Dinosaur Eggs Discovered!: Unscrambling the Clues

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

This is not the first book that I have read about the discovery of dinosaur eggs, but it certainly is one of the most thorough in its coverage and readability. The setting is Patagonia in Argentina, which has become a fossil hunting paradise. The team in this book made many trips to the area to better understand what types of dinosaurs laid eggs, what they may have looked like, whether the parents took part in protecting or raising their young, who their predators were, and why there were so many eggs in this particular area. The hypotheses presented were substantiated by field and laboratory research and it makes for fascinating reading. The painstaking work and the deductions of these experts led to artists being able to create an image of what this dinosaur looked like and how it probably lived. The scientists concluded that these Titanosaurs traveled in herds, returned to the same nesting grounds, and did protect their young, probably from the new dinosaur that they discovered—Aucasaurus. In addition to learning a lot about dinosaurs, the authors have provided an excellent explanation of the work in the field and the years that it takes to prove theories and finally publish papers in scientific journals. Budding paleontologists would do well to read and have for themselves a copy of this book.

VOYA - Robyn Guedel

In 1997, three paleontologists set out on a mission to look for bird fossils in southern Argentina. What they found instead turned out to be quite unexpected and groundbreaking. This book chronicles their discovery of dinosaur eggs and new dinosaur fossils in the previously unexplored territory of Auca Mahuevo. The authors lead the reader through all phases of the expedition-from finding out when the eggs were laid to what type of dinosaur laid the eggs and how they discovered each of these things. The book also contains brief bits of information to help the reader understand geological periods as well as identify different species of dinosaurs. The authors provide excellent photos of the dinosaur egg specimens as well as helpful graphs and charts. The book contains a very thorough glossary of terms, along with an extensive bibliography and Web site links to help students with research. Although the story is very interesting, the flow is somewhat choppy because of the technical terms used throughout the book. Unless a library's teen patrons are huge dinosaur fans, this book is not a must-have.