Overview
Dinosaurs ruled the earth for 160 million years before their sudden and still mysterious extinction. In the 192 pages of National Geographic Dinosaurs, fact-filled text from dinosaur expert Paul Barrett helps answer questions such as What were dinosaurs really like? How big were they? What did they eat? and How did they interact with each other? More than 50 dinosaur profiles flesh out the details behind the fossil record. Range maps show where dinosaur evidence has been found all over the world. Size charts show how much larger -- or smaller -- dinosaurs were compared to humans. And lively descriptions of each dinosaur genus make the fascinating facts stick in your mind.Stunning mural artwork by Raul Martin goes beyond the informative and speaks to the imagination. Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous scenes seem vividly real. Allosaurus chases his prey through luminously lit water. Pterosaurs swoop through purple-misted skies, and Iguanodons haunt the marshy forest. Reconstructing dinosaurs and their world is the work of painstaking research and excavation, informed imagination, and constant discovery. National Geographic brings it all together in its first full-length dinosaur reference. Open the pages and let the world of the dinosaurs come to life!
Synopsis
Here is everything young readers want to know about dinosaurs and their world—in one magnificently illustrated, up-to-date family reference. Through dramatic graphics and age-appropriate text, this authoritative volume charts the discovery of all the main types of dinosaurs and reveals the latest details on how these creatures most likely looked, behaved, defended themselves, found food, cared for their young, and interacted.
Stunning murals, based on scientific evidence, depict various dinosaurs in their habitats—beautifully complementing the color photographs, paintings, charts, and maps. Some 53 major types of dinosaurs are described, representing a wide range of physical structures, sizes, and lifestyles.
The book presents recent discoveries and current scientific thought—including the dinosaur-bird connection, profiles of feathered dinosaurs, and theories on dinosaur extinction. Readers also see how today’s paleontologists obtain evidence, piece together clues, and continue to reconstruct life in prehistoric times.
Publishers Weekly
Paul Barrett's National Geographic Dinosaurs, illus. by Raul Mart!n, catalogues more than 50 of the "terrible lizards." A "time bar" running along the outside of the page indicates the period for each particular dinosaur; a "Fact File" provides the animal's genus, classification, weight and measurements; and a graph compares the dino's size to humans. Other sections focus on the Mesozoic through the Cretaceous period, paleontology and dinosaur behavior. Over 300 full-color photographs and 90 photorealistic illustrations add dimension. ( Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.