G306. Dinosaurs without bones; dinosaur lives revealed by their trace fossils
Author: Anthony J Martin
Publisher: Pegasus books
Publishing Date: 2014
ISBN: 978-1-60598-499-5
Summary:
What if we woke up one morning all of the dinosaur bones in the world were gone? How would we know these iconic animals had a165-million year history on earth, and had adapted to all land-based environments from pole to pole? What clues would be left to discern not only their presence, but also to learn about their sex lives, raising of young, social lives, combat, and who ate who? What would it take for us to know how fast dinosaurs moved, whether they lived underground, climbed trees, or went for a swim?
Welcome to the world of ichnology, the study of traces and trace fossils—such as tracks, trails, burrows, nests, toothmarks, and other vestiges of behavior—and how through these remarkable clues, we can explore and intuit the rich and complicated lives of dinosaurs. With a unique, detective-like approach, interpreting the forensic clues of these long-extinct animals that leave a much richer legacy than bones, Martin brings the wild world of the Mesozoic to life for the twenty-first century reader.
Author Info:
(From the book)
Anthony J. Martin is a professor at Emory University, a paleontologist, geologist, and one of the world's most accomplished ichnologists. He is the co-discoverer of the first known burrowing dinosaur, found the oldest dinosaur burrows in the geologic record, and documented the best assemblage of polar dinosaur tracks in the Southern Hemisphere. He lives in Atlanta, GA.
Personal Opinion:
I don't have much knowledge of dinosaurs, therefore reading this book was a new experience for me, but it's one I enjoyed very much. The vocabulary was new to me, and I also needed familiarity with periods the author was talking about, as well as references to types of dinosaurs. There is definitely a lot of passion when it comes to his writing, and I loved learning new dinosaur facts that i can share with my son in he future. I really should read some more science type books in the future.
I won this in goodreads
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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