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Author: Mark P. Witton
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400847656
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305
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Book Description
The most authoritative illustrated book on flying reptiles available For 150 million years, the skies didn't belong to birds—they belonged to the pterosaurs. These flying reptiles, which include the pterodactyls, shared the world with the nonavian dinosaurs until their extinction 65 million years ago. Some pterosaurs, such as the giant azhdarchids, were the largest flying animals of all time, with wingspans exceeding thirty feet and standing heights comparable to modern giraffes. This richly illustrated book takes an unprecedented look at these astonishing creatures, presenting the latest findings on their anatomy, ecology, and extinction. Pterosaurs features some 200 stunning illustrations, including original paintings by Mark Witton and photos of rarely seen fossils. After decades of mystery, paleontologists have finally begun to understand how pterosaurs are related to other reptiles, how they functioned as living animals, and, despite dwarfing all other flying animals, how they managed to become airborne. Here you can explore the fossil evidence of pterosaur behavior and ecology, learn about the skeletal and soft-tissue anatomy of pterosaurs, and consider the newest theories about their cryptic origins. This one-of-a-kind book covers the discovery history, paleobiogeography, anatomy, and behaviors of more than 130 species of pterosaur, and also discusses their demise at the end of the Mesozoic. The most comprehensive book on pterosaurs ever published Features some 200 illustrations, including original paintings by the author Covers every known species and major group of pterosaurs Describes pterosaur anatomy, ecology, behaviors, diversity, and more Encourages further study with 500 references to primary pterosaur literature
Author: Mark P. Witton
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400847656
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305
Get Book Here
Book Description
The most authoritative illustrated book on flying reptiles available For 150 million years, the skies didn't belong to birds—they belonged to the pterosaurs. These flying reptiles, which include the pterodactyls, shared the world with the nonavian dinosaurs until their extinction 65 million years ago. Some pterosaurs, such as the giant azhdarchids, were the largest flying animals of all time, with wingspans exceeding thirty feet and standing heights comparable to modern giraffes. This richly illustrated book takes an unprecedented look at these astonishing creatures, presenting the latest findings on their anatomy, ecology, and extinction. Pterosaurs features some 200 stunning illustrations, including original paintings by Mark Witton and photos of rarely seen fossils. After decades of mystery, paleontologists have finally begun to understand how pterosaurs are related to other reptiles, how they functioned as living animals, and, despite dwarfing all other flying animals, how they managed to become airborne. Here you can explore the fossil evidence of pterosaur behavior and ecology, learn about the skeletal and soft-tissue anatomy of pterosaurs, and consider the newest theories about their cryptic origins. This one-of-a-kind book covers the discovery history, paleobiogeography, anatomy, and behaviors of more than 130 species of pterosaur, and also discusses their demise at the end of the Mesozoic. The most comprehensive book on pterosaurs ever published Features some 200 illustrations, including original paintings by the author Covers every known species and major group of pterosaurs Describes pterosaur anatomy, ecology, behaviors, diversity, and more Encourages further study with 500 references to primary pterosaur literature
Author: Caroline Arnold
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 0618313540
Category : Animals, Fossil
Languages : en
Pages : 50
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Book Description
One hundred million years ago, the skies were filled with enormous flying reptiles. With wings spans up to nearly forty feet, pterosaurs were the dominant life form on earth. The relationship of these giants of the air to dinosaurs and to other reptiles, their varied appearance and lifestyles, their evolution and extinction, the fossil discoveries that scientists are continually making throughout the world--all are depicted in this beautifully illustrated, accessible book for young scientists and their parents and teachers. Once again, acclaimed science author Caroline Arnold and meticulous watercolorist Laurie Caple have teamed up to create an eye-opening look at an amazing group of prehistoric animals and what the world was like when these incredible creatures ruled the skies of earth. Index.
Author: Eric Buffetaut
Publisher: Geological Society of London
ISBN: 9781862391437
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 358
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Book Description
Pterosaurs were a peculiar group of Mesozoic vertebrates, which acquired the ability to fly in an original way, using a membrane attached to a single finger of the hand. Ever since the first description of a pterosaur skeleton in 1784, these remarkable animals have elicited much discussion and controversy among palaeontologists, and many basic questions about their origin, evolution and biology remain disputed. In the last few years, interest in pterosaurs has been revived by numerous discoveries of new and sometimes remarkably preserved specimens, which have enlarged and changed our picture of this group. The volume begins with descriptions of several new pterosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous of Europe, North and South America, and Africa. Following this, alternative hypotheses of pterosaur phytogeny and evolution are put forward. Several papers discuss the functional anatomy of pterosaurs and its implications for aerial locomotion. The study of pterosaur footprints provides important new evidence concerning their terrestrial locomotion, and this approach is used in several contributions. A developing aspect of pterosaur research is bone histology, as shown by the final papers in this collection.
Author: A. J. Veldmeijer
Publisher: Sidestone Press
ISBN: 9088900930
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 138
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Book Description
Pterosaurs or flying reptiles were the first vertebrates to evolve flight. These distant relatives of modern reptiles and dinosaurs lived from the Late Triassic (over 200 million years ago) to the end of the Cretaceous (about 65 million years ago) a span of some 135 million years. When they became extinct, no relatives survived them and as a result these prehistoric animals cannot readily be compared with our modern-day fauna. So what do we know of these highly succsessful animals? The present summary answers this and many more questions based on the most recent results of modern scientific research. After a short introduction to palaeontology as a science and its history related to pterosaurs, it explains what pterosaurs were, when and where they lived, and what they looked like. Topics such as disease, injury and reproduction are also discussed. Separated from this text are 'Mark explains' boxes. Each of these explanations puts one specific species in the spotlight and focuses on its lifestyle. They show how diverse pterosaurs were, from small insectivorous animals with a wingspan of nearly 40 centimetres to the biggest flying animals ever to take to the air, with wingspans of over 10 metres and with a way of life comparable to modern-day storks. The text is illustrated with many full colour photographs and beautiful palaeo-art prepared by experts in the field.
Author: Gregory S. Paul
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691180172
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 184
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Book Description
The most up-to-date and authoritative illustrated guide to the marvelous flying reptiles that dominated the skies of the Mesozoic for 160 million years Once seen by some as evolutionary dead-enders, pterosaurs were vigorous winged reptiles capable of thriving in an array of habitats and climates, including polar winters. The Princeton Field Guide to Pterosaurs transforms our understanding of these great Mesozoic archosaurs of the air. This incredible guide covers 115 pterosaur species and features stunning illustrations of pterosaurs ranging in size from swallows to small sailplanes, some with enormous, bizarre head crests and elongated beaks. It discusses the history of pterosaurs through 160 million years of the Mesozoic—including their anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction, growth, and extinction—and even gives a taste of what it might be like to travel back to the Mesozoic. This one-of-a-kind guide also challenges the common image of big pterosaurs as ultralights that only soared, showing how these spectacular creatures could be powerful flappers as heavy as bears. Features detailed species accounts of 115 different kinds of pterosaurs, with the latest size and mass estimatesWritten and illustrated by the acclaimed researcher and artist who helped to redefine the anatomy and flight performance of pterosaursCovers everything from pterosaur biology to the colorful history of pterosaur paleontologyIncludes dozens of original skeletal drawings and full-color life studies
Author: Francisco J. Vega
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402039859
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 317
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Book Description
This is the first comprehensive source of information about Mexican fossils to be published in English. The book offers updated information in the fields of stratigraphy, sedimentology, tectonics, paleobiogeography, paleoclimatology and evolution. Included is an extensive bibliography of almost 1000 references related to the central topic, a tribute to two centuries of research.
Author: Sterling J. Nesbitt
Publisher: Geological Society of London
ISBN: 1862393613
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 605
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Book Description
Archosaurs, an important reptile group that includes today's crocodiles and birds, arose during the Triassic in the aftermath of the greatest mass extinction of all time. In the last 20 years, our understanding of the early evolution of the group has improved substantially with the discovery of new fossils and species of early archosaurs and their closest relatives, a better understanding of the relationships of these animals, and new insights into their palaeobiology. In order to synthesize these new data, researchers of early archosaurs from around the world met at the first symposium of early archosaur evolution at the IV Congreso Latinoamericano de Paleontología de Vertebrados (September 2011) in San Juan, Argentina. This symposium facilitated collaboration and strove to paint a better understanding of these extraordinary animals. The resultant body of work is a state-of-the-art examination of early archosaur groups and their close relatives including historical, anatomical, biogeographical, evolutionary and palaeobiological data. This contribution furthers our knowledge of the anatomy, relationships, and palaeobiology of species-level taxa as well as more global patterns of archosaur evolution during the Triassic -- P. 4 of cover.
Author: David Unwin
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 360
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Book Description
Here is the first complete portrait of the legendary flying dragons of deep time - the pterosaurs - designed for non-specialists, yet founded on the real science of these bizarre creatures. Presented lucidly and accessibly by one of the world s leading experts, David Unwin s book is built on a mountain of new fossil discoveries and the latest research. Packed with 95 color and 30 black and white illustrations - including 10 full-page original color paintings that are scientific recreations of different pterosaur species - The Pterosaurs From Deep Time takes readers on an wondrous expedition back through the lost world of the Earth s deep past.
Author: Sankar Chatterjee
Publisher: Geological Society of America
ISBN: 9780813723761
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 72
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Book Description
Author: Steven N. Austad
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262547171
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 315
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Book Description
Stories of long-lived animal species—from thousand-year-old tubeworms to 400-year-old sharks—and what they might teach us about human health and longevity. Opossums in the wild don’t make it to the age of three; our pet cats can live for a decade and a half; cicadas live for seventeen years (spending most of them underground). Whales, however, can live for two centuries and tubeworms for several millennia. Meanwhile, human life expectancy tops out around the mid-eighties, with some outliers living past 100 or even 110. Is there anything humans can learn from the exceptional longevity of some animals in the wild? In Methusaleh’s Zoo, Steven Austad tells the stories of some extraordinary animals, considering why, for example, animal species that fly live longer than earthbound species and why animals found in the ocean live longest of all. Austad—the leading authority on longevity in animals—argues that the best way we will learn from these long-lived animals is by studying them in the wild. Accordingly, he proceeds habitat by habitat, examining animals that spend most of their lives in the air, comparing insects, birds, and bats; animals that live on, and under, the ground—from mole rats to elephants; and animals that live in the sea, including quahogs, carp, and dolphins. Humans have dramatically increased their lifespan with only a limited increase in healthspan; we’re more and more prone to diseases as we grow older. By contrast, these species have successfully avoided both environmental hazards and the depredations of aging. Can we be more like them?
