Dinosaurs Rediscovered: The Scientific Revolution in Paleontology

Description

If you want to know how we know what we know about dinosaurs, read this book! Steve Brusatte 'I defy anyone who is, like me, a non-scientist to read it and not feel a sense of wonder’ Tom Holland, Guardian Startling new fossil finds are the lifeblood of modern palaeobiology. Giant sauropod dinosaur skeletons from Patagonia, dinosaurs with feathers from China, and even a tiny dinosaur tail in Burmese amber – complete down to every detail of its filament-like feathers, skin, bones and mummified tail muscles – inspire awe in a global audience enthralled by the idea of these great creatures walking the earth. Dinosaurs are of perennial interest to all ages, as illustrated by the huge range of dino-themed films, books and live attractions, from the enduring popularity of the Jurassic Park franchise to the success of London’s immersive ‘Dinosaurs in the Wild’ experience. In the past twenty years, dinosaur study has changed from natural history to testable science. New technologies have revealed secrets locked in the bones in a way nobody predicted – we can now work out the colour of dinosaurs, their bite forces, speeds and parental care as well as how they came to die out.This groundbreaking book illustrates how science has replaced speculation and how our understanding of dinosaurs and their world hascompletely changed. The subject has never been so vigorous, has never changed so fast, and has never been so attractive to so many. Review: A Wonderful Book on 21st Century Dinosaur Paleontology! 5 Stars.. - I loved this fascinating book! For me Dinosaurs Rediscovered is a primer on scientific methodology that relates how our understanding of dinosaurs continues to evolve. The core of this engaging book describes how recent advances and breakthroughs in investigative paleobiology have radically changed the field of Dinosaur paleontology. Dinosaur paleobiology has gone from a speculative field to an authentic scientific discipline within the span of 20 years due to advances in technology and a wealth of recent fossil discoveries. This book is written in a layperson-friendly style. The author’s love for dinosaurs is palpable, and makes this book a page-turning, riveting read from one subject to the next. The author is a distinguished professor of Paleontology himself, and I appreciated the fact he was intimately involved with the many of the discoveries enthusiastically related in this tome. There are many thought provoking subjects in Dinosaurs Rediscovered. As a dinosaur enthusiast I was aware of the devastation the infamous 7km asteroid impact caused to late Cretaceous ecosystems 66 million years ago. But I was amazed to learn that this presumed extinction event was likely a smaller piece of an as-yet-unsolved saurian puzzle. The most thought provoking subject matter presented (in my opinion) relates to the impact volcanic activity played in the rise and subsequent fall of the Dinosaurs. Imagine a series of massive volcanic eruptions on Earth lasting hundreds or maybe thousands of years! The author argues convincingly that massive volcanic eruptions in the Late Triassic Period allowed Dinosaurs to opportunistically thrive and later dominate the Earth for millions of years. Ironically, these same volcanic upheavals in the late Cretaceous period had the opposite effect on Saurian longevity and hastened their extinction for reasons the author convincingly postulates . Dinosaurs Rediscovered is an engaging book that any dinosaur enthusiast will have difficulty putting down. The many illustrations, charts, and useful diagrams all help elucidate research findings and allow for trend clarification of many talking points. One of my favorite aspects of this book is the authors ability to persuade his audience with near-irrefutable data. I also appreciate his open-mindedness and willingness to embrace new theories, discoveries, and ideas. We know much about Dinosaurs already-or do we? After reading this book I get the sense that the future burns bright for the paleontology discipline. Dinosaurs Rediscovered would make a great gift for any Dinosaur enthusiast in my opinion-although a background in science might be helpful to appreciate many of the books finer science-oriented merits. I look forward to reading more books from this noteworthy and distinguished author. 5 stars! Review: Masterpiece - Everything you could wonder and want to know about dinosaurs is in this book. Moreover, it's pure science, and very well explained, by incredible Michael Benton.