Book Description

Now young children can read about dinosaurs even how to say their names'by themselves. ‘Shouts of welcome will greet this new addition to the Early I Can Read series.

I Can Read Books are the premier line of -- beginning readers encouraging children to learn and love -- to read. Featuring award-winning authors and illustrators, I Can Read Books offer a full spectrum of entertaining stories for every stage of a child's reading development.

Reviews (2)

Not a very good book
At one point, (page 14) the book and the tape don't match. The book lists Apatosaurus and the narrator says Brontosaurus. Will NOT buy this line of books again.

outdated dino ideas for kids
This is a poor resource for children who want to learn about dinosaurs, it gives outdated, incorrect information and illustrations to match. I had a copy of this book in elementary school and i kept it as a model of incorrect dino information. ... Read more

Book Description

This overview and introduction to the study of fossilinvertebrates emphasizes both soft and skeletal anatomy, as well as the relationshipbetween those known only from fossils and animals living today. It lays the foundation for studentsU eventual abilities to (1) recognize many of the mostabundant fossils, (2) appreciate their value in interpreting ancient environments ofdeposition, and (3) use them as tools for stratigraphic correlation. ... Read more

Book Description

The beautiful spiral shells of these long-extinct marine invertebrates are among the most sought after and recognizable of fossils, yet little has been published about ammonites outside of geological journals. Neale Monks and Philip Palmer look at the latest ideas on ammonite biology and ecology to present this detailed picture of a once diverse and widespread group of animals. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Interesting but could be better
The book has superb photographs, both black and white and color.
The extended discussion of the attempts to establish what ammonite biology might have been like by comparing them with living and dead realative was fascinating.

On the negative side, I missed any discussion of the human context of ammonites. When were they first noticed? What was the process of ascertaining what they really were? As a non-specialist, I could have done with less information on the history and details of various species.

Overall, while worth reading, this book suffers in comparison with Richart Fortley's book Trilobite. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

very good overall guide
This book provides a very very good overview of fossils in all categories -dinosaur, reptiles, sharks, mammals, ferns, problematica, etc.

Nicely done with a very good color image of a representative fossil, as well as classification, a drawing of what the animal would look like, and typical size. This is true for every specimen.

Certainly depth of information is limited, however is still represented in small descriptions of habitat, locale, feeding habits, and occasionally quips of special interest.

Drawback is simply that more dinosaurs, reptiles, mammals could be represented. An inordinate amount of specimens are mollusks, snails etc.

However, again this book still does a good job of showing the many types of specimens in the fossil record which does grow on you.

A more extensive library of possible fossils could have been optioned to show a more choice fossil selection in some cases.

Good amount of information (concisely represented), with images and drawings very professionally done.

A larger, more in depth hardcover edition would be welcome. ... Read more

Book Description

The Human Fossil Record series is the most authoritative and comprehensive documentation of the fossil evidence  relevant to the study of our evolutionary past. This second volume covers the craniodental remains from Africa and Asia attributed to the genus Homo. In this monumental and groundbreaking new series, the authors use clearly defined terminology and descriptive protocols that are applied uniformly throughout. Organized alphabetically by site name with detailed morphological descriptions and original, expertly taken photographs, each entry features:

• Location information

• History of discovery

• Previous systematic assessments of the fossils

• Geological, archaeological, and faunal contexts

• Dating

• References to the primary literature ... Read more

Book Description

The diminishing population of African and Asian elephants can be compared to the extinction of other elephant-like species, such as mammoths and mastodonts, which occurred more than ten thousand years ago.The purpose of this book is to use the ecology and behavior of modern elephants to create models for reconstructing the life and death of extinct mammoths and mastodonts. The source of the models is a long-term and continuing study of elephants in Zimbabwe, Africa.These models are clearly described with respect to the anatomical, behavioral, and ecological similarities between past and present proboscideans.The implications of these similarities on the life and death of mammoths and mastodonts is explored in detail.The importance of this book is primarily its unifying perspective on living and extinct proboscideans:the fossil record is closely examined and compared to the natural history of surviving elephants.Dr. Haynes's studies of the places where African elephants die (so-called elephant burial grounds) are unique. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A comprehensive study of proboscidean kill sites
Gary Haynes has done marvelous research in the study of known-cause elephant death sites and has used this research to present a very logical comparison to pre-historic proboscidean remains. This book is a "must read" for anyone interested in mammoths and the various extinction theories. ... Read more

Book Description

Young readers can learn basic facts about dinosaurs in the Hello Reader! Science book. They¹ll find out which were the smallest, the tallest, and the strongest, along with many other facts. This non-fiction book has rhyming test, realistic, colorful illustrations, and an appendix with each dinosaur listed in the book. ... Read more

Book Description

The most diverse fossil bed in the United States provides a unique picture of what life was like 34 million years agoIn the rocks of Florissant, Colorado, lying in the shadow of Pikes Peak, is the evidence of a long-lost world. Encased by the ash of volcanoes that erupted tens of millions of years ago, animals such as insects, fish, and mammals were fossilized in the same deposits as flowers, trees, and the delicate leaves of plants. This amazing collection of animals and plants from the same place at the same time provides a rare, uniquely comprehensive glimpse of life in the past.

Through more than 200 color photographs and vivid descriptions of the fossils, Meyer brings the fossils of Florissant to life, not only providing background on the plants and animals, but also exploring the warm environment in which they lived. The site was once a trea- sure trove for paleontologists who acquired the fossils for museums around the world; it is now protected as Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Meyer’s book reveals the beauty of both the site and its delicate fossils, and offers a compelling story of life long ago. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Fossils of Florissant
The Fossils of Florissant written by Herbert W. Meyer is a wonderful collection of flora and fauna from the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado in the shadow of Pikes Peak. Encased between layers of volcanic ash from an erupted volcano 34 million years ago are animals, leaves, and plant life at the time and are remarkably well preserved.

"The Fossils of Florissant" is a collection of different museum specimens all brought together in one readable tome for not only the specialist paleontologist but the causal reader of interest as well. This book is easily followed and is laid out well. There are ample illustrations and photographs to whet the readers interest making for a book to keep. These fossil specimens are so well preserved that a color patterns of tiny flies are preserved.

"The Fossils of Florissant" is a feast for the imagination as one wishes to understand life's history on planet Earth and this is a clear snapshot into time as it was on a wooded lake shore some 34 millions years ago in the Eocene. There are pictures of flowers, spiders, and insects galore making this one of Earth's richest deposit of life on Earth in this time.

The reader will enjoy this book as it is. The book is well appointed and there is pictures of fossilized vertebrates from this time even thorough they are small. The larger vertebretes are only fragmetary but this show that this area was a one time teaming with life and is a good cross section into how life was at that time. If you have any scientific background you'll enjoy this author's prose. Even if you are a casual reader, you'll enjoy reading about life's past.

"The Fossils of Florissant" gets a solid five stars from me. This is a highly readable well illustrated book that will capture and hold your attention till the end. The study of geology and paleontology at plases like Florissant clearly shows that the world is, if for nothing else, an everchanging, evolving place.

Florissant fossils: A new glimpse into a lost world
This is a delightful book, well written and profusely illustrated, about one of the world's premier fossil insect and plant localities. It is written for the serious paleontologist, as well as the casual inquisitive reader interested in the natural world.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is remarkable because it constitutes a highly detailed snapshot of life at a time when the earth was entering a period of major climate change. The setting is a 34 million year-old forest, along a lake teeming with exceptional diversity, in the shadow of an erupting volcano. Due to the outstanding quality of preservation, many unique fossil plants, birds, butterflies, spiders, bees, and fish from this site appear to have met their demise only yesterday.

During the last 100 years, a large number of prized fossils from Florissant have been scattered to museums all over the world. The author has traveled extensively to find and catalog these specimens, and assemble a collection of color photographs printed in exquisite detail. He meticulously reconstructs the ancient ecosystem from the fossil record, at times much like a detective unravels clues from a good murder mystery. Interesting twists abound. For example, why is the only fossil of the tsetse fly-the blood-sucking, disease-carrying scourge of equatorial Africa today-- found at this location high in the Rockies?

When it comes to fossils, big is not necessarily better. Dinosaur books have grabbed the imagination of many in the last few years, but The Fossils of Florissant, by Herbert Meyer, is a newcomer that deserves to be at the top of the heap. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This book is really Xtreme!
Well,after reading "Dinosaurs!The Biggest,Baddest,Strangest & Fastest" and "Dinosaur Imagery",I`m receiving the third great dinosaur art book,which can almost be classified as a follow-up and companion to "Dinosaurs!".
It is mainly written for children in the ages of 10 or something,but I still find it very fascinating as it provides entertaining information on what the dinosaurs may behaviored and looked like.
For the first,the dinosaurs of this book are mainly cretaceous,so if you`re a fan of stegosaurs or sauropods,this is nothing for you. But if you like the small theropods,there is no better art book. This book is like a dinosaurian sightseeing guide - it begins with a short introduction,then chapters about American,South American African,and Asian dinosaurs. Each continent has very special ones - in North America,you`ll find T-rex and Utahraptor,in South America we meet the bizarre "buldog" dinosaur Carnotaurus,the fearfull Giganotosaurus and the strange Amargasaurus with a sail on the neck!
The asian dinosaurs are perhaps even more bizarre,such as the Therizinosaurus with 3-foot claws,and the dinosaur-bird link Sinsauropteryx. Special attention are given to the feathered dinosaurs,and he puts feathers on nearly all meat-eaters under a tonne!
It ends with a short chapter about the most weird & wonderfull dinosaurs,like the most deadly dino ever to live - Deinonychus,which looks more like a stupid turkey than a horror lizard,but is still a perfect predator,with 6-inch claws!And the recently discovered Byronosaurus and the Jurassic Park favorite Velociraptor are also given some attention,especially the picture when the raptors are playing in the snow,which is an image that just feels so moving and uplifting I almost want to move myself!
After reading this book,I really had some thoughts about dinosaurs. They may didn`t looked like most people imagine. May be they weren`t so unlike the present animals,but in some way this makes them even more fascinating and wonderfull. The restorations of this book can`t barely be described in words ; you have to see them for yourself to fully know what I mean.
I will also base my upcoming dinosaur comic on the look and behavior of these "Extreme Dinosaurs".
If you wish to have a dino art book with just one painter,then there is no better than this!So buy it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Feathered Dinosaurs
Feathered Dinosaurs written by Christopher Sloan is a well-written and highly illustrated book about dinosaurs having feathers, either as young or as adult for display during mating.

This book is an easy read and could be read in the age group of 9 to 12 years old. With that said, adult readers will get information from the book as well. The theory that dinosaurs had feathers has been around since the 1970's, but the fossil record is now being tapped and as paleontologists probe further into the fossil they are uncovering more and more evidence that, indeed, certain dinosaurs did have feathers.

Dinosaurs, being endothermic, that is warm-blooded, needed protection from hot and cold and feathers work well for this purpose. Like birds of today, the use of feathers make for a good display during mating and also, for recognizing like-kind, but more importantly to help regulate body temperature.

After 65 millions years since the extinction of the dinosaurs took place, we find that the flying dinosaurs made it and advanced through time to the present. One of the amazing stories of nature and her will to survive, the reason should be obvious... they could fly great distances and avoid climatic changes.

Searching for clues for the connectionbetween dinosaurs and birds of today, one has to have a keen sense of observation and compare the two. Using your sense like a detective, you must check the bones, eggs, and, of course, the feathers. More and more evidence is being unearthed every day and making the connection between early birds and dinosaurs is becoming clearer.

This book is part of the National Geographic Society collection of books on dinosaurs and is well worth the money. If you have a child who likes dinosaurs this is a book to check out and consider to purchase for them. So, after 65 million years we are finding out that the birds we see out and about our front and backyards are indeed descendants of a time long since gone. ... Read more

Book Description

Practical, concise, and easy to use, Simon & Schuster's Guide to FossilsSimon & Schuster's Guide to Fossils contains everything the fossil enthusiast needs to know. A thorough introduction discusses science, evolution, and history and describes the process of fossilization, how we trace evolution with fossils, how fossils are classified, where fossil organisms lived, and where fossils can be found today. This indispensable guide includes 260 entries, including dinosaur fossils, all beautifully illustrated in color, and is complete with each fossil's classification, description, geographic distribution, and notes on the main areas where examples have been found. Information on age, appearance, and environment is provided and highlighted with easy-to-read visual symbols.

Whether you are a serious collector or an absolute amateur, fervently hoping to trip over an ancient shell or bone, this incomparably stunning, authoritative reference is the most useful and valuable book on fossils you can own. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

On Your Bookshelf At home, In Your Pocket On The Field
Simon and Schuster's Guide to Fossils, is the best choice for field usage and as a good reference. In the book, you not only find the right definition and name for the fossil you have found, but also the specific facts about it. From classification to description, from description to stratigraphic position and geographical distribution... It also includes special notes about the specimens that you've collected, to make you completely understand the organisms... In short, this book is what you need on your bookshelf at home, and in your pocket on the field. ... Read more

Book Description

This thorough introduction to the world of paleontology has been completely revised and updated, reflecting changes in the ways that fossils are viewed and interpreted. Using the fluid writing style that made Trilobite! Eyewitness to Evolution such a success, Dr. Fortey brings the study of fossils into the twenty-first century. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Prizes from paleontology
Fossils retain a mystique unmatched by most other natural wonders.They provide a window into the deep past and a hint of life's immense variety.Richard Fortey, whose reputation is built on a long career studying trilobite fossils, provides a richly illustrated summary of the prizes of paleontology.Carefully written to show the science behind fossil hunting, he avidly encourages amateurs with this book also.He explains how fossils were the key element in establishing the science of geology by William Smith.In later years they would be the buttress supporting Darwin's idea of evolution by natural selection.In the 20th Century these silent witnesses would provide the finishing touches on the concept of plate tectonics.

Fortey has arranged this book well, with different animal and plant fossils and images carefully categorised, described and imaged.He guides the novice through the process of recognizing and retrieving fossils from the various rock types.Shales, as the product of shallow seas are likely rocks for many fossils allow easy retrieval.However, Fortey notes the specimen will likely be shattered through geologic processes.Limestone, on the other hand, hides its treasures well, but lucky finds may be dazzling in completeness or detail.He explains the necessity of careful record location and condition of finds.After all, careful records led to the understanding that western and eastern Newfoundland began their continental careers far apart.Millions of years ago, eastern Newfoundland was far across the equator near the South Pole.Fossil records traced its movement until it merged with the western side some time later.

Fortey's book is stunningly illustrated, well worth the price for that aspect alone.Large, clear photographs, line drawings and maps support his animated writing style.His enthusiasm for his science sparkles every page.You become anxious to join his next expedition or set out on your own at the first opportunity.His warnings about seaside drenchings, icy winds or smashed fingernails seem inconsequential compared to the possibility of obtaining one of nature's true treasures.Gemstones seem dull and faded next to an object that once lived on a sea bottom or ancient prairie.His final chapters on finding and preparing fossils are a welcome addition.With the dual purpose of presenting beauty with education, this book is of value to anyone wishing to learn about the life of the past.
[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] ... Read more

Book Description

Clues and news about recent dino discoveriesNand more than 25 activitiesNwill unearth the fascinating world of the reptile overlords who once ruled the Earth for budding paleontologists.This volume in the newly revisedNatureScope¨ education series of creative, activities-centered resource books, enlists kidsO intense fascination with dinosaurs to help them make discoveries about geology, predators and prey, adaptations, natural extinction, the time scale, and many other science concepts. Digging into Dinosaurs gives teachers, camp counselors, and nature center guides enjoyable and age-appropriate activities that entice children K-8into an understanding and appreciation of the natural world, while developing the skills they will need to make responsible decisions about the environment. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Great Introduction to Paleoanthropology
As a reader who has a sparse knowledge of anthropology, I can say this book was a pleasurable and informative read.

Dr. Johanson divided the book into a prologue and five parts. The prologue describes the events of November 30, 1974, the day Lucy was discovered. The first part covers a brief background to the earliest fossil finds and is invaluable to any reader who is interested in who's who among some of the earliest scientists working on human origins. Part two covers his actual field expeditions to East Africa. During his first field season, Johanson became concerned about financing when his original grant of $43,000 was dwindling away. It is interesting to note, as Johanson describes about anthropology, that science is more than just field work and analysis. There is political, financial, and human relation issues that need to be mastered for the mission to succeed.

I found part three, the analysis of Lucy, to be the most compelling. Johanson includes Le Gros Clark's paper and accompanying illustrations to highlight eight differences between chimpanzee jaws and human jaws. Knowledge of these differences were of immeasurable value in the analysis of an australopithecine jaw. Part four delivers a brief account of how our ancestors began to walk upright. I found this to be interesting but highly speculative. The final section includes drawings of how australopithecus afarensis may have appeared.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a desire to know more about human ancestors and how a paleoanthropologist proceeds in uncovering our past.

A Cautious "Thumb's Up"
Dr. Johanson shows both his strengths and weaknesses in this largely enthralling look at risks and rewards of paleoanthropology. His expertise in hominid development comes well-wrapped in the role of storyteller. And his experiences in the field are a story worth telling. Johanson disappoints when he steps outside his field of expertise. For instance, his chapter on radiometric dating is riddled with inaccuracies. And "Is It A Matter Of Sex?" is intrinsically flawed in its discussion of evolutionary "strategies." Overall a great book and a good read!

compelling look at the best of paleoanthropology 10 yrs. ago
If you are only going to buy one book on paleoanthropology, don't make it this one. If, however, you are interested in seeing the progression of paleoanthropological thought and getting a first-hand account of the process of excavating and surveying millions-of-years-old sites, it would be hard to find a more satisfying read.

Much of Johanson's work is quite thorough. He goes to great lengths to lean on the specialized knowledge of experts in many different areas of science, and does a beautiful job of weaving them together for a plausible view of our "ancestor", as he refers to the title skeleton find, a 40% complete skeleton of australopithecus afarensis. Of course, no respectable modern paleoanthropologist would consider Lucy to be our ancestor today, but Johanson's analysis is interesting nonetheless.

Another of Johanson's follies is his dependence upon "the Lovejoy hypothesis" of bipedal locomotion being a biological response to a need to carry food and tools. While this is interesting in and of itself, I would recommend reading Richard Leakey/Roger Lewin's rebuttal to Lovejoy in their "Origins Reconsidered..."

Overall, this book is best described as a historical document. Much of its scientific value is reduced to an example of how controversial the major finds of human ancestors will always be.

Lovejoy's explanation of the origin of human bipedalism...
... is worth the price of the book. Although, the entire book is just wonderful. A must read for anyone interested in learning about how real science works. This book and others like it, keep Henry Morris and the graduates of his Creationist Clown Factory up at night.

A diamond to treasure
The value of this book hasn't diminished with the passage of time. It's compelling story of the growth of paleoanthropology in the 20th Century remains unmatched. Johanson's role should be known to most, but this personal relation endures as a landmark for those interested in the development of humanity. He's given us a lucid story of the life and work of the paleoanthropologist both in the field and laboratory. He is candid in assessing other workers and himself in tracing the line of descent from ape-like creatures to modern humans.

He opens with a peerless overview of the key figures in the field, their insights, prejudices, successes and failures. The field was dominated by British research. The small German community of scientists held little challenge, and American researchers were nonexistent. Heady with victories that had left the Victorian Empire firmly established, the British stoutly maintained that intelligent humans were the product of the North European environment. Tropic peoples were torpid and apathetic. The harsher conditions of Northern Europe had forced increased cranial capacity, leading to intelligence. Brain growth, in their view, had preceded human bipedalism. If cranial enlargement was shown to be of British origins, so much the better. The Piltdown find was a prime example of that scenario, nearly universally accepted as fitting into the preconceived assumption.

When a tiny skull found in 1925 in South Africa indicated that a human ancestor walked upright over a million years ago, there was consternation. Modern human roots couldn't be African and bipedalism before intelligence seemed outlandish. The Taung Child, however, couldn't be refuted, increasing the attention to African origins. Louis Leakey led the campaign and his many striking finds captured headlines and brought notoriety. And funding. More importantly, the new discoveries at last made it possible to begin drawing lines of human descent. While the Leakey team disclosures pushed the age of human origins into a more distant past, it was Johanson's discovery of an unusually complete skeleton that rocked the world. Finding ancestral human more than three million years old unseated the Leakey team as the leading paleoanthropological group and catapulted Johanson to the top.

Johanson's account of making the find and his subsequent discoveries makes vivid reading. His outlook is modest enough, admitting to uncommon luck and the support of a talented team. He also shows the value of perseverance in his field. None of this detracts from the science and the struggle he and Tim White endured in presenting Lucy as a likely ancestor to us. The later clash with the Leakey family was disconcerting at a time when some unity was needed to establish the path human evolution has taken. All these circumstances are related without rancour, done in a highly effective homey style. Johanson's respect is deserved, both as a writer and field researcher.

The shining jewel in this account remains the description of a seminar given to Johanson's graduate students by Owen Lovejoy. Lovejoy, an expert in animal locomotion, gives the clearest brief account of the course of human evolution yet offered. In a mere twenty-some pages, he shows how humans departed from other primates in bipedalism, sexual and child- rearing habits leading to modern family and community relationships. If for nothing else, this essay gives this book inestimable value. It remains unmatched, and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in our origins. ... Read more

Book Description

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out about Feathered Dinosaurs.

Birds have feathers, but did you know some dinosaurs did too? New fossils have shown that as long as 145 million years ago, some dinosaurs had feathers, just as birds do. The birds you see outside your window are relatives of these ancient creatures.

Reviews (1)

My 3.5 year old loves this book.
My daughter and I recently visited the San Diego Museum of Natural History and saw an excellent exhibit on the origins of birds. She has been asking me questions about which dinosaurs became birds that I could not answer. This book had the answers that she (and I) could understand and enjoy. Recommended for any young dinosaur fanatic. ... Read more