Description
Book SynopsisIn
The Story of the Dinosaurs in 25 Discoveries, Donald R. Prothero tells the fascinating stories behind the most important fossil finds and the intrepid researchers who unearthed them. He weaves together the dramatic tales of dinosaur discoveries with what modern science now knows about the species to which they belong.
Trade ReviewOne of the 10 best nonfiction books to read in science. * New Scientist *
Solid proof that dinosaurs through scientific eyes are no less fascinating than they are in the movies. * Kirkus Reviews *
[Prothero] delivers another winning popular science book...dinosaur buffs will be delighted, fascinated, and entertained. * Publishers Weekly *
After a couple of pages, Donald Prothero had me hooked...like attending the best kind of dinner party, replete with entertaining stories. -- Brian Clegg * Popular Science *
From the desk of a seasoned and much celebrated California-based palaeontologist, this a story of imagination, rivalry, mistake and often not-so-quiet genius. * New Scientist *
Excellent summer reading! * Greg Laden Blog *
Another entertaining trip through the history of science, this time focusing on paleontology. * Physics Today *
A grand tour of dinosaurs, from one of our most prolific natural history writers. I've been reading Donald Prothero's books since I began studying geology in college, and here he delivers again, with a romping chronicle of some of the most charismatic dinosaurs and the equally fascinating people who have studied them. -- Steve Brusatte, University of Edinburgh paleontologist and
New York Times best-selling author of
The Rise and Fall of the DinosaursThis is a highly readable and compelling historical tour of our discovery of dinosaurs, and it focuses on many fascinating stories. It provides equal balance on both human history and the lives and adventures of the people behind the relevant dinosaurs, and scientific thinking on the dinosaurs themselves and adjacent areas of controversy. -- Darren Naish, author of
Dinosaurs: How They Lived and EvolvedThis book is excellent. Rather than simply a profile of twenty-five dinosaurs, it puts each of these in context of its discovery and significance in terms of the science of paleontology, as well as comparisons with close relations. Thus, it covers hundreds of dinosaurs, not just twenty-five. -- Thomas R. Holtz Jr., University of Maryland
There are many dinosaur books on the market but very few are written in such an engaging and informative manner –
“The Story of the Dinosaurs in 25 Discoveries” by Donald R. Prothero tells the fascinating story of how our knowledge regarding the Dinosauria has evolved and changed over time – and what a superb read it is! We doff our hard hats to you sir, once again you have produced an extremely informative and enjoyable read. * Everything Dinosaur *
This is a great book for folks interested in dinosaurs, from high schoolers through adult readers. * Choice *
A highly accomplished synthesis of ideas and a keen up-to-date summary. . . . I recommend the book for the shelf of any professional paleontologist interested in dinosaurs, and for many amateurs who want to take a deeper dive into the field. * Quarterly Review of Biology *
Table of ContentsPreface
Acknowledgments
Part I. In the Beginning1.
Megalosaurus: The “Great Lizard,” the “Scrotum Humanum”, and the First Named Dinosaur
2.
Iguanodon: Gideon Mantell, Louis Dollo, and the First Dinosaur Fauna
3.
Cetiosaurus: The “Whale Lizard,” Richard Owen, and the First Known Sauropod
4.
Hadrosaurus: Joseph Leidy and the First American Dinosaur
5.
Eoraptor: The First Dinosaurs
Part II. The Long-Necked Giants6.
Plateosaurus: Ancestors of the Giants
7.
Apatosaurus and
Brontosaurus: Marsh, Cope, and the Bone Wars
8.
Diplodocus: The Real “Jurassic Park” and Carnegie’s Gift
9.
Giraffatitan: The Tallest of the Tall, and the Tendaguru
10.
Patagotitan: Who’s the Biggest of Them All?
Part III. Red in Tooth and Claw: The Theropods11.
Coelophysis: The Little Dinosaur of Ghost Ranch
12.
Cryolophosaurus: Denizen of the Polar Darkness
13.
Spinosaurus: Lost Giants of Egypt
14.
Tyrannosaurus: King of the Tyrant Reptiles
15.
Giganotosaurus: Biggest Predator of All?
16.
Deinocheirus: “Terrible Hands” Lead to Big Surprises
17.
Velociraptor: “Terrible Claws” and the Dinosaur Renaissance
18.
Sinosauropteryx: Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds
Part IV. Horns and Spikes and Armor and Duck Beaks: The Ornithischians19.
Heterodontosaurus: The Origin of Ornithischians
20.
Stegosaurus: The “Roofed Lizard” and the Thagomizer
21.
Ankylosaurus: Armored Dinosaurs and “Mr. Bones”
22.
Corythosaurus: Duckbills with Headgear
23.
Stegoceras: The “Unicorn Dinosaur” and the Boneheads
24.
Protoceratops: The Griffin Legend and the Origin of Horned Dinosaurs
25.
Triceratops: The “Dinosaurian Bison” and the Last of the Dinosaurs
Index
