Sea Dragons: Predators of the Prehistoric Oceans - Hardcover

Ellis, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0700612696 ISBN 13: 9780700612697

Publisher: Univ Pr of Kansas, 2003

Synopsis

Working from the fossil record, Richard Ellis explores the natural history of these fierce predators, speculates on their habits, and tells how they eventually became extinct - or did they? He traces the 200-million-year history of the great ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs who swam the ancient oceans - and who, according to some, may even still frequent the likes of Loch Ness.
The first book about these animals in nearly a century, Sea Dragons draws upon the most recent scientific research to reconstruct their lives and habitats. Along the way, the book also provides insights into and tales about the work, discoveries, and competing theories that compose the world of vertebrate paleontology.

About this title

About the Author

Richard Ellis is a research associate in vertebrate paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History.

From the Back Cover

"Ellis has written the paleohistorical equivalent of Jaws. Modern-day sharks are anchovies compared to the monstrous great reptiles of prehistoric seas, most of which were bigger, faster, more powerful, omnivorous, and better armed."--Peter Benchley, author of Jaws and Shark Trouble

"With this book, Richard Ellis complements his previously published works on living marine creatures with a riveting account of those long-necked, sharp-toothed, and in some cases, armor-plated giants of the 100-million-year-old seas. His exploration of the past brilliantly showcases creatures more astonishing than any Loch Ness Monster we can dream up."--Michael Novacek, Provost of Science and Curator of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History and author of Time Traveler: In Search of Dinosaurs and Other Fossils from Montana to Mongolia

"Dinosaurs were the most magnificent creatures that ever walked the earth and remain a subject of enduring fascination, as witnessed by the highly popular Jurassic Park. Ellis's vivid and delightfully illustrated book chronicles a lesser-known but equally magnificent group of these extraordinary mega fauna-the remarkable giants that swam the great Mesozoic seas."--Sir Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey

"This is really the first book to present a detailed summary of the history of ideas on marine reptile paleontology. It's also very readable and accessible, which is one of Ellis's trademarks as a writer."--Michael Caldwell, curator of higher vertebrates at the University of Alberta Museum of Paleontology and associate editor of Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

Reviews

Ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, oh, my! The prehistoric oceans and shallow seas that covered most of present-day North America and Europe were rife with such now-extinct monsters. They evolved from land reptiles that returned to the water, but they didn't all coexist: the ichthyosaurs, looking a lot like dolphins and most docile of the group, first appeared about 250 million years ago, followed by the plesiosaurs, which looked like swimming velociraptors; pliosaurs, first cousins to the plesiosaurs and able to take on a shark bigger than a great white; and finally the mosasaurs, almost 60 feet in length. Pliosaurs and mosasaurs went extinct at the same time as the last terrestrial dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. Acclaimed illustrator and author Ellis (The Empty Ocean) conducts an exhaustive and generously illustrated survey of what paleontologists know about these monsters of the deep. Many species are known only from a partial skeleton or two, so many questions remain, such as, how did they propel themselves though the water (some scientists guess that plesiosaurs propelled themselves like penguins or dolphins) and what does the gravel found near some fossils mean (perhaps the sea dragons used it for ballast, like modern-day crocodiles, or perhaps they used it in gizzard-like structures, like the chicken). One of the biggest unanswered questions about dinosaurs is what their skin looked like, but Ellis applies his imagination and extensive knowledge of maritime animals skillfully in the grayscale drawings that bring these creatures back to life. Casual dinosaur fans may find the dense detail tough going, but die-hard Jurassic buffs will want this for their collections.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kansas
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0700612696
• ISBN 13: 9780700612697
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 312