Book Description

This comprehensive introduction to the history of life on Earth explores the basic principles and processes, the rich history of past life forms -- marine and terrestrial -- and the major events that shaped this history. Emphasizes the complexity and diversity of life through time. Considers the causes for major events in Earth history --and weighs various interpretations.Some of the many topics covered are: the organization of life, rocks and fossils, origins of the earth, oceans, atmosphere, and life, organic evolution and extinction,.marine predators, .early and advanced consumers on land. The book minimizes the use of technical terms, while providing to the reader short chapter-end lists of important key words and defines each term in a glossary. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Okay content, lousy package, outrageous price
The previous reviewer's complaints about the price of this book are absolutely correct.This book is wildly overpriced for what it is.

This is not to take anything away from the authors, however.It is a very enjoyable read and packed with all kinds of interesting information on the history of life.In terms of this content, it's the best single source that I've been able to find.And the writing isn't bad.

But for this price there should be some better photographs.I was hoping to see some fossils, diagrams and photographs of stratigraphic features that are the evidence to the book's claims, as well as visual representations of the placement of the continents and associated climatic data for the various historical periods.Physical anthropology books are a great example of this: without seeing the transitional forms it's difficult to get a strong grasp of human evolution.Hence, decent physical anthro books are loaded with photographs of specimens.Since we are often talking about species, climates, and landforms that are long gone and have no direct corrolaries with our present world, this kind of information would have been extremely helpful. The number of such visual represenations is small and their quality is either mediocre or poor.

However, as I said the text content of the book is fine.If you're simply looking for the names of different periods and lots of data on them, this book will provide that.And it is a good read.Bottom line:this is a $14.95 book going for $47.

A $47 Paperback?!?!?!?!
Yes, I understand that college textbooks are not your average books and that they contain a wealth of information, but honestly...$47?? How do these people sleep at night? I can't understand a price that high for a 320page soft cover book regardless of the information it contains. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Discover how dinosaurs evolved, how they looked, where they lived, how they behaved, and why they died: the current state of knowledge about the Monsters of the Mesozoic, complete in one volume.

Acclaimed dinosaur paleontologist and paleo-artist Gregory S. Paul conducts this definitive tour through the 140-million-year existence of the most exotic and interesting group of animals ever to walk the earth, assisted by the world's leading dinosaur experts.

Here you'll find remarkable stories about the first discoveries of dinosaur fossils, the beginnings of dinosaur paleontology, how the field has changed with modern technology, the most sensational finds, and the latest theories. You'll also explore the answers to such questions as:

- Did dinosaurs have feathers?
- Did dinosaurs fly?
- Were the dinosaurs sluggish, cold-blooded reptilians, or something
radically different?
- What are the different dinosaur families, how were they named,
and how are they related?
- What was the dinosaurs' world like, and how did it change during
their reign?
- Are the birds of today the living descendants of predatory dinosaurs?
- How and why did the major dinosaur famihes become extinct?

Filled with spectacular full-color illustrations of dinosaurs in action, plus black-and-white art and graphics. The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs features the latest information from the field of dinosaur paleontology, presented in a fascinating and accessible format.

You'll never think about dinosaurs the same way again!
... Read more

Reviews (9)

Splendid Overview Of Dinosaur Paleobiology
"The Scientific American book of Dinosaurs" edited by distinguished artist and vertebrate paleontologist Gregory S. Paul is a splendid summary of the current state of knowledge of dinosaurian paleobiology. Although there are a couple of classic articles included in this volume, most notably Robert Bakker's "Dinosaur Renaissance", published in Scientific American in the mid 1970's - which sets the tone of much of the book's contents - most of the text is comprised of recent Scientific American articles or new essays commissioned for this volume. The first two chapters are an overview of the history of dinosaur paleontology and the history of reconstructing dinosaurs from both an artistic and scientific perspective. Chapter Three contains several articles on dinosaur systematics, emphasizing the relationships between living dinosaurs (birds) and their nearest cousins, small predatory theropods such as Velociraptor and Deinonychus, and their larger cousins, the tyrannosaurids, most notably Albertosaurus, and of course, Tyrannosaurus. It closes with an elegant essay on the origin of birds and their flight by distinguished paleobiologists Kevin Padian and Luis Chiappe. Chapter Four is an overview of the physical geography and climate of the middle and late Mesozoic Era, when dinosaurs were the dominant creatures on land. Chapter Five delves into intriguing reconstructions of dinosaur behavior, from locomotion, and food gathering to nesting and the rearing of young. Chapter Six contains several essays on dinosaur bioenergetics, exploring issues such as how rapidly they grew and whether they were - or were not warm blooded creatures. Chapter Seven is devoted to the demise of non-avian dinosaurs at the end of the Mesozoic, focusing on extraterrestrial impacts as the likely "smoking gun" for their extinction. Finally, in Chapter Eight, Gregory Paul offers some interesting speculations on the future of dinosaur paleobiology. This is absolutely a must read for anyone fascinated with dinosaurs, replete with many first-rate drawings and color plates of dinosaurs and their world.

Nice art, terrible science
If you're looking for a rehash of a few good old articles, plus a set of new articles that are in general of very poor quality, and some decent artwork (most old, some new) then this book is fine for you.

But if you're looking for quality dinosaur science, then this book will greatly disappoint you. The new articles are laden with assertions lacking in concrete data, are generally awful in writing quality, and offer a very narrow view of dinosaur science, with alternative viewpoints barely mentioned. These articles' authors are just a few of the editor's friends, not the best and brightest in the field. Together, these new articles destroy the quality of the book, in my opinion. They are sad, weak, shameful science. I was very disappointed.

The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs
The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs edited by Gregory S. Paul is a book that combined with the essays that preceed its chapters bring the most current knowledge about dinosaurs to light.

The essays contained within this book are written by some of the foremost thinkers of today about dinosaur life long, long ago. This book attempts to answers some of the most commonly asked questions about dinosaurs; where did they live, how did they evolve, which dinosaur families lived where and when, how did they look, act live, were dinosaurs warm-blooded, did they have feathers, did some of them fly, are birds of today the living descendants of dinosaurs, how are dinosaurs named?

These are just a few of the questions that are answered by some of the best minds now working on these questions from the knowledge of the fossil remains found. You have to remember that the knowledge that is found here has been debated for years and may not be all conclusive, but the best quess is given from some of the most sensational finds.

We are given a remarkable tour of the 140-million-year reign of the dinosaur, a tour that covers some of the most exotic animals that ever walked the earth. This book is written for adults and is not a childrens book.

Awesome Book
From the world's most prestigious science publication comes the definitive book, i.e., The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs
by Gregory s Paul (Editor) , on all things prehistoric & scaly.

Excellent Book!
This book is up to date and very informative. It has various skeletal rescontructions including one of T .rex in four different views, with muscular and life rescontruction all in one page! By Gregory Paul!! This collection of articles from real paleontologists is a must have in any serious dino-freak's library. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

I challenge you to look at the fossil evidence for evolution
For forty years I believed in evolution. Then, I was challenged by a creationist to actually look at the fossil evidence for evolution myself. I was surprised to see that the Theory of Evolution is not supported by the fossil record. Now, after ruling out the other option, I am convinced that "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth".

open YOUR mind
TO THE 1ST REVIEWER -- OPEN YOUR MIND! Evolution has no evidence to back it's theory and that's all it is! Peace

Suprise! It's a creationist book!
This little creationist book in disguise as a paleontology book is a dangerous piece of creationist babble. Not intended for those with weak minds. ... Read more

Book Description

A thorough understanding of the form, function, and design of animals is essential to any working biologist's knowledge.In the author's view, however, this fast-growing field of study can be made much more exciting and accessible with a hands-on, practical approach.This view is the basis for A Practical Guide to Vertebrate Mechanics.This text can be considered an engineering book for biologists. The emphasis is on vertebrates, and each topic begins with a discussion of the underlying principles, followed immediately by practical experiments and laboratory exercises.The author begins with a refresher on scaling and measurement.This is followed by three chapters on the mechanical properties of materials--investigating elasticity, the strength of materials, and how things break. This leads the discussion to animal materials--bones, joints, muscles--which serve to illustrate principles of structure and load, lubrication, physiology, metabolism, and stamina. Finally, the systems are put in motion, as we discuss terrestrial locomotion, flight, and swimming. What sets this book apart from others on functional anatomy is the emphasis on practical work.Many of the experiments are simple to conduct. Detailed instructions for setting up the experiments are given in an appendix, and sample results are included to guide the student. A Practical Guide to Vertebrate Mechanics will form an important part of undergraduate and beginning graduate courses for zoology, anatomy, biomechanics, and paleontology students.Chris McGowan is Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Toronto and Curator in the Department of Palaeobiology at the Royal Ontario Museum.Several of his previous books include,The Raptor and the Lamb:Offense and Defense in the Living World (1997), Make Your Own Dinosaur Out of Chicken Bones: Foolproof Instructions for Budding Palaeontologists (1997), and Diatoms to Dinosaurs (1994). ... Read more

Book Description

When dinosaur fossils were first discovered in the Wild West, they sparked one of the greatest scientific battles in American history. Over the past century it has been known by many names -- the Bone War, the Fossil Feud -- but the tragic story of the competition for fame and natural treasure between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh, two leading paleontologists of the Gilded Age, remains prophetic of the conquest of the West as well as a watershed event in science. With a historian's eye and a novelist's skill, David Rains Wallace charts in fascinating detail the unrestrained rivalry between Cope and Marsh and their obsession to become the first to make available to the world the abundant, unknown fossils of the western badlands. This story will surely fascinate anyone who has had to confront the myriad facets of professional jealousy, its sterile brooding, and how it leads to an emotional abyss. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Comprehensive history of America's greatest scientific feud
This marvelous volume by David Rains Wallace is a balanced, thorough, and insightful recounting of the greatest, most needless, and most tragic scientific conflict in American history: the Cope-Marsh feud. I say "balanced" because most writers, especially those with an environmentalist/naturalist bent like Wallace, have tended to side with Othniel C. Marsh over Edward D. Cope. The reason isn't hard to find. Cope's feud with Marsh eventually [pulled] into the controversy John Wesley Powell, a major benefactor to Marsh and impediment to Cope, and occasioned Powell's fall from power. Environmentalists rightly consider this a tragedy, because perhaps no one in American history possessed the depth of understanding about the geological and geographical logic of the entire area west of the hundredth meridian than Powell. Had Powell remained in power longer, perhaps many of the great tragedies associated with the development of the American West could have been avoided. Most other evaluators of the feud tend to be biographers of either Cope or Marsh, and those side with their subject. But Wallace is able to look beyond the effect the Cope-Marsh feud's effect on Powell and beyond partisan loyalty to any single participant to achieve a fair evaluation of each.

Wallace begins with a biographical narrative of both Cope and Marsh, from their family origins and early interest in science, to their maturation as paleontologists and their initial encounters with one another, and on to their growing competition with one another and eventual implacable conflicts and feud. Wallace shows how this really was not primarily a scientific controversy, but a conflict between two very different personalities. Both men were exceedingly gifted, both immensely competitive, and both were extremely neurotic. Of the two, Cope emerges as the more sympathetic, if only because he strikes the reader as the more likable of the two. Marsh is less sympathetic because of the ruthless way he attempts to cut Cope off from all governmental support for his research, and the manner in which he attempts to keep Cope, who was probably the more gifted paleontologist, on the scientific periphery. In fact, Marsh comes across as a completely unlikable person; not even his closest acquaintances seem to have liked him. If Cope emerges as more congenial, he also comes across as more manic, more paranoid, and obsessed.

In the end, one is left with a feeling of disgust at both Marsh (especially Marsh) and Cope's massive stupidity in the entire conflict. Although they had some scientific disagreements, most of their antagonism was generated by who was able to get the most fossils, and the efforts of Marsh to cut Cope completely out of government funding. One is left with a sense of regret that the two great founders of American paleontology were unable to coordinate their efforts and be collaborators instead of competitors.

Anyone enjoying this book might also enjoy Deborah Cadbury's TERRIBLE LIZARD, which tells the story of the birth of paleontology in England at the beginning of the 19th century, a few decades before Cope and Marsh. Sadly, that book also tells the story of a needless feud, with Gideon Mantell taking the Cope role and Richard Owen the Marsh one. The two books make great companion volumes, and jointly make a magnificent introduction to 19th century paleontology.

Science and Scandal
Rather than presenting just another account of the infamous Cope-Marsh "fossil war," Wallace has placed the conflict in a journalistic context, exploring the role New York Herald editor/huckster James Gordon Bennett played in the animosity between the two great paleontologists. A wonderfully detailed and readable book, with only a very small number of minor scientific errors to detract from its value. This probably won't be remembered as the definitive work on the subject, but it's a good place to start. ... Read more

Download Description

The world of the dinosaurs revealed, from the world's leading scientists and visionaries ... Read more

Reviews (4)

a decent but flawed book
The Ultimate Dinosaur is an ambitious book, one that seeks to alternate sections on the latest theories on the origin, lives, and deaths of dinosaurs as well as pterosaurs and prehistoric marine reptiles, all written by such noted experts as George Olshevsky, Sankar Chatterjee, and others, with dinosaur-themed science fiction short stories by such authors as Charles Sheffield, Gregory Benford, and Harry Turtledove. A great concept.

Unfortunately it was rather unevenly carried out. The non-fiction sections are quite good, though a few are relatively dry to read. I did learn a few things reading these sections, and alone they just about make the book worthwhile. There were some interesting discussions over the relationship of prosauropods and sauropods for instance, and there was a great article on migrating dinosaurs.

However the short stories vary alot in style and quality, some quite good, other more moderately decent, and a few frankly terrible and hard to get through. The short stories and non-fictions are paired together, and it looks like they found it difficult to find a short story to put with some of the non-fiction sections.

Though this may only apply to the hard-cover edition which I have, I feel I must point out the book was either poorly edited, which I find suprising, or poorly published. The book was replete with words that were run together, misplaced punctuation, odd gaps in sentences, and even misspelled words. They were so common at times that it was jarring and irritating. While many books have one or two such errors, there were many of them in this work. Hopefully the paperback version cleared this up.

Having said that though this was still not a bad book and a worthwhile one to get, though frankly I would not place at the top of the list of books to fill your dinosaur needs. Still, wouldn't be bad to have either.

what a value!
big names in science and sf coupled with top paleoartists!

From a dinosaur fan:
I have always been a big dinosaur lover, and in this book, Silverberg, Dobson, and Zimmerman really bring these creatures to life. I loved every page. This is a book for both kids and the paleontologist.

The Untimate Dinosaur
This book The Ultimate Dinosaur, is very fact filled. There is a lot more of text than there are pictures and it is very informational. This book is for dinosaur lovers only. If you really love to read about dinosaurs, then this book is for you. Information on almost all the dinosaurs that ever lived millions of years ago. Each part of the book is seperated by each preastoric period and then by whether the dinosaur is herbavorious or carnivorous. Then it tells what was happening in that period of time. This book also tells what type of plant life was in a period of time. ... Read more

Book Description

The second edition of this authoritative introduction to the global environmental fluctuations of the Quaternary period has been thoroughly revised and updated, and now includes two new chapters: one on Quaternary soils and sediments, and one on the Milankovitch theory and its implications for Quaternary climatic oscillations. The book draws on examples from every continent, including Antarctica, and features a superb range of maps and illustrations. The time span covered includes relevant events during the Tertiary which set the stage for the Quarternary glaciations and associated changes in climate, vegetation, and prehistoric human development. Focusing on the interactions between geological, biological and hydrological processes, the book explores the effects of accelerating human impact on the environment and considers how far evidence from the Quartenary may be useful in predicting future environmental change. ... Read more

Book Description

Dinosaurs and legends about them are firmly entrenched in popularculture, where scientific information and our interest in the life of the pastmost often meet. This is a book about dinosaurs as a cultural phenomenon, seenas the interaction of three factors--paleontological discoveries, the culturalinterest these awaken, and the possibilities for commercial exploitation theyoffer. ... Read more

Book Description

As recently as 11,000 years ago--"near time" to geologists--mammoths, mastodons, gomphotheres, ground sloths, giant armadillos, native camels and horses, the dire wolf, and many other large mammals roamed North America. In what has become one of science's greatest riddles, these large animals vanished in North and South America around the time humans arrived at the end of the last great ice age. Part paleontological adventure and part memoir, Twilight of the Mammoths presents in detail internationally renowned paleoecologist Paul Martin's widely discussed and debated "overkill" hypothesis to explain these mysterious megafauna extinctions. Taking us from Rampart Cave in the Grand Canyon, where he finds himself "chest deep in sloth dung," to other important fossil sites in Arizona and Chile, Martin's engaging book, written for a wide audience, uncovers our rich evolutionary legacy and shows why he has come to believe that the earliest Americans literally hunted these animals to death.
As he discusses the discoveries that brought him to this hypothesis, Martin relates many colorful stories and gives a rich overview of the field of paleontology as well as his own fascinating career. He explores the ramifications of the overkill hypothesis for similar extinctions worldwide and examines other explanations for the extinctions, including climate change. Martin's visionary thinking about our missing megafauna offers inspiration and a challenge for today's conservation efforts as he speculates on what we might do to remedy this situation--both in our thinking about what is "natural" and in the natural world itself. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

The book that ignited the dinosaur renaissance
With his heretical views on dinosaurian (and other paleo-species) lifestyle, Bakker's Heresies has helped change the view of dinosaurs in both the public and the scientific community's eyes. But, for all the good Bakker's book did, it still has its flaws. Since the majority of reviews here have been extremely positive, I thought it might be best to focus on the less accurate parts of the book. First there is the nomenclature.

Bakker generally avoids using scientific jargon in the book. This is good as it opens the market for more people to read his book. Names like duck bill and horned dinosaurs are easier to remember than hadrosaur and ceratopian. Still some of Bakker's actual scientific terms are horribly inaccurate and hurt paleontology more than help it. I am talking about a certain term in particular; Brontosaurus. This name has been defunct for over 50 years and it is only in popular culture that it has lived on. Bakker uses it because it's more descriptive and because he believes that the fossil Brontosaurus excelsus is different enough from _Apatosaurus_ to warrant an entire generic distinction. Modern paleontology on the other hand, did not see the distinction then and still does not now.

While I commend Bakker's paradigm altering view of how dinosaurs were, I wish that he didn't have to make them warm-blooded in order to do it. Today's "cold-blooded" animals have a wide range of energetic behaviours that Bakker never really gives mention to. And while he does devote an entire chapter to reptilian diversity (chpt 3, which is by far the most ironic chapter in the book), the final page of that chapter, featuring a _Pristichampsus_ taking out a _Hyracotherium_, has at the end of it a caption that reads that due to its rarity, this was positive evidence that "...cold-bloodedness was a great disadvantage." It was almost as if he was saying "Reptiles are an amazingly diverse group of animals with a wide range of lifestyles and body plans. Now I will show you why dinosaurs could not possibly be reptiles." This pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the book. The following chapters deal with changing the popular view of dinosaurs while simultaneously removing them from the realm of "cold-bloodedness."

In order to show how dinosaurs could ONLY be "warm-bloods" Bakker relies a variety of circumstantial evidence. In the fossil record he uses predator to prey ratios to determine how active the creatures are. Besides having to deal with fossil record bias, Bakker's "control" is a living survey of a wolf spider to its prey. While Bakker knocks off interesting numbers (Wolf spiders making up 15-20% of the predator/prey population) he gives no mention of the prey themselves, so no one knows what kind of prey he was comparing the spiders to. Luckily Bakker does have a reference section that is divided up into the various chapters so one can go looking for it if one really wants to.

Then there is the use of haversian canals, stating that they indicate warm-bloodedness, when in reality all they indicate is a high level of activity (one can see these same haversian remodeling in varanid lizards). While the above was only found out recently, one of Bakker's "proofs" of warm-bloodedness is a dangerous use of taxonomy. Using the rules of punctuated equilibria Bakker states that species turn over is greater among warm-bloods than "cold-bloods." He shows this with fossil record evidence from Como Bluff Wyoming showing the average life of a species of dinosaur compared to a crocodilian (_Leidyosuchus_) and a chelonian (_Aspideretes_). Now in this modern era taxonomists have a hard enough time as it is to tell what is a new species and what is not; to use this criteria as evidence for warm-bloodedness is dangerous and a tad sloppy. This is especially so when one considers the fact that being "cold-blooded" crocodilian and chelonian fossils are less well studied than other fossils and there are bound to be more than a few taxonomic blunders in there.

Bakker does voice other ideas, such as the thought that sauropods had trunks, a thought that is OK to entertain but probably not worth serious consideration. Bakker's view of the gizzard style digestive system of a variety of dinosaurs is eye opening for those who ever wondered how a sauropod could feed itself with a mouth so small.

Then there are the contradictory parts of the book. In Bakker's haste to remove the dinosauria from the Reptilia, he unwittingly removes a group of animals that he himself admits to be real reptiles. Bakker believed (though histological and predator/prey evidence) that the pseudosuchian "crimson crocs" (beautiful name) showed the same warm-blooded evidence that dinosaurs show and should therefore be removed from the basal Reptilia on this and other shared derived characters. The problem inherent with this is that in order to do it, Bakker would also have to remove another pseudosuchian descendant, the crocodylians. These are the same creatures that in previous chapters he had been calling "cold-blooded" reptiles.

All in all the book is a good. Bakker provides his own illustrations, all of which show his creatures as dynamic animals, regardless of warm or cold-bloodedness. The ideas themselves are actually the resurrection of older ideas from the 19th century and not so much new ways of thinking, and much of Bakker's examples of warm-bloodedness should be taken with a grain of salt. I give this book a higher ranking than I normally would, because of the uproar that it caused in the area of reptilian paleontology and especially metabolism. Thanks to Bakker's book we now know that the arbitrary lines of warm and cold-blooded are not as black and white as we thought. In fact there is an increasingly growing amount of creatures that don't easily fit either definition. For that reason alone, the book is a worthy purchase, even if most of the text is of more historical value than anything else.

The Dinosaur Heresies
The Dinosaur Heresies by Robert T. Bakker, Ph.D. is a forward and progressive look at unlocking the mystery of the dinosaurs and their extinction.

Misconceptions are always associated with dinosaurs, because we do NOT understand completely as to how they looked, nor will we ever, unless we go back in time and see directly. So, we have to extrapolate from the fossil record. Which then leads to interpretation, as the clues are being uncovered, it takes a good detective with a vision to put the pieces together.

I believe that Bakker has done that in this book as he paints a revolutionary picture of dinosauria. And a dynamic, robust picture it is. This book opens eyes as to how things could have been or were at that time. As more information becomes available, the tapesty of that time begins to fill in and a picture emerges. I believe that Bakker is on the right track. This book will enlighten and educate as well.

I found the text to explain well as to why Bakker believes what he believes and makes a compelling argument to that. Whether you agree or disagree with Bakker's theory, the dead bones in the right hands seem to come alive a tell a most enthralling story.

If you like dinosaurs, this is a brilliant and unquestionably well written book. There are spectacular illustrations throughout to highlight this well told story.

Astonishing dinosaurs
Incredibly compelling book about the possible evolution of velociraptors into birds.

Dinosaur Heresies goes beyond mere dinosaur evolution, however. As an enthusiastic gardener, I was bemused and delighted to learn of the powerful link between Cretaceous herbivorous dinosaurs and the rise of flowering plants, how it was BECAUSE of these saurian herbivores that we have flowering plants instead of a world of gymnosperms (aka pines, cycads, ginko, etc.).

It was a FUN read!

simply perfect
Robert T. Bakker has been an inspiration all of my life. As a PBS child obsessed with dinosaurs, I saw him regularly on T.V. This book supurbly establishes a basis for all of his views on dinosaur physiology based on not only the facts he has discovered in his brilliant and acclaimed career, but on the work of countless other paleontologists. It is a great read as well. It is not dull and plodding like some sort of manual, but filled with information that is interesting and enjoying to read. The illustrations done by the author are flawless as well. This book is perfect for anyone with even a passing interest in paleontology.

Dinosaurology At Its Best - And Wildest
If you are over age ten and still into dinosaurs, like me, you will find Dr. Bakker's "Dinosaur Heresies" a wonderful distraction from the typically immature or too-mature work on dinosaurs. Dr. Bakker's writing is delightfully entertaining, easy to understand, and thought-provoking; even those points that may be outdated or capable of enraging orthodox dinosaur theorists will make you want to learn more and keep "digging dinosaurs." Dr. Bakker's arguments are passionate and even a bit one-sided, but Paleontology, after all, can be a "rough and tough" area of science, and the ideas presented in this book are expected to instill a more powerful curiosity in the reader by
making him or her disagree. Dr. Bakker does not shoot down the work or abilities of those paleontologist whose theories he does not agree with; he simply presents the "old" ideas and his reasons for not complying with them.
For an exciting and mentally stimulating read on dinosaurs, this is the book to read! ... Read more

Book Description

Relying on the latest analytical techniques, this all-embracingnew reference offers comprehensive coverage of the development,evolution, and morphology of both fossil and living cephalopods. In 34in-depth chapters a group of 51 international neontologists andpeleontologists offer and opverview of current methods, data,analyses, and interpretations, and posit suggestions for futureresearch. With its unparalleled combination of first-rate contributions onliving and fossil cephalopods, this book provides researchers andadvanced students in paleontology, invertebrate zoology, evolutionarybiology, and allied disciplines with a trove of recent data andauthoritative interpretations that will immeasurably benefit their ownstudies. ... Read more

Book Description

The intriguing theory of a land bridge periodically linking Siberia and Alaska during the coldest pulsations of the Ice Ages had been much debated since JosŽ de Acosta, a Spanish missionary working in Mexico and Peru, first proposed the idea of a connection between the continents in 1589. But proof of the land bridge - now named Beringia after eighteenth-century Danish explorer Vitus Bering - eluded scientists until an inquiring geologist named Dave Hopkins emerged from rural New England and set himself to the task of solving the mystery. Through the life story of Hopkins, The Last Giant of Beringia reveals the fascinating science detective story that at last confirmed the existence of the land bridge that served as the intercontinental migration route for such massive Ice Age beasts as woolly mammoths, steppe bison, giant stag-moose, dire wolves, short-faced bears, and saber-toothed cats - and for the first humans to enter the New World from Asia. In proving irrefutably that the land bridge existed, Hopkins also demonstrated conclusively that, far from the "polar desert" that many argued it must have been, Beringia provided ample forage for even the teeming herds of Ice Age behemoths that traversed it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Read
This book has a good style, topic, and size.I am not an earth science person but still understood most of this book and enjoyed reading this book.The information was concise without being too dense to understand.It also helped me understand something I remember hearing about in grade school but never thought deeply about.I highly reccomend this book as a science narrative!

The Last Giant of Beringia
This book is a "must read". While the existence of a prehistoric land bridge connecting Alaska and Asia has been surmised for hundreds of years,it was David Hopkins with his multi-discipline approach who pulled the evidence all together. The book, while giving a detailed yet easy to understandexplanation of the reasoning involved, pays tribute to atremendous individual and his work.
While many branches of science are discussed, the writing is concise, easy to understand and never gets bogged down with scientific jargon. O'Neill has a firm handle on the English language, and presents a very readable work.
Whether you are researching or reading for pleasure, this book is a very worthwhile endeavor. Don't miss it. ... Read more

Book Description

This expanded and updated second edition offers a comprehensive look at macroevolution and its underpinnings, with a primary emphasis on animal evolution. From a Neodarwinian point of view, the book integrates evolutionary processes at all levels to explain the diversity of animal life. It examines a wide range of topics including genetics, speciation, development, evolution, constructional and functional aspects of form, fossil lineages, and systematics, and --in a major new chapter--takes a hard look at the Cambrian explosion. The author delves into the age of molecular science and integrates important recent contributions made to our understanding of evolution. ... Read more

Book Description

Our knowledge of the origin and early evolution of birds has exploded in the past ten to fifteen years. In the 1990s alone, scientists became aware of approximately three times more species of early birds than were previously known, marking the first 85 million years of avian development as a period of remarkable species diversity. Assembling work by an international group of renowned scientists, Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs is the most authoritative and up-to-date source on early avian evolution currently available. This unique resource provides a comprehensive examination of the known fossil record and is also an unparalleled guide to the fast-paced developments in current research. Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs covers a wide range of topics, including discussions of avian origins, the fossil record of feathers and footprints, bone histology, and locomotor evolution. Controversial taxa such as Protoavis, Caudipteryx, and Mononykus receive special treatment. But the heart of the volume presents the anatomy, relationships, and paleobiology of the undisputed Mesozoic aviary. Some of the book's most exciting features are the new definitive descriptions and illustrations of taxa that previously have received only brief notice, such as the alvarezsaurid Shuvuuia; the enantiornithines Sinornis; Eoalulvis, Vorona, and Patagopteryx; and the hesperornithiform Enaliornis. The origin of birds and their relationship to dinosaurs continue to be hotly debated among paleontologists, ornithologists, and evolutionary biologists. This cutting-edge reference will become an essential resource for those interested in this debate and in the many other fascinating topics relating to the evolution of the earliest known birds.110 b/w photographs, 120 line figures ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs
Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs edited by Luis M. Chiappe and Lawrence M. Witmer is an astounding book on the evolution of birds. In the 1980's and 1990's there have been fossil discoveries that can link the development of birds for eighty-five million years.

This book is written by thirty-one authors as they have written abstracts on some very interesting finds and connections. This book is NOT a childrens book as the authors are writing for students and professionals in the field of paleontology. There is a lot of comparative anatomy and phylogenesis, morphology and systematics in this book. If your looking for the current information on the link with birds and the dinosaurs, this is the book that will convince you that they did exist together.

The contents of this book is divided into four parts, each with abstracts for chapters. These parts are as follows:

Part I: The Archosaurian Heritage of Birds

Part II: Taxa of Contriversial Status

Part III: The Mesozic Aviary: Anatomy and Systmatics

Part IV: Functional Morphology and Evolutions

The greatest percentage of the book is in part three where with all of the recent discoveries locks in the theory that birds were flying in the time of the dinosaurs. If your are into learning some interesting information on the origin of birds than this book is for you. If you were wondering about the connection between the dinosaurs and birds, again this is the book for you. This is a very techical book and is written for older readers looks for current theory along with knowledgeable erudition.

The writing is very technical, but it is easily readable and the information is priceless. ... Read more

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Fine Paleobiological Research in honor of Valentine
"Evolutionary Paleobiology" is an elegant overview of the major themes of paleobiological research in the mid-1900's; one which continues to the present. It contains excellent papers from the most prominent researchers in the field, encompassing not only paleobiological aspects but also neontological - especially molecular biology - approaches to studying evolutionary paleobiology. This is a scientific celebration of the career of distinguished paleobiologist James W. Valentine, whom many would regard as the father of evolutionary paleobiology; each paper covers some aspect of his ecumenical approach to paleobiological research, ranging from molecular biology to field and taxonomic studies. Admittedly, this is one volume that is aimed primarily for students of paleobiology, and, in general, evolutionary biology, but it also should be of interest to historians of science. ... Read more

Book Description

Anoxic conditions--the environments in which life began--still persist in many places on Earth, such as in lake sediments, the guts of ruminants, and the deep waters of some marine basins. Ecology and Evolution in Anoxic Worlds offers a current and unified natural history of oxygen-free environments and their microbial inhabitants. Drawing on evidence from a variety of scientific disciplines, the authors--two leading researchers in the field--describe the forces known to shape the structure, function, heterogeneity, and evolution of anaerobic communities.Topics range from the origin and maintenance of anoxic habitats throughout Earth's history to{ the origin of prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and eukaryotic organelles to the development of microbial communities.Particular emphasis is placed on how energy-yielding pathways which have evolved in anaerobic microorganisms dictate the syntrophic and competitive interactions that shape anaerobic microbial community development.The ecological and evolutionary significance of the arrival of oxygen in the Proterozoic is discussed in detail. Splendidly readable, Ecology and Evolution in Anoxic Worlds brings an interdisciplinary topic of growing interest up-to-date. It will be sought after by students and researchers in ecology, microbiology, biochemistry, zoology, evolutionary biology, geology, marine biology, and oceanography. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Review of Ecology and Evolution in Anoxic Worlds
This book is very clearly written.It provides detailed information about anaerobes and places it in the broader context of the evolution of life's cellular pathways.It serves as an excellent compliment to Zehnder'sBiology of Anaerobic Microorganisms, which is a very difficult book tofind. ... Read more