A sweeping and groundbreaking history of the age of dinosaurs, from one of our finest young scientists.The dinosaurs. 66 million years ago, the Earth's most fearsome and spectacular creatures vanished. Today their extraordinary true story remains one of our planet's great mysteries.In this stunning narrative spanning more than 200 million years, Steve Brusatte, a young American paleontologist who has emerged as one of the foremost stars of the field - discovering 10 new species and leading groundbreaking scientific studies and fieldwork - masterfully tells the complete, surprising, and new history of the dinosaurs, drawing on cutting-edge science to dramatically bring to life their lost world and illuminate their enigmatic origins, spectacular flourishing, astonishing diversity, cataclysmic extinction, and startling living legacy. Captivating and revelatory, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is a book for the ages.Brusatte traces the evolution of dinosaurs from their inauspicious start as small shadow dwellers - themselves the beneficiaries of a mass extinction caused by volcanic eruptions at the beginning of the Triassic period - into the dominant array of species every wide-eyed child memorizes today, T. rex, Triceratops, Brontosaurus, and more. This gifted scientist and writer re-creates the dinosaurs' peak during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, when thousands of species thrived, and winged and feathered dinosaurs, the prehistoric ancestors of modern birds, emerged. The story continues to the end of the Cretaceous period, when a giant asteroid or comet struck the planet and nearly every dinosaur species (but not all) died out, in the most extraordinary extinction event in earth's history, one full of lessons for today as we confront a "sixth extinction".Brusatte also recalls compelling stories from his globe-trotting expeditions during one of the most exciting eras in dinosaur research - which he calls "a new golden age of discovery" - and offers thrilling accounts of some of the remarkable findings he and his colleagues have made, including primitive human-sized tyrannosaurs; monstrous carnivores even larger than T. rex; and paradigm-shifting feathered raptors from China.An electrifying scientific history that unearths the dinosaurs' epic saga, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs will be a definitive and treasured account for decades to come. Read more

Dive into an unprecedented survey of millions of years of life on planet Earth. Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life is a beautifully crafted encyclopedia of prehistoric species that the whole family can enjoy. Featuring an incredible mix of 3D reconstructions, extraordinary skeletons, and amazingly intricate fossils, it uses the latest scientific research to recreate a wealth of ancient species, from the earliest primitive life forms to great dinosaurs, early mammals, and even the first humans.This richly illustrated catalog starts with the first Precambrian microbes and traces the evolution of life through mass extinctions and ice ages. As well as dinosaurs, it features extinct plants, invertebrates, amphibians, fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals, conjuring up a series of past worlds. The book also explores geological time and examines how fossils preserve the story of evolution.In the pages of this unique book of natural history, you'll find:- A detailed catalog of over 500 animals, plants, fungi and microbes with illustrations and fact files unmatched by any other book on the market.- A tour of some of the most fascinating fossils and skeletons.- Clear CGI reconstructions give a new life to some of the oldest identified species, allowing you to visualize them as they would have existed on Earth.- Richly annotated artworks displaying geological processes including how Earth formed and how fossils are preserved in rockCombining stunning visuals and clear text, Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life is not only packed with fascinating prehistoric facts and species, it's beautifully foiled cover will take pride of place on your coffee table! The ideal gift for dinosaur enthusiasts and naturalists of all ages that will be treasured for years to come. Read more

Take a trip back through time and find the hidden dinosaurs on each page!Roam the forest looking for an Allosaurus. Spot tiny feathered Microraptors in the sky. Dive deep to hunt for giant sea reptiles like the Plesiosaur.Every page is packed with things to discover, making this Seek and Find book fun to revisit again and again.Learn what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur; what Earth was like when dinosaurs were alive; and how scientists uncover dinosaur bones with real-life seek-and-find skills!Colorful images bring facts and history to life.Things to find are presented visually on each spread, so kids not yet reading can search, too!Great for parents and young children to share together, and for older kids to try on their own.Hardcover.Full color throughout.26 pages.9-3/4'' wide x 12'' high.Recommended for ages 5 and up. Read more

"Dino" Don Lessem brings readers face-to-face with various dinosaur species, detailing their habitats, way of life and how they became extinct. An acclaimed dinosaur expert, Don Lessem has written more than 30 children's books, writes a popular dinosaur column in Highlights magazine, and was an adviser for Jurassic Park. Take a trip through dinosaur time to meet these smart dinosaurs face-to-face: Troodon were the smartest dinosaurs! They would dig their prey (small rodents) out of the ground and could predict the movements of bugs! Giganotosaurus can recognize many dinosaurs from very far away by their smell! The Deinonychus worked together to sneak up on and surround their prey! Plus, you'll get to know Gallimimus, Laellynasaura, Microraptor, and Tyrannosaurus Rex! Read more

A behind-the-scenes account of the discovery of the oldest skeleton of a human ancestor, named "Ardi"—a find that shook the world of paleoanthropology and radically altered our understanding of human evolution. In 1994, a team led by fossil-hunting legend Tim White—"the Steve Jobs of paleoanthropology"—uncovered the bones of a human ancestor in Ethiopia's Afar region. Radiometric dating of nearby rocks indicated the skeleton, classified as Ardipithecus ramidus, was 4.4 million years old, more than a million years older than "Lucy," then the oldest known human ancestor. The findings challenged many assumptions about human evolution—how we started walking upright, how we evolved our nimble hands, and, most significantly, whether we were descended from an ancestor that resembled today's chimpanzee—and repudiated a half-century of paleoanthropological orthodoxy.Fossil Men is the first full-length exploration of Ardi, the fossil men who found her, and her impact on what we know about the origins of the human species. It is a scientific detective story played out in anatomy and the natural history of the human body. Kermit Pattison brings into focus a cast of eccentric, obsessive scientists, including one of the world's greatest fossil hunters, Tim White—an exacting and unforgiving fossil hunter whose virtuoso skills in the field were matched only by his propensity for making enemies; Gen Suwa, a Japanese savant who sometimes didn't bother going home at night to devote more hours to science; Owen Lovejoy, a onetime creationist-turned-paleoanthropologist; Berhane Asfaw, who survived imprisonment and torture to become Ethiopia's most senior paleoanthropologist and who fought for African scientists to gain equal footing in the study of human origins; and the Leakeys, for decades the most famous family in paleoanthropology.An intriguing tale of scientific discovery, obsession and rivalry that moves from the sun-baked desert of Africa and a nation caught in a brutal civil war, to modern high-tech labs and academic lecture halls, Fossil Men is popular science at its best, and a must-listen for fans of Jared Diamond, Richard Dawkins, and Edward O. Wilson.PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

Bigger and Better, Updated and Expanded We live in a golden age of paleontological discovery―on average, we find one new dinosaur species per week. The most fascinating among them take their place in this updated edition of Dinosaurs―The Grand Tour; from Aardonyx, a lumbering beast that formed a link between two- and four-legged dinosaurs, to Zuniceratops, who boasted a deadly pair of horns. Here, you’ll find everything worth knowing about every dinosaur worth knowing―more than 300 in all, including: Amphibious Halszkaraptor looks like no other dinosaur we’ve found―with a head and body the size of a duck’s, sharp claws . . . and a swanlike neck.Longer than a blue whale and three times taller than a giraffe, Patagotitan is a newly discovered contender for “biggest dinosaur ever.”The speedy little feathered predator Stenonychosaurus was an anatomical marvel, with retractable claws, asymmetrical ears for advanced hearing, incredible night vision, and a huge brain.Oviraptor―whose name means “egg thief “―doesn’t deserve its bad rap. This specimen from 1923 is now proven to have been sitting by its own eggs―not stealing another’s.Sinornithosaurus prove that dinosaurs shed their skin the same way that humans do, rather than sloughing it off all at once like a snake. At-a-glance sidebars put each dinosaur’s diet, size, and location at your fingertips. Stories of harrowing expeditions conjure the thrills of history’s most famous dinosaur hunters. Highlights from recent research reveal what’s new in paleontology today, including scientists’ evolving idea of what dinosaurs actually looked like. (Hint: They were more colorful―and feathery!―than we ever thought before.) And illustrations on virtually every page bring these prehistoric creatures to life in all their glory. Color illustrations throughout Read more

Reveals the profound influence of the Denisovans and their hybrid descendants upon the flowering of human civilization around the worldTraces the migrations of the sophisticated Denisovans and their interbreeding with Neanderthals and early human populations more than 40,000 years agoShows how Denisovan hybrids became the elite of ancient societies, including the Adena mound-building cultureExplores the Denisovans’ extraordinary advances, including precision-machined stone tools and jewelry, tailored clothing, and celestially-aligned architectureIce-age cave artists, the builders at Göbekli Tepe, and the mound-builders of North America all share a common ancestry in the Solutreans, Neanderthal-human hybrids of immense sophistication, who dominated southwest Europe before reaching North America 20,000 years ago. Yet, even before the Solutreans, the American continent was home to a powerful population of enormous stature, giants remembered in Native American legend as the Thunder People. New research shows they were hybrid descendants of an extinct human group known as the Denisovans, whose existence has now been confirmed from fossil remains found in a cave in the Altai region of Siberia.Tracing the migrations of the Denisovans and their interbreeding with Neanderthals and early human populations in Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas, Andrew Collins and Greg Little explore how the new mental capabilities of the Denisovan-Neanderthal and Denisovan-human hybrids greatly accelerated the flowering of human civilization over 40,000 years ago. They show how the Denisovans displayed sophisticated advances, including precision-machined stone tools and jewelry, tailored clothing, celestially-aligned architecture, and horse domestication. Examining evidence from ancient America, the authors reveal how Denisovan hybrids became the elite of the Adena mound-building culture, explaining the giant skeletons found in Native American burial mounds. The authors also explore how the Denisovans’ descendants were the creators of a cosmological death journey and viewed the Milky Way as the Path of Souls.Revealing the impact of the Denisovans upon every part of the world, the authors show that, without early man’s hybridization with Denisovans, Neanderthals, and other yet-to-be-discovered hominid populations, the modern world as we know it would not exist. Read more

New evidence showing that the earliest origins of human culture, religion, and technology derive from the lost world of the Denisovans:Explains how Göbekli Tepe and the Giza pyramids are aligned with the constellation of Cygnus and show evidence of enhanced sound-acoustic technology.Traces the origins of Göbekli Tepe and the Giza pyramids to the Denisovans, a previously unknown human population remembered in myth as a race of giants.Shows how the ancient belief in Cygnus as the origin point for the human soul is as much as 45,000 years old and originally came from southern Siberia.Built at the end of the last ice age around 9600 BCE, Göbekli Tepe in southeast Turkey was designed to align with the constellation of the celestial swan, Cygnus—a fact confirmed by the discovery at the site of a tiny bone plaque carved with the three key stars of Cygnus. Remarkably, the three main pyramids at Giza in Egypt, including the Great Pyramid, align with the same three stars. But where did this ancient veneration of Cygnus come from?Showing that Cygnus was once seen as a portal to the sky-world, Andrew Collins reveals how, at both sites, the attention toward this star group is linked with sound acoustics and the use of musical intervals “discovered” thousands of years later by the Greek mathematician Pythagoras. Collins traces these ideas as well as early advances in human technology and cosmology back to the Altai-Baikal region of Russian Siberia, where the cult of the swan flourished as much as 20,000 years ago. He shows how these concepts, including a complex numeric system based on long-term eclipse cycles, are derived from an extinct human population known as the Denisovans. Not only were they of exceptional size—the ancient giants of myth—but archaeological discoveries show that this previously unrecognized human population achieved an advanced level of culture, including the use of high-speed drilling techniques and the creation of musical instruments.The author explains how the stars of Cygnus coincided with the turning point of the heavens at the moment the Denisovan legacy was handed to the first human societies in southern Siberia 45,000 years ago, catalyzing beliefs in swan ancestry and an understanding of Cygnus as the source of cosmic creation. It also led to powerful ideas involving the Milky Way’s Dark Rift, viewed as the Path of Souls and the sky-road shamans travel to reach the sky-world. He explores how their sound technology and ancient cosmologies were carried into the West, flowering first at Göbekli Tepe and then later in Egypt’s Nile Valley. Collins shows how the ancient belief in Cygnus as the source of creation can also be found in many other cultures around the world, further confirming the role played by the Denisovan legacy in the genesis of human civilization. Read more

"Dino" Don Lessem brings readers face-to-face with various dinosaur species, detailing their habitats, way of life and how they became extinct. An acclaimed dinosaur expert, Don Lessem has written more than 30 children's books, writes a popular dinosaur column in Highlights magazine, and was an adviser for Jurassic Park. Take a trip through dinosaur time to meet these sea giants face-to-face: The Archelon was similar to a turtle, but its shell was made of crossed rib bone covered in rubbery skin! The Mososaurs had huge pointy jaws and grew to be fifty feet long! The Ichthyosaurs looked a lot like dolphins! Plus, you'll get to know Opthalmosaurus, Kronosaurus, Shonisaurus, Plesiosaurs and Teleosaurus! Read more

"Dino" Don Lessem brings readers face-to-face with various dinosaur species, detailing their habitats, way of life and how they became extinct. An acclaimed dinosaur expert, Don Lessem has written more than 30 children's books, writes a popular dinosaur column in Highlights magazine, and was an adviser for Jurassic Park. Take a trip through dinosaur time to meet these fast dinosaurs face-to-face: The Gallimimus could outrun a sandstorm! The Struthiomimus may have been the fastest dinosaur. It could run up to 60 miles per hour! The Liaraptor ran until it took off into the air! These may have been the first dinosaurs to fly! Plus, you'll get to know Heterodontosaurus, Gasparinisaura, Troodon, Velociraptor, and Ornithomimus! Read more

By the author of the acclaimed bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, a "brilliant" and "beautifully told" new history of mammals, illuminating the lost story of the extraordinary family tree that led to us [New Scientist; The Times UK]National Bestseller • Top 10 Nonfiction of the Year: Kirkus • Best Science Book of the Year: The Times UKWe humans are the inheritors of a dynasty that has reigned over the planet for nearly 66 million years, through fiery cataclysm and ice ages: the mammals. Our lineage includes saber-toothed tigers, woolly mammoths, armadillos the size of a car, cave bears three times the weight of a grizzly, clever scurriers that outlasted Tyrannosaurus rex, and even other types of humans, like Neanderthals. Indeed humankind and many of the beloved fellow mammals we share the planet with today—lions, whales, dogs—represent only the few survivors of a sprawling and astonishing family tree that has been pruned by time and mass extinctions. How did we get here?In his acclaimed bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs—hailed as “the ultimate dinosaur biography” by Scientific American—American paleontologist Steve Brusatte enchanted readers with his definitive history of the dinosaurs. Now, picking up the narrative in the ashes of the extinction event that doomed T-rex and its kind, Brusatte explores the remarkable story of the family of animals that inherited the Earth—mammals— and brilliantly reveals that their story is every bit as fascinating and complex as that of the dinosaurs.Beginning with the earliest days of our lineage some 325 million years ago, Brusatte charts how mammals survived the asteroid that claimed the dinosaurs and made the world their own, becoming the astonishingly diverse range of animals that dominate today’s Earth. Brusatte also brings alive the lost worlds mammals inhabited through time, from ice ages to volcanic catastrophes. Entwined in this story is the detective work he and other scientists have done to piece together our understanding using fossil clues and cutting-edge technology.A sterling example of scientific storytelling by one of our finest young researchers, The Rise and Reign of the Mammals illustrates how this incredible history laid the foundation for today’s world, for us, and our future. Read more

This is a basic guide on how to find and identify fossil shark teeth from the coast of the Carolinas. It offers the basic information novices need to get started hunting fossil shark teeth and features an easy-to-use reference section that will allow for speedy identification of species commonly found on the coasts of North and South Carolina. Read more

Compiled from decades of visiting beaches along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts collecting fossils and conducting extensive research, A Beachcomber’s Guide to Fossils is the definitive guide for amateur collectors and professionals interested in learning more about the deep history they tread on during their vacations. Authored by Bob, Pam, and Ashby Gale, this guide offers over twelve hundred high-quality color photographs and detailed descriptions of more than three hundred fossil specimens found on beaches from Texas, east to Florida, and north to New Jersey. The book includes descriptions and identifying information for the fossil remains of mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish. Because the tides provide a new beach to explore every day, and beachcombers need immediate comparison for identification, the Beachcomber’s Guide is essential for quick and easy reference. And while the seemingly infinite varieties of shark teeth form much of what beachcombers find on their sandy strolls, this guide also illuminates the fossilized remains of species that walked in a different world. From glyptodonts (a giant, prehistoric armadillo) and giant sloths to the intricately patterned remains of the ancestors of manta rays and pufferfish, this book not only teaches its readers not only what treasures to look for but how to look for them. Read more

Fossils allow us to picture the forms of life that inhabited the earth eons ago. But we long to know more: how did these animals actually behave? We are fascinated by the daily lives of our fellow creatures―how they reproduce and raise their young, how they hunt their prey or elude their predators, and more. What would it be like to see prehistoric animals as they lived and breathed?From dinosaurs fighting to their deaths to elephant-sized burrowing ground sloths, this book takes readers on a global journey deep into the earth’s past. Locked in Time showcases fifty of the most astonishing fossils ever found, brought together in five fascinating chapters that offer an unprecedented glimpse at the real-life behaviors of prehistoric animals. Dean R. Lomax examines the extraordinary direct evidence of fossils captured in the midst of everyday action, such as dinosaurs sitting on their eggs like birds, Jurassic flies preserved while mating, a T. rex infected by parasites. Each fossil, he reveals, tells a unique story about prehistoric life. Many recall behaviors typical of animals familiar to us today, evoking the chain of evolution that links all living things to their distant ancestors. Locked in Time allows us to see that fossils are not just inanimate objects: they can record the life stories of creatures as fully alive as any today. Striking and scientifically rigorous illustrations by renowned paleoartist Bob Nicholls bring these breathtaking moments to life. Read more

A fully updated and expanded edition of the acclaimed, bestselling dinosaur field guideThe bestselling Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs remains the must-have book for anyone who loves dinosaurs, from amateur enthusiasts to professional paleontologists. Now extensively revised and expanded, this dazzlingly illustrated large-format edition features nearly 100 new dinosaur species and hundreds of new and updated illustrations, bringing readers up to the minute on the latest discoveries and research that are radically transforming what we know about dinosaurs and their world.Written and illustrated by acclaimed dinosaur expert Gregory Paul, this stunningly beautiful book includes detailed species accounts of all the major dinosaur groups as well as a wealth of breathtaking images—skeletal drawings, “life” studies, scenic views, and other illustrations that depict the full range of dinosaurs, from small feathered creatures to whale-sized supersauropods. Paul’s extensive introduction delves into dinosaur history and biology, the extinction of nonavian dinosaurs, the origin of birds, and the history of dinosaur paleontology, and also gives a taste of what it might be like to travel back in time to the era when dinosaurs roamed the earth.Now covers more than 800 dinosaur species, including scores of newly discovered onesProvides startling perspectives on the famed Brontosaurus and TyrannosaurusReveals that the largest dinosaurs weighed as much as the biggest whales, and shows why that happenedFeatures hundreds of color and black-and-white drawings and figures, including life studies, scenic views, and skull and muscle drawingsIncludes color paleo-distribution maps and a color time lineDescribes anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction, and growth of dinosaurs, as well as the origin of birds and the extinction of nonavian dinosaurs Read more

Fossils offer an unparalleled insight into the amazing history of our planet. In this updated new edition author Steve Parker reveals what fossils are and how they fit into geological history, the sites in which they can be found, and what the study of fossils tells us about our natural world. An extensive directory then provides an illustrated guide to more than 375 fossils, from the first multicellular life to the giants of the oceans. Each entry includes a photograph of the fossil, a detailed factbox, and an artwork reconstructing the appearance of the original plant or animal. Featuring expert text and over 950 superb photographs and illustrations, this classic book is essential reading for anyone keen to learn more about the origins of our natural world. Read more

With Trilobite, Richard Fortey, paleontologist and author of the acclaimed Life, offers a marvelously written, smart and compelling, accessible and witty scientific narrative of the most ubiquitous of fossil creatures.Trilobites were shelled animals that lived in the oceans over five hundred million years ago. As bewilderingly diverse then as the beetle is today, they survived in the arctic or the tropics, were spiky or smooth, were large as lobsters or small as fleas. And because they flourished for three hundred million years, they can be used to glimpse a less evolved world of ancient continents and vanished oceans. Erudite and entertaining, this book is a uniquely exuberant homage to a fabulously singular species. Read more

An authoritative illustrated guide to the mighty reptiles that dominated the seas of the Mesozoic for 185 million yearsNew discoveries are revealing that many ancient oceangoing reptiles were energetic animals capable of inhabiting an array of watery habitats and climates, including polar winters. The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of the great Mesozoic groups that commanded the seas for tens of millions of years. This incredible field guide covers 435 species and features stunning illustrations of swimming reptiles ranging in size from little lizards to others with great necks longer than their bodies. It discusses the history of sea reptiles through 185 million years of the Mesozoic, their anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction and growth, and extinction, and even gives a taste of what it might be like to travel back to the Mesozoic. This one-of-a-kind guide also challenges the common image of these reptiles as giants of the prehistoric waters, showing how the largest weighed far less than today’s biggest whales.Features detailed species accounts of 435 different kinds of sea reptiles, with the latest size and mass estimatesWritten and illustrated by the acclaimed researcher and artist who helped to redefine our understanding of dinosaur anatomyDescribes placodonts, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs, sea snakes, sea turtles, marine crocs, and moreCovers everything from biology to the colorful history of sea reptile paleontologyIncludes dozens of original skeletal drawings and full-color life scenes Read more

Neither fish nor lizards, ichthyosaurs swam ancient seas for nearly 150 million years. This title reveals how more than 80 species of these dolphinlike reptiles commanded Earth's prehistoric waters at the same time dinosaurs walked on land. Read more

What prehistoric animal was the size of a small car and had a thick shell that covered its back, neck, and sides? Glyptodonts provides an introduction to these unusual creatures that were the ancient relatives of modern-day anteaters and armadillos. Read more