Paleontology - General & Miscellaneous, Dinosaurs, Paleontology - Geological Time Periods, Zoology - Vertebrates & Invertibrates, Biology - General & Miscellaneous, Evolution

Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History

Name: Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History
Author: David E. Fastovsky
ISBN: 9780521282376

by David E. Fastovsky, David B. Weishampel

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Overview

Updated with the material that instructors want, Dinosaurs continues to make science exciting and understandable to non-science majors through its narrative of scientific concepts rather than endless facts. It now contains new material on pterosaurs, an expanded section on the evolution of the dinosaurs and new photographs to help students engage with geology, natural history and evolution. The authors ground the text in the language of modern evolutionary biology, phylogenetic systematics, and teach students to examine the paleontology of dinosaurs exactly as the professionals in the field do using these methods to reconstruct dinosaur relationships. Beautifully illustrated, lively and engaging, this edition continues to encourage students to ask questions and assess data critically, enabling them to think like a scientist.

About the Author, David E. Fastovsky

David Fastovsky is Professor of Geology at the University of Rhode Island and tutor at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. His interest in dinosaurs started as a child when he read about a 1920s fossil collector's adventures in the Gobi Desert. Dinosaurs won out years later when he had the tough decision of choosing between a career in music (he takes his viola on his many field trips) or paleontology, and he has had many of his own adventures in far-flung parts of the world. He is known as a dynamic teacher as well as a respected researcher with a focus on the environments in which dinosaurs roamed. When dinosaur fossils are found he is called on to reconstruct the place where they lived. He has made several television documentary appearances, and was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the Geological Society of America in 2006.

David B. Weishampel is professor in the Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution at The Johns Hopkins University. His research focuses on dinosaur evolution and how dinosaurs function and he is particularly interested in herbivorous dinosaurs and the dinosaur record of Europe. Among his many publications 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.

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Editorials

From the Publisher

Of the First Edition: "...well-written, highly visual, engaging, and informative book ... Highly recommended."
CHOICE

Of the First Edition: "If you wish to know about the jaw mechanics in Euornithopoda, or if the giant femur of an adult Maiasaura makes you happy, this book will become the best gift for you! … The indices of subjects and genera are very detailed and useful. It is great that the Latin name is translated for each taxon … an outstanding synthesis of the modern knowledge on dinosaurs. And it will remain so for at least 1-2 decades. The reviewer has no idea other than to recommend this book strongly for everyone deeply interested in the world of dinosaurs and the evolutionary theory."
Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie

Of the First Edition: "… it is undoubtedly the case that Fastovsky and Weishampel have been at the forefront of this genre. … concise as well as being accessible and highly informative on the topic of dinosaurs and the science that can be applied to understanding them. As a well-structured, thoughtful and helpful undergraduate teaching guide it is absolutely excellent."
David Norman, The Geographical Journal

Of the First Edition: "Overall I find Dinosaurs: A Concise Natural History to be a welcome improvement over what in my opinion was already the best dinosaur textbook on the market."
William Parker, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

"… the most comprehensive and useful text on dinosaurs on the market. It's both authoritative and whimsical, providing the student with a great background on dinosaurs and on the sciences needed to understand them. It's fun to read and [has] great illustrations too."
Kevin Padian, Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley