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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Dinosaurs & the prehistoric world
In "My Beloved Brontosaurus," the dinosaur fanatic Brian Switek
enriches the child-like sense of
wonder that dinosaurs, with their awe-inspiring size, terrifying
claws and teeth, and otherworldly
abilities, instill in us. Investigating the latest discoveries in
paleontology, he breathes new
life into old bones.
Switek visits desolate excavation sites and hallowed museum vaults,
exploring everything from "T.
rex"'s feather-laden body and the sex life of "Apatosaurus" to just
why dinosaurs vanished. He
celebrates the book's titular hero, ""Brontosaurus""--who suffered
a second extinction when we
learned the titan never existed at all--as a symbol of scientific
progress, and questions other
long-held truths about these amazing beasts. Weaving in memories
from his own obsession with
dinosaurs, which started when he was just knee-high to a
"Stegosaurus," Switek creates an
endearing and essential narrative about our own evolution and place
on Earth. A book that dinosaur
fans will cherish for years to come, "My Beloved Brontosaurus" is a
classic work of science
storytelling.
A Guidebook that provides expert information on North American
dinosaurs from a biblical yet scientific perspective. In-depth
facts and figures on over 100 genera of dinosaurs organized
according to their likely created kinds. More than 300 artistic
sketches and full-color photographs. Actual fossil evidences upon
which secular and creationist dinosaur interpretations are based.
informative essays on dinosaurs and the Bible, dinosaur footprints,
dinosaur eggs, dinosaur museums, dinosaur hunting, dinosaur
paleontologists and more. Answers to many of the mysteries
surrounding dinosaurs that cannot be logically solved using secular
presuppositions. Complete Bibliography, Glossary and Index.
Clifford Brooks and his wife Joan believe that 'Herbert, ' the
frisky dinosaur who'd saved their lives in A THING OF THE PAST, has
been lost forever in the Earth's underworld. But to their
amazement, he returns to the surface of the Earth--and immediately
raises once again all of the complicated problems attendant upon
trying to house a fearsome, 80-ton prehistoric beast in the midst
of modern society. He's eventually condemned to death as a menace
to the community, but somehow he--or his owners--always managed to
circumvent the final sentence. Which is just as well, since it
appears that Herbert's appearance is almost providential. When
aliens from another star arrive to Earth bent on denuding the
planet of one of its natural resources, only Herbert can save the
day Another delightful SF adventure from the pulp paperback era
Harlan Ford was the first person to pour plaster castings of tracks
and report a sighting to the media of an unknown creature known
worldwide as the legendary Honey Island Swamp Monster. Harlan Ford
was my grandfather. While recently moving everything from the Ford
home after it was sold, we came across a letter that Harlan Ford
wrote in the 1970's about his encounter with the Honey Island Swamp
Monster. After Harlan Ford passed away in 1980, his story of the
Honey Island Swamp Monster has been told and retold by many people.
As we all know when things are retold so many times, certain
details change, get exaggerated, maybe by accident, maybe on
purpose. But luckily Ford's encounters were documented in his own
words in the letter. I have inserted Harlan Ford's actual letter in
this book for you to read. There are also recent eye-witness
encounters that are documented in this book.
The belief that some dinosaurs were so gigantic that they couldn't
exist with today's gravity is a topic frequently discussed on
internet websites. The opinion posted the most is that the Earth's
mass must have changed significantly resulting in an alteration of
surface gravity or that the Earth somehow expanded. Neither of
these opinions have scientific support. The theory explained in
this book, the GTME, does have that support.
Readers familiar with basic rotational physics understand that
when there is a redistribution of mass within a rotating
symmetrical object, like the Earth, there are two laws of physics
that must be obeyed: the conservation of (1) rotational kinetic
energy and (2) angular momentum. When the Earth's continents
coalesced to form Pangea, their center of mass shifted south of the
equator, an action which would have reduced (1) and (2). Something
had to offset the above continental movement in order to conserve
the two quantities described. That something was either the
shifting of the Earth's core elements (inner/outer cores and
densest lower mantle) away from Pangea or the increase in
rotational velocity of the Earth (i.e., shortening of the day). The
latter has not been detected during Pangea's existence.
Considerable circumstantial evidence supports the GTME. The most
obvious is the existence of the largest dinosaurs, the sauropods.
As Pangea broke apart and surface gravity increased the extinction
of all non-avian dinosaurs, sea-going reptiles, ammonites,
pterosaurs, etc., occurred. Core element movement is supported by
the massive flood basalt volcanism of the Mesozoic and the two
superchrons, the periods when magnetic pole reversal didn't occur.
The most powerful support for the GTME comes from the science of
paleomagnetism. Paleomagnetists are split between support of the
Pangea A vs. Pangea B models. Relying on the magnetic Geocentric
Axial Dipole (GAD) model to reconstruct continental positions of
Pangea they encountered a roadblock; the continents appeared to
overlap. The GTME solves this problem because the shifting of the
core elements from the Earth's geocenter mandates a non-GAD model.
A recent study hypothesizes that geomagnetic pole reversals are
directly linked to continental plate distribution; a concept
already posited by the GTME As explained in this book, many if not
most of the mass extinctions were the result of changes in the
Earth's surface gravity due to core element movement resulting from
continental tectonic plate movement.
Spinosaurus, or the thorn lizard, lived almost 100 million years
ago. Using its crocodile like teeth and sharp claws, the
Spinosaurus stalked the prehistoric jungles and oceans in search of
prey. This frightening reptile may have been the largest
carnivorous dinosaur, even larger than the fearsome T-rex! Stunning
graphics take the reader through a day in the life of the
Spinosaurus, from breakfast to dinner. This fascinating volume also
includes fossil facts and information about the period in which the
Spinosaurus lived and the other dinosaurs of that time period.
Throughout human history gladiators have fought in various arenas
for the enjoyment of others. Yet even the greatest of human
champions would last mere seconds against some of nature's
nightmares. Few people would fail to recognise the killing
capability of a great white shark. However, is it without peer?
Does it have anything to fear from any of the ocean's other
predators? Similarly, few people would doubt the killing capability
of the legendary Tyrannosaurus rex, but could it eat any dinosaur
it came across? If it had lived in another place and at another
time, would T. Rex have ended up being lunch for something else?
Predator Deathmatch is the first book ever to study apex predators
and actually pose the question of who is/was the ultimate predator
by pitting them against each other. The author has carefully
profiled each contender with a mixture of historical data,
information from the fossil record and current observations of wild
animal behaviour. He whets our appetites with a big fight build-up
prior to a fictional description of the clash itself between two
apex predators. Clashes include Great White Shark vs. Killer Whale,
Polar Bear vs. Siberian Tiger and T. Rex vs. the prehistoric
Supercroc, to name but a few. Each chapter presents the available
facts and then opines to settle the score. Informative, educational
and thoroughly entertaining, Predator Deathmatch presents the
reader with the facts, the myths, and the conjecture on these
mighty predators. Forget Muhammad Ali; open the page and find out
who really is the greatest of all time
There has never been a more popular time for dinosaurs and all
things dinosaurian. From blockbuster films packed with breathtaking
CGI effects, children's television and video cartoons, computer
games, CD-ROMs, animatronic museum exhibitions, and theme parks, to
countless books, magazines, toys large and small, ornaments,
collectabilia, and even fun lines in confectionery and other
edibles, prehistoric paraphernalia continues to scale new heights
of desirability worldwide. But nowhere is this more apparent than
within the philatelic world - where the issuing in recent years by
an ever-increasing number of countries around the globe of
handsome, highly-prized stamp sets depicting a spectacular array of
dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals is matched only by the
corresponding increase of thematic collectors eager to amass an
eyecatching, comprehensive menagerie of palaeontological monsters
that the custodians of Jurassic Park could only dream about Today,
well over 500 sets of stamps portraying all manner of dinosaurs and
also a multifarious assemblage of other prehistoric animals have
been issued, with a substantial proportion of these having appeared
within the last decade alone - confirming the escalating interest
among collectors in this exciting thematic subject. And who can
blame them? After all, where else but in the pages of a stamp album
could stegosaurs and plesiosaurs, tyrannosaurs and sabre-tooth
tigers, brachiosaurs, mammoths, belemnites, ground sloths, giant
birds, and ichthyosaurs jostle for attention with velociraptors and
trilobites, dimetrodonts and diplodocuses, mosasaurs, woolly
rhinoceroses, Archaeopteryx, titanosaurs, iguanodontids, ammonites,
giant sea scorpions, and innumerable other spectacular denizens of
our planet's distant past? Now, for the very first time, here is a
philatelic catalogue devoted exclusively to these incredible
animals. Compiled by zoologist Dr Karl P.N. Shuker, a lifelong,
enthusiastic collector of wildlife stamps and with an especial
interest in those that portray fossil species, it provides an
exhaustive, definitive listing of stamps and miniature sheets
depicting dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals issued by
countries throughout the world. It also includes sections dealing
with cryptozoological stamps, dinosaur stamp superlatives, and
unofficial prehistoric animal stamps. This invaluable book will
undoubtedly encourage everyone with a passion for dinosaurs and
other prehistoric creatures to pursue it not only on screen, in
books, or in museums but also via the ever-fascinating world of
philately.
A dazzling visual record of one of Earth's most extraordinary
species, this edition of Mammoths: giants of the ice age integrates
exciting new research to piece together the story of mammoths and
their relatives, icons of the ice age. Incorporating recent genetic
work, new fossil finds, new extinction theories and more, Mammoths
is a captivating exploration of how these mighty creatures evolved,
lived and mysteriously disappeared. The title features colour
illustrations that depict mammoths in their dramatic ice age
habitats, scores of photographs of mammoth remains, and images of
the art of prehistoric people who saw these animals in the flesh.
Full of intriguing facts, boxed features and clear graphics,
Mammoths examines the findings - including intact frozen carcasses
from Siberia, and fossilized remains from South Dakota, California,
England, France and elsewhere - that have provided the clues to the
mammoths' geographic range, body structure, way of life and
interactions with early humans. It is an enthralling story of
palaeontological, archaeological and geological exploration, and of
the fascinating investigations of biologists, archaeologists and
art historians worldwide.
Shawnee legend tells of a herd of huge bison rampaging through
the Ohio Valley, laying waste to all in their path. To protect the
tribe, a deity slew these great beasts with lightning bolts,
finally chasing the last giant buffalo into exile across the Wabash
River, never to trouble the Shawnee again. The source of this
legend was a peculiar salt lick in present-day northern Kentucky,
where giant fossilized skeletons had for centuries lain undisturbed
by the Shawnee and other natives of the region. In 1739, the first
Europeans encountered this fossil site, which eventually came to be
known as Big Bone Lick. The site drew the attention of all who
heard of it, including George Washington, Daniel Boone, Benjamin
Franklin, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and especially Thomas
Jefferson. The giant bones immediately cast many scientific and
philosophical assumptions of the day into doubt, and they
eventually gave rise to the study of fossils for biological and
historical purposes. Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American
Paleontology recounts the rich history of the fossil site that gave
the world the first evidence of the extinction of several mammalian
species, including the American mastodon. Big Bone Lick has played
many roles: nutrient source, hallowed ground, salt mine, health
spa, and a rich trove of archaeological and paleontological
wonders. Natural historian Stanley Hedeen presents a comprehensive
narrative of Big Bone Lick from its geological formation forward,
explaining why the site attracted animals, regional tribespeople,
European explorers and scientists, and eventually American pioneers
and presidents. Big Bone Lick is the history of both a place and a
scientific discipline: it explores the infancy and adolescence of
paleontology from its humble and sometimes humorous beginnings.
Hedeen combines elements of history, geology, politics, and biology
to make Big Bone Lick a valuable historical resource as well as the
compelling tale of how a collection of fossilized bones captivated
a young nation.
“A superb introduction to paleontology as it really is and how it is done, from fish to dinosaur, bird, and mammal.” —Edward O. Wilson
Michael Novacek, a renowned paleontologist who has discovered important fossils on virtually every continent, is an authority on patterns of evolution and on the relationships among extinct and extant organisms. Time Traveler is his captivating account of how his boyhood enthusiasm for dinosaurs became a lifelong commitment to vanguard science. Novacek writes of the alluring perils of fieldwork with affection and discernment, and he illuminates the most exciting issues in paleontology today.
Toward the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, during a time known as the
Late Cretaceous, a new type of giant predator appeared along the
southern coasts of North America. It was a huge species of
crocodylian and is called Deinosuchus. Neither a crocodile nor an
alligator, it was an ancestor of both modern groups, but it reached
weights of many tons and it had some features unique to the
species. Average-sized individuals were bigger than the carnivorous
dinosaurs with which they cohabited; the largest specimens were the
size of a T-rex.;This is the biography of these giant beasts,
including the long history of their discovery, research about their
makeup, and the first published evidence about their prey.
Generations of people have stared at the 6-foot reconstructed skull
at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, not
realising that the only real bones in the specimen were bits of
snout and lower jaw. New fossils and research show that the actual
animal was quite different from the reconstruction, and now we can
reliably assemble the skull and the remainder of the animal.;The
book also deals with the ancient life and geology of the coastal
areas where Deinosuchus thrived, in
In this work for general audiences, A.G. Debus (emeritus, U. of
Chicago) and his wife share their expertise and personal
experiences as dinosaur enthusiasts. Includes excerpts from
interviews with other paleophiles, illustrations, and a foreword by
a scientist with the Denver Museum of Nature and Sc
In 1872, a young graduate of Yale University named Thomas Russell
unearthed the bones of an 83,000,000-year-old dinosaur in western
Kansas. The rare fossil, an avian dinosaur with teeth and
flightless wings, proved that birds evolved from reptiles. More
than a century later, Russell's great-granddaughter set out to
retrace her ancestor's forgotten expedition. Part detective
history, part memoir, For Want of Wings is Jill Hunting's
captivating account of her journey into prehistory, national
history, and family history. In her quest to piece together
fragments of her family's past, Hunting ends up crisscrossing the
United States, from California to Connecticut. On her first trip
across the Colorado Rockies to the fossil bed site near Russell
Springs, Kansas, Hunting brings along her then twenty-six-year-old
daughter. When the book opens, mother and daughter are both at
crossroads, each seeking to understand the impact of personal
decisions on the landscape of her life. As Hunting ventures
forward, she encounters unexpected resources, such as ten-year-old
triplets who converse with her about dinosaurs and a Connecticut
museum where portraits of her ancestors hang on the walls. Through
lively descriptions of these visits, Hunting advances a view of
history as nonlinear and full of unlikely coincidences. For Want of
Wings is also the carefully researched story of the least known of
Yale's four expeditions into the American West, led by eminent
paleontologist O. C. Marsh; the friendship between Russell's father
and abolitionist John Brown; a portrait of a mother and daughter
evolving in self-understanding; and an inquiry into matters of race
in American history and the author's own family. In the end, all
these pieces converge, like fragments of a fossil, to form an
exquisitely patterned work of historical exploration.
'A masterpiece of analysis and imagination. . . It centres on a sensation al discovery in the field of palaeontology - the existence, in the Bur gess Shale. . . of 530-million-year-old fossils unique in age, preservat ion and diversity. . . With skill and passion, Gould takes this mute coll ection of fossils and makes them speak to us. The result challenges s ome of our most cherished self-perceptions and urges a fundamental re-assessment of our place in the history of life on earth' Sunday Times.
John H. Ostrom's expeditions to the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming and
Montana in the 1960s resulted in discoveries and research that
would change long-held concepts in paleontology. This
fiftieth-anniversary edition of his now well-known description of
the type specimen of Deinonychus antirrhopus revisits the work that
redefined theropod dinosaurs as the intelligent, agile, and
gregarious ancestors of modern birds and led in the late twentieth
century to a renaissance in the study of dinosaurs and the
evolution of flight. Distributed for the Yale Peabody Museum of
Natural History
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