A comprehensive pocket guide to dinosaurs and prehistoric animals and the world they inhabited millions of years ago.
Packed with more than seven hundred full-color illustrations, this definitive pocket guide paints a vivid portrait of extraordinary dinosaurs and prehistoric animals, and the ecosystems they lived in millions of years ago.
This guide features authoritative text, crystal-clear illustrations, and a straightforward approach to revealing the fascinating lives and habitats of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, marine reptiles, and prehistoric beasts. The introductory section explains classification systems, geological timelines, the evolution of the dinosaurs, and how fossils form and are discovered by paleontologists. For ease of reference, the main body of the book is divided into three sections: the Precambrian and Paleozoic eras, when animals first began evolving; the Mesozoic era, which saw the flourishing and eventual extinction of the dinosaurs; and the Cenozoic era, when giant mammals walked the Earth. Each section is broken down into its geological time periods, and, within these, the species are organized according to habitat—whether they lived on land, in the water, or in the air.
There are detailed profiles of 200 dinosaurs and other ancestors of modern animals. Each entry combines a precise, jargon-free description with full-color illustrations, skeletons, and replica models, annotated to showcase the unique features of the species. Maps show where each animal's fossils have been found, and many profiles are supported by photographs to show actual excavation sites.
ISBN-13: 9780744028386
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: DK
Publication Date: 10-12-2021
Pages: 224
Product Dimensions: 5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range: 9 - 12 Years
Series: DK Smithsonian Handbook
Hazel Richardson is an author and editor of science books with a background in research. She's the author of 16 books, including Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals, Life in the Ancient Indus River Valley, and Life in Ancient Japan.
Table of Contents
Introduction 6
Classification of Life 8
What Were Dinosaurs? 10
Dinosaur and Bird Evolution 12
Mammal Evolution 14
Geological Time 16
Fossil Evidence 18
Precambrian Time 20
Cambrian Period 22
Ordovician Period 24
Silurian Period 26
Devonian Period 28
Carboniferous Period 30
Permian Period 32
Mesozoic Era 34
Triassic Period 36
Diapsids 38
Synapsids 54
Jurassic Period 58
Theropods 60
Sauropodomorphs 72
Ornithischians 82
Other Diapsids 90
Synapsids 102
Cretaceous Period 104
Theropods 106
Sauropods 126
Ornithischians 128
Other Diapsids 148
Mammals 156
Cenozoic Era 158
Paleogene Period 160
Mammals 162
Birds 172
Neogene Period 174
Mammals 176
Birds 184
Quaternary Period 188
Mammals 190
Birds 198
Additional Dinosaurs 200
Glossary 210
Index 216
Acknowledgements 224
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