historical Biology
"Amply fulfils its objective of providing an authoritative, stimulating and lively introduction to dinosaurs...recommend[ed] to interested general readers as the best available and thoroughly accessible account of dinosaurs and how they fit in with current scientific thinking." New Scientist
"Written in an easy, accessible style, this text will appeal to the non-specialist with an interest in dinosaurs. A series of enjoyable essays...a comprehensive text that is well suited for an entry level course on dinosaurs. Nicely illustrated, with a short bibliography at the end of each essay in the form of a list of important readings." - Southeastern Naturalist
"...a very interesting and fascinating book... Very well illustrated.... The authors are true specialists.... This book is addressed to a large public: novice and/or keen readers, researchers and teachers.... Concise and clear, the book will give satisfaction to most readers."
-Geobios - Analyses de livres
"...well-written, highly visual, engaging, and informative book...with much up-to-date information on virtually all aspects of dinosaur biology. ... The volume's strength is its clear explanation of anatomy within the context of natural history ... highly recommended." - CHOICE
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Product details
- Edition: 2nd Edition
- Date Published: February 2005
- format: Hardback
- isbn: 9780521811729
- length: 500 pages
- dimensions: 260 x 217 x 31 mm
- weight: 1.376kg
- contains: 250 b/w illus.
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
Preface to the second edition
Part I. Setting the Stage:
1. Introduction
2. Back to the past: the Mesozoic era
3. Discovering order in the natural world
4. Interrelationships of vertebrates
5. The origin of Dinosauria
Part II. Ornithischia: Armored, Horned, and Duck-Billed Dinosaurs:
6. Stegosauria: hot plates
7. Ankylosauria: mas and gas
8. Pachycephalosauria: ramroads of the Cretaceous
9. Ceratopsia: horns and all the frills
10. Ornithopoda: the tuskers, antelopes, and 'mighty ducks' of the Mesozoic
Part III. Saurischia: Predators and Giants:
11. Sauropodomorpha: the big, the bizarre, and the majestic
12. Theropoda I: nature red in tooth and claw
13. Theropoda II: the origin of birds
14. Theropoda III: the early evolution of birds
Part IV. Endothermy, Environments, and Extinction:
15. Dinosaur thermoregulation: some like it hot
16. Patterns in dinosaur evolution
17. Reconstructing extinctions: the art of science
18. The Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction: the frill is gone
Glossary
Subject index
Generic index
Author index.
Look Inside
Authors
David E. Fastovsky, University of Rhode Island
David B. Weishampel, The Johns Hopkins University
Illustrated by
John Sibbick