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The study of dinosaurs has been experiencing a remarkable renaissance over the past few decades. Scientific understanding of dinosaur anatomy, biology, and evolution has advanced to such a degree that paleontologists often know more about 100-million-year-old dinosaurs than many species of living organisms. This book provides a contemporary review of dinosaur science intended for students, researchers, and dinosaur enthusiasts. It reviews the latest knowledge on dinosaur anatomy and phylogeny, how dinosaurs functioned as living animals, and the grand narrative of dinosaur evolution across the Mesozoic. A particular focus is on the fossil evidence and explicit methods that allow paleontologists to study dinosaurs in rigorous detail. Scientific knowledge of dinosaur biology and evolution is shifting fast, and this book aims to summarize current understanding of dinosaur science in a technical, but accessible, style, supplemented with vivid photographs and illustrations.
Foreword ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Dinosaurs 1
Chapter 2 Hard Tissues 29
Chapter 3 Soft Tissues 65
Chapter 4 Phylogeny 88
Chapter 5 Form 117
Chapter 6 Locomotion and Posture 135
Chapter 7 Feeding and Diet 159
Chapter 8 Reproduction, Growth, and Physiology 191
Chapter 9 Paleoecology and Dwelling 227
Chapter 10 Macroevolution and Extinction 242
References 262
Index 309
Stephen Brusatte is a vertebrate paleontologist and PhD student at Columbia University and the American Museum of Natural History. His research focuses on the anatomy, systematics, and evolution of fossil vertebrates, especially theropod dinosaurs. He is particularly interested in the origin of major groups such as dinosaurs, birds, and mammals. Steve is the author of over 40 research papers and three books, and his work has been profiled in the New York Times, on BBC Television and NPR, and in many other press outlets.
