Of Whales and Dinosaurs

Of Whales and Dinosaurs PDF Author: Kevin Y.L. Tan
Publisher: NUS Press
ISBN: 9971698552
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
Singapore's collection of Southeast Asian animals–one of the world's largest–dates back to the old Raffles Museum, officially established in 1878.With the opening of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in 2015, the original Raffles Museum has "reincarnated" and the loop on its remarkable 127-year history has closed. Beneath the sleek exterior of today's modern museum building lies a saga of titanic struggles and changes. That the collections survived at all–through the multiple challenges of the nineteenth century, the disruption of World War Two, and its potential disintegration in the face of Singapore's modernization–is nothing short of miraculous. This book is not only an institutional history of the museum but also tells the story of frustrations, commitment and courage of the numerous individuals who battled officialdom, innovated endlessly and overcame the odds to protect Singapore's natural history heritage. The book features 108 historical photographs and natural history illustrations printed in full colour throughout.

Of Whales and Dinosaurs

Of Whales and Dinosaurs PDF Author: Kevin Y.L. Tan
Publisher: NUS Press
ISBN: 9971698552
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 287

Get Book

Book Description
Singapore's collection of Southeast Asian animals–one of the world's largest–dates back to the old Raffles Museum, officially established in 1878.With the opening of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in 2015, the original Raffles Museum has "reincarnated" and the loop on its remarkable 127-year history has closed. Beneath the sleek exterior of today's modern museum building lies a saga of titanic struggles and changes. That the collections survived at all–through the multiple challenges of the nineteenth century, the disruption of World War Two, and its potential disintegration in the face of Singapore's modernization–is nothing short of miraculous. This book is not only an institutional history of the museum but also tells the story of frustrations, commitment and courage of the numerous individuals who battled officialdom, innovated endlessly and overcame the odds to protect Singapore's natural history heritage. The book features 108 historical photographs and natural history illustrations printed in full colour throughout.

When the Whales Walked

When the Whales Walked PDF Author: Dougal Dixon
Publisher:
ISBN: 1912413957
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 67

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Book Description
From the moment life crawled out of the oceans and onto land, to when our primate ancestors climbed down from the trees, the history of Planet Earth is filled with incredible stories. This beautifully illustrated guide explores some of the most exciting and incredible events in evolution, through 13 case studies. Step back in time and discover a world where whales once walked, crocodiles were warm-blooded, and snakes had legs! Meet terrifying giant birds, and tiny elephants living on islands in this fascinating creature guide like no other. Learn how whales once walked on four legs before taking to the oceans; how dinosaurs evolved into birds; and how the first cats were small and lived in trees. Featuring a stunning mix of annotated illustrations, illustrated scenes, and family trees, evolution is explained here in a captivating and novel style that will make children look at animals in a whole new way.

Spying on Whales

Spying on Whales PDF Author: Nick Pyenson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0735224587
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
“A palaeontological howdunnit…[Spying on Whales] captures the excitement of…seeking answers to deep questions in cetacean science.” —Nature Called “the best of science writing” (Edward O. Wilson) and named a best book by Popular Science, a dive into the secret lives of whales, from their four-legged past to their perilous present. Whales are among the largest, most intelligent, deepest diving species to have ever lived on our planet. They evolved from land-roaming, dog-sized creatures into animals that move like fish, breathe like us, can grow to 300,000 pounds, live 200 years and travel entire ocean basins. Whales fill us with terror, awe, and affection--yet there is still so much we don't know about them. Why did it take whales over 50 million years to evolve to such big sizes, and how do they eat enough to stay that big? How did their ancestors return from land to the sea--and what can their lives tell us about evolution as a whole? Importantly, in the sweepstakes of human-driven habitat and climate change, will whales survive? Nick Pyenson's research has given us the answers to some of our biggest questions about whales. He takes us deep inside the Smithsonian's unparalleled fossil collections, to frigid Antarctic waters, and to the arid desert in Chile, where scientists race against time to document the largest fossil whale site ever found. Full of rich storytelling and scientific discovery, Spying on Whales spans the ancient past to an uncertain future--all to better understand the most enigmatic creatures on Earth.

Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs

Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs PDF Author: Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231119186
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 649

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Book Description
Few aspects of American military history have been as vigorously debated as Harry Truman's decision to use atomic bombs against Japan. In this carefully crafted volume, Michael Kort describes the wartime circumstances and thinking that form the context for the decision to use these weapons, surveys the major debates related to that decision, and provides a comprehensive collection of key primary source documents that illuminate the behavior of the United States and Japan during the closing days of World War II. Kort opens with a summary of the debate over Hiroshima as it has evolved since 1945. He then provides a historical overview of thye events in question, beginning with the decision and program to build the atomic bomb. Detailing the sequence of events leading to Japan's surrender, he revisits the decisive battles of the Pacific War and the motivations of American and Japanese leaders. Finally, Kort examines ten key issues in the discussion of Hiroshima and guides readers to relevant primary source documents, scholarly books, and articles.

50 Million Years of Whales

50 Million Years of Whales PDF Author: Ted Rechlin
Publisher: Rextooth Studios
ISBN: 9781591522737
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
A dinosaur was the largest animal to exist on Earth, right? Wrong! The largest animal in Earth's 4.7-billion-year history exists today: the enormous Blue Whale that swims the oceans. Come along on an evolutionary journey of 50 million years as we learn other remarkable facts and follow the ancestors of today's cetaceans from the time they crawled out of the oceans and then back to become the magnificent beasts we admire in every ocean on our planet earth. The whales' journey has not been a smooth one, but it is a magnificent story. Award-winning author and illustrator Ted Rechlin (Lions and Tigers, Sue, Jurassic) takes the reader on this journey using his engaging and dynamic graphic novel style to entertain and enlighten readers. 50 Million Years of Whales is an eye-opening look at the long and fascinating story of whales. Appropriate for ages 6 and up.

Smithsonian Dinosaurs and Other Amazing Creatures from Deep Time

Smithsonian Dinosaurs and Other Amazing Creatures from Deep Time PDF Author: National Museum of Natural History
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution
ISBN: 1588346625
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
A fun, pocket-sized book presenting the remarkable dinosaurs and other creatures that roamed Earth billions of years ago Smithsonian Dinosaurs and Other Amazing Creatures from Deep Time traces the journey of life on Earth from its origins some 4.6 billion years ago. Beginning with the first evidence of life in the form of single-celled microbes, it moves through the Cambrian era's explosion of biodiversity around 540 million years ago through the mass extinction event 252 million years ago that cleared the stage for the first turtles, pterosaurs, and other dinosaurs and mammals of the Triassic era. It offers a rare look at some of the world's most fascinating creatures: from sauropods, the largest creatures to ever walk the land, to the top carnivorous predator Tyrannosaurus rex, as well as the mastodons, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, walrus-whales, and other beasts that seem outlandish to us now. Profiling these and many other fascinating creatures throughout prehistory, the book is sure to delight young dinosaur enthusiasts.

The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs

The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs PDF Author: Tom Jackson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN:
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
Travel back in time to meet the most magnificent dinosaurs in close up. The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs takes you back to prehistoric times to meet 36 incredible beasts. From the terrifying T. rex to the speedy Velociraptor, this book depicts some of the most incredible dinosaurs in stunning and accurate original illustrations. Intriguing facts accompany every illustration, so you can learn which is the largest land predator ever found, how the feathered Deinonychus kept its huge hooked claws sharp, and why Triceratops had a large bony frill. This is the perfect book for dinosaur-lovers everywhere. 36 DINOSAURS: Learn about dozens of dinosaurs from all over the world, from the stealthy Spinosaurus to the mighty Dreadnoughtus. BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED: Vibrant, detailed images bring these incredible beasts to back to life. FASCINATING FACTS: Includes hundreds of fascinating facts in an easy-to-read format that will excite dinosaur-lovers of all ages. MAP OF THE DINOSAUR WORLD: A full-page color map shows where each dinosaur originates. COLLECT THE SERIES: More beautifully illustrated collections for all ages include The Magnificent Book of Extinct Animals, The Magnificent Book of Cats, The Magnificent Book of Sharks, The Magnificent Book of Horses, and The Magnificent Book of Birds.

The Age of Dinosaurs

The Age of Dinosaurs PDF Author: Steve Brusatte
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062930192
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Think you know about dinosaurs? Think again! New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Steve Brusatte brings young scientists and readers everywhere into his world of massive herbivores and fearsome predators, daily unexpected discoveries, and all the new science used to learn about some of the world’s oldest beings. Even though the dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago, we’re still piecing together new information about these ancient animals. Did you know that, on average, a new species of dinosaur is discovered every single week? Or that many dinosaurs had feathers? Or that there are even modern-day dinosaurs walking around right now? New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed paleontologist Steve Brusatte writes about all the new discoveries he and his colleagues have made that help us better understand—and marvel at—these remarkable reptiles. This exciting nonfiction book for ages 7 to 12 includes a glossary, pronunciation guide, and index, as well as photos throughout. A strong choice for the classroom and for independent reading, and a great source for reports using information direct from an expert in the field.

Beasts of Eden

Beasts of Eden PDF Author: David Rains Wallace
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520939400
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 374

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Book Description
Mammals first evolved at about the same time as dinosaurs, and their story is perhaps the more fascinating of the two—in part because it is also our own story. In this literate and entertaining book, eminent naturalist David Rains Wallace brings the saga of ancient mammals to a general audience for the first time. Using artist Rudolph Zallinger's majestic The Age of Mammals mural at the Peabody Museum as a frame for his narrative, Wallace deftly moves over varied terrain—drawing from history, science, evolutionary theory, and art history—to present a lively account of fossil discoveries and an overview of what those discoveries have revealed about early mammals and their evolution. In these pages we encounter towering mammoths, tiny horses, giant-clawed ground sloths, whales with legs, uintatheres, zhelestids, and other exotic extinct creatures as well as the scientists who discovered and wondered about their remains. We meet such memorable figures as Georges Cuvier, Richard Owen, Edward D. Cope, George Gaylord Simpson, and Stephen Jay Gould and learn of their heated disputes, from Cuvier's and Owen's fights with early evolutionists to present controversies over the Late Cretaceous mass extinction. Wallace's own lifelong interest in evolution is reflected in the book's evocative and engaging style and in the personal experiences he expertly weaves into the tale, providing an altogether expansive perspective on what Darwin described as the "grandeur" of evolution.

Dinosaur Odyssey

Dinosaur Odyssey PDF Author: Scott D. Sampson
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520269896
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
"The best general-audience dinosaur book since the Dinosaur Renaissance began in the 1970s."—Philip J. Currie, coeditor of Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs, from the foreword “Dinosaur Odyssey is not only a personable and highly accessible tour of the up-to-date discoveries about the gigantic and famous. It also builds on dinosaur paleontology to far-ranging topics like extinction, climate change, and the possibility of life on Mars. The gift to the reader is both fascination and enlightenment.”—Michael Novacek, author of Terra and Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs "An odyssey indeed! One of the world's leading dinosaur paleontologists, Sampson draws on a wide variety of sciences, from astronomy and cosmology to microbiology and ecology, in order to portray dinosaurs as living animals. The reader is in for a treat and will emerge with fresh and valuable insights."—Peter Dodson, author of The Horned Dinosaurs