Dinosaurs

'This book has it all; this new, fourth edition catches up with all the new ideas from the past ten years, and presents the excitement of being a dinosaur scientist, in the field digging up skeletons, but also in the lab, using the latest tools of science to understand how these amazing ancient animals lived.' Michael Benton, University of Bristol, UK

'Professors Fastovsky and Weishampel have done it again. They have performed a great service for the paleontological community by keeping their splendid textbook up-to-date. Their text is easily the best available for undergraduate dinosaur courses. The authors write with clarity but also with a fine sense of whimsy. You wish you could sit in their classroom. The book is profusely and expertly illustrated, highlighting key points in dinosaurian anatomy and the phylogenetic framework in which these characters are relevant. With the deft touch of skilled paleontologists, they communicate not only what we know about dinosaurs but how we know it. They also recognize that science is a human endeavor done by real people whose stories they tell. This book is highly recommended for students, teachers and interested lay readers as well.' Peter Dodson, University of Pennsylvania, USA

'The best dinosaur textbook on the market. I read an earlier edition when I was a student, and now I recommend it to all high school and college students who want to learn about dinosaurs. This latest edition is packed with the most up-to-date science, and is a masterful overview of what dinosaurs looked like, how they lived, how they evolved, and why they (or most of them) went extinct. Written in fun and accessible prose by two leading dinosaur researchers who are both excellent teachers, this is a book that anyone teaching a dinosaur course will want on their syllabus.' Steve Brusatte, professor and palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

'Fully updated and with brand new illustrations, Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History is the best textbook on the market to guide students and instructors alike navigate through the ever-evolving field of dinosaur paleontology. With its illustrations and sharp (often witty) writing style, this textbook aims to make students understand the key concepts and knowledge at the core of dinosaur paleontology rather than simply memorize dinosaur "facts". In addition to providing the most up-to-date information about dinosaur lifestyle, appearance, and anatomy, the textbook clearly explains the evolutionary history and interrelationships of each dinosaur group, supported by beautiful illustrations, color photos, and cladograms. All the latest discoveries are discussed and colorfully illustrated. This textbook will prove enlightening to any student interested in dinosaurs and an essential read for anyone considering a career in dinosaur paleontology.' Franois Therrien, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, C...

David E. Fastovsky is Professor and Chair of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Rhode Island. His interest in dinosaurs began in his early years when he read about a paleontologist's adventures in the Gobi Desert early in the twentieth century. Dinosaurs won out years later when he had the tough decision of choosing between a career in music or paleontology. He has since carried out fieldwork all over the world. He is known as a dynamic teacher as well as a respected researcher on the environments in which dinosaurs roamed, as well as their extinction. David B. Weishampel is Professor at the Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research focuses on dinosaur evolution and how dinosaurs function, and he is particularly interested in herbivorous dinosaurs and the dinosaur record of Europe. He is senior editor of The Dinosauria and has contributed to a number of popular publications, including acting as consultant to Michael Crichton in the writing of The Lost World, the inspiration for Steven Spielberg's film Jurassic Park. He was recently honoured in an International Symposium on duck-billled dinosaurs, dedicated to him and his research.

Part I. Remembrance of Things Past: 1. To Catch a Dinosaur; 2. Dinosaur Days; 3. Who's Related to Whom - and How Do We Know?; 4. Who Are the Dinosaurs?; 5. In The Beginning; Part II. Saurischia: Meat, Might, Muscle, and Magnitude: 6. Theropoda I: Nature Red In Tooth and Claw; 7. Theropoda II: Meet the Theropods; 8. Theropoda III: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds; 9. Sauropodomorpha: The Big, the Bizarre, and the Majestic; Part III. Ornithischia: Armored, Horned, and Duck-Billed Dinosaurs: 10. Thyreophora: the Armor-bearers; 11. Marginocephalia: Bumps, Bosses, and Beaks; 12. Ornithopoda: Mighty Mesozoic Masticators; Part IV. Endothermy, Endemism, and Extinction: 13. The Paleobiology of Dinosaurs I; 14. The Paleobiology of Dinosaurs II; 15. The Flowering of the Mesozoic; 16. A History of Dinosaur Paleontology Through the Ideas of Dinosaur Paleontologists ; 17. The Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction: The Frill is Gone; Glossary; Index of Subjects; Index of Genera.