Predatory Dinosaurs of the World : A Complete Illustrated Guide

Published in cooperation with the New York Academy of Sciences, Predatory Dinosaurs of the World is a complete illustrated guide to some of the most extraordinary creatures ever to inhabit the earth--the predatory dinosaurs which lived from 235 to 65 million years ago. Filled with new information from the forefront of paleontology and hundreds of evocative, precisely detailed drawings, Predatory Dinosaurs of the World is the first dinosaur book for every kind of reader. Gregory S. Paul provides an extensive species-by-species catalog of all the predatory dinosaurs known to have existed, from the weasel-sized Lagosuchus to the gigantic Tyranosaurus rex. Dispelling old myths, Paul reveals the surprising capacities of the dinosaurs, including their quickness, adaptability, and agility. And he shows the enormous power of these amazing beasts, bringing them to life once more as they hunt, roam, and pillage through their strange prehistoric worlds from tropical deserts to the polar snows.

Predatory Dinosaurs of the World explains how the animals lived and how they interacted with each other and the life around them. Paul details the awesome hit-and-run hunting techniques of the dinosaurs. He explains the varying features of their anatomies and physiologies and compares the ways in which different species evolved through time. He also provides skeletal restorations for many species and thousands of little-known facts. Here is an engrossing exploration of the lost kingdom of the predatory dinosaurs. Rarely has science been so lively, so entertaining--or so much fun.

Paul thinks dinosaurs are fun, and he conveys his enthusiasm in this well-written account of their life and times. In the first part of the book he describes how the predatory dinosaurs (meat-eating dinosaurs, as opposed to herbivorous dinosaurs) evolved, what they looked like and how they lived. He dispels some commonly held notions: dinosaurs were not cold-blooded, slow or stupid; they were, in fact, the ancestors of birds. The second part of the book is an illustrated catalogue of all important predatory dinosaurs known to date, a new reorganization of predatory dinosaur taxonomy and systematics. Dinosaur are obviously the love of Paul's life, and he sometimes makes us forget that these extraordinary creatures have been extinct for at least 65 million years. In addition, as a paleontologist who does his own illustrations, he can back up his contention that dinosaurs "look neat."
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.