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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Dinosaurs & the prehistoric world
From the outback of Australia to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and
the savanna of Madagascar, the award-winning science writer and
dinosaur enthusiast John Pickrell embarks on a world tour of new
finds, meeting the fossil hunters who work at the frontier of
discovery. He reveals the dwarf dinosaurs unearthed by an eccentric
Transylvanian baron; an aquatic, crocodile-snouted carnivore bigger
than T. rex that once lurked in North African waterways; a Chinese
dinosaur with wings like a bat; and a Patagonian sauropod so
enormous it weighed more than two commercial jet airliners. Other
surprising discoveries hail from Alaska, Siberia, Canada, Burma,
and South Africa. Why did dinosaurs grow so huge? How did they
spread across the world? Did they all have feathers? What do
sauropods have in common with 1950s vacuum cleaners? The stuff of
adventure movies and scientific revolutions, Weird Dinosaurs
examines the latest breakthroughs and new technologies that are
radically transforming our understanding of the distant past.
Pickrell opens a vivid portal to a brand-new age of fossil
discovery, in which fossil hunters are routinely redefining what we
know and how we think about prehistory's most iconic and
fascinating creatures.
"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.
Join a Fascinating Adventure on the Hunt for Mythical Animals #1
New Release in Dinosaurs, Mammals, and Hunting From animals long
believed extinct, to monsters that we thought never existed-this
book acts as both a guide to, and unbelievably true account of
legendary cryptids. Globetrotting adventure for mythical animals.
Cryptozoologist Richard Freeman has spent years researching and
tracking down mythical monsters. In this book, he recounts riveting
monster hunt stories; through the dense forests of Sumatra on the
trail of a mystery ape known as the orang-pendek, to Tasmania in
search of the thylacine or Tasmanian wolf. Every corner of Earth
has its own monster-even in the traceless Gobi Desert as he
searches for the Mongolian death worm, a creature so feared by the
nomads that it can send a whole community into a panic. Expert
advice to start your own hunt. The author provides you with
excellent advice on how to carry out your own cryptozoological
expeditions from scratch. This includes advice on what equipment to
take, inoculations, how to choose which mythical animals to hunt,
planning ahead and the importance of getting good local guides to
name a few. Inside, you'll find: A deep dive into whether extinct
animals are truly extinct A journey beyond a textbook definition of
the world's largest animals A ton of advice, including information
on how to join the Centre for Fortean Zoology If you enjoyed
Richard Freemans previous book, Adventures in Cryptozoology; or
liked titles such as The Compendium of Magical Beasts, The
Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy, or Chasing American Monsters,
you'll love In Search of Real Monsters: Adventures in Cryptozoology
Volume II.
Taking us on an incredible journey across centuries and galaxies,
accompanied by his characteristic wit, Professor Luke O'Neill
explains how it all began, how it all will end and everything in
between. Readers will benefit from Luke's insatiable curiosity for
life when they dive into this ultimate journey through life and
death. Among many fascinating facts, you'll discover the science
behind how we got to be so smart, why sex with a caveman was a good
idea, the science of finding love, why we follow religions, and how
robots will become part of everyday life. Humanology is a humbling
reminder that we're just a small speck in a big universe - so sit
back and embrace the adventure. 'A man who can explain 4.2 billion
years of life on Earth and make me laugh at the same time - sheer
genius.' Pat Kenny, Newstalk
Everything you need to know about dinosaurs, pterosaurs, marine reptiles, and mammals in this stunning prehistoric encyclopedia for kids.
With more than 1,000 images and fascinating facts, The Dinosaur Book brings young readers face-to-face with some of the most incredible creatures ever to exist. Using a range of full-colour images, including spectacular fossilised bones and realistic digital reconstructions, all forms of prehistoric life are covered.
The Dinosaur Book includes important, recent prehistoric finds such as the amazing discovery of a 110 million-year-old dinosaur named Nodosaur as well as some of the remarkable feathered dinosaurs recently unearthed in China!
Young readers can find out too, about the latest scientific discoveries that have changed the way we see these fascinating prehistoric animals - from new feathered dinosaurs to how and where they lived.
Fossils allow us to picture the forms of life that inhabited the
earth eons ago. But we long to know more: how did these animals
actually behave? We are fascinated by the daily lives of our fellow
creatures-how they reproduce and raise their young, how they hunt
their prey or elude their predators, and more. What would it be
like to see prehistoric animals as they lived and breathed? From
dinosaurs fighting to their deaths to elephant-sized burrowing
ground sloths, this book takes readers on a global journey deep
into the earth's past. Locked in Time showcases fifty of the most
astonishing fossils ever found, brought together in five
fascinating chapters that offer an unprecedented glimpse at the
real-life behaviors of prehistoric animals. Dean R. Lomax examines
the extraordinary direct evidence of fossils captured in the midst
of everyday action, such as dinosaurs sitting on their eggs like
birds, Jurassic flies preserved while mating, a T. rex infected by
parasites. Each fossil, he reveals, tells a unique story about
prehistoric life. Many recall behaviors typical of animals familiar
to us today, evoking the chain of evolution that links all living
things to their distant ancestors. Locked in Time allows us to see
that fossils are not just inanimate objects: they can record the
life stories of creatures as fully alive as any today. Striking and
scientifically rigorous illustrations by renowned paleoartist Bob
Nicholls bring these breathtaking moments to life.
When the "The Dinosauria "was first published more than a decade
ago, it was hailed as the best scholarly reference work available
on dinosaurs and an historically unparalleled compendium of
information. This second, fully revised edition continues in the
same vein as the first but encompasses the recent spectacular
discoveries that have continued to revolutionize the field. A
state-of-the-science view of current world research, the volume
includes comprehensive coverage of dinosaur systematics,
reproduction, and life history strategies, biogeography, taphonomy,
paleoecology, thermoregulation, and extinction. Its internationally
renowned authorsOCoforty-four specialists on the various members of
the DinosauriaOCocontribute definitive descriptions and
illustrations of these magnificent Mesozoic beasts. The first
section of "The Dinosauria "begins with the origin of the great
clade of these fascinating reptiles, followed by separate coverage
of each major dinosaur taxon, including the Mesozoic radiation of
birds. The second part of the volume navigates through broad areas
of interest. Here we find comprehensive documentation of dinosaur
distribution through time and space, discussion of the interface
between geology and biology, and the paleoecological inferences
that can be made through this link. This new edition will be the
benchmark reference for everyone who needs authoritative
information on dinosaurs."
Dinosaur bones had been found centuries before scientists understood what they were and what creatures they came from; ancient Chinese writings spoke of 'dragon' bones, and large fossils discovered in the UK were thought to belong to human giants. It was only with the exploration and meticulous research of generations of intrepid palaeontologists that the truth about dinosaurs was discovered.
The Dinosaur Hunters tells the story of these discoverers of prehistoric life, and the revelations found through their research. Illustrated with 30 rare documents, photographs and hand-drawn maps, it explores the unearthing of Iguanodon teeth, the discovery of the first flying dinosaur, the infamous Bone Wars and consultant editor Dr Mark Norell's radical study of feathered dinosaurs. This is a tale of daring exploits, luck, science and wanderlust, and of the thrilling lives and work of heroic scientists and adventurers.
'Gripping and wonderfully informative' Tom Holland, New Statesman
Adored by children and adults alike, Tyrannosaurus is the most
famous dinosaur in the world, one that pops up again and again in
pop culture, often battling other beasts such as King Kong,
Triceratops or velociraptors in Jurassic Park. But despite the
hype, Tyrannosaurus and the other tyrannosaurs are fascinating
animals in their own right, and are among the best-studied of all
dinosaurs. Tyrannosaurs started small, but over the course of 100
million years evolved into the giant carnivorous bone-crushers that
continue to inspire awe in palaeontologists, screenplay writers,
sci-fi novelists and the general public alike. Tyrannosaurus itself
was truly impressive; it topped six tons, was more than 12m (40
feet) long, and had the largest head and most powerful bite of any
land animal in history. The Tyrannosaur Chronicles tracks the rise
of these dinosaurs, and presents the latest research into their
biology, showing off more than just their impressive statistics -
tyrannosaurs had feathers and fought and even ate each other. This
book presents the science behind this research; it tells the story
of the group through their anatomy, ecology and behaviour,
exploring how they came to be the dominant terrestrial predators of
the Mesozoic and, in more recent times, one of the great icons of
biology.
Rudolph Zallinger's 110-foot (33.5-meter) fresca secco painting of
The Age of Reptiles is one of the largest natural history murals in
the world. Completed in 1947, it is an overview of prehistoric life
told through the principal features and concepts of The Age of
Reptiles. The mural has defined our view of the prehistoric world,
and continues to teach, inform and spark the imagination of
thousands of visitors that walk through the Yale Peabody Museum's
Great Hall each year, as well as to admirers around the world over
through countless reproductions in publications and textbooks. This
second edition of the Peabody's guide to Zallinger's masterwork is
a compilation of earlier material and new information-including
Vincent Scully's classic essay on the mural's place in the history
of art-contributed by the staff and scientists of the Yale Peabody
Museum. Filled with full color illustrations throughout, the
concealed spiral paperback includes updated descriptions and
identifying illustrations of the animals and plants depicted in the
mural keyed to a 12 page foldout full-color poster that is bound
into the book. Distributed for the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural
History
From airplanes to birds, the phenomenon of flight has always amazed
and mystified humans. Therefore, it is unsurprising that scientists
have invested a substantial amount of research into unraveling the
secrets of flight evolution. Over the course of the past decade,
the science of flight evolution has recently experienced a research
renaissance, most of the information has been confined to the ivory
tower of academia. In On the Wing, David Alexander delves into the
evolution of flight in each of the four animal groups that evolved
powered flight: insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats. Alexander
presents and compares each group's evolutionary history, including
diversification and partial or complete extinction, especially as
related to flight. The evolution of flight in animals is
fascinating story riddled with scientific controversy and colorful
characters, from the incredible Archaeopteryx to the
recently-discovered feathered dinosaur Microraptor. Chapter topics
include aerodynamics, comparisons and contrasts among the powered
flyers, and the ultimate evolution away from flight. Alexander even
examines the surprisingly diverse group of gliding animals,
including squirrels, snakes, and ants. Through rigorous yet
accessible writing, Alexander offers a comprehensive and engaging
account of the evolution of flight, from dinosaurs to modern birds.
On the Wing will delight and inform everyone from bird lovers to
dinosaur enthusiasts, and offers key insights into the perpetual
mystery of flight.
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