Dinosaurs Without Bones
Dinosaur Lives Revealed by Their Trace Fossils
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- £8.49
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- £8.49
Publisher Description
"Bubbles over with the joy of scientific discovery as he shares his natural enthusiasm for the blend of sleuthing and imagination."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
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 21st century reader.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Martin's popular, non-academic debut bubbles over with the joy of scientific discovery as he shares his natural enthusiasm for the blend of sleuthing and imagination that he brings to the field of ichnology the study of trace fossils and features left by organismal behavior, such as tracks, nests, and burrows. These yield evidence that is both more abundant than the bones, which Martin playfully disparages as "body fossils," and reveal more about how, where, and when dinosaurs live, moved, ate, and raised their young. Martin marvels at the awkward way that scientific knowledge moves forward, and he shows no jaded academic anger as he highlights how the dramatic rewards of finally making new discoveries are complicated by the human drama of scientists with competing theories butting heads in academia or in the popular press. He finishes with a section on how extrapolation back to the Mesozoic Era from modern species is another powerful tool for understanding dinosaur behavior. The energy behind Martin's "what if" saurian life scenarios is no mere distraction; his science is solid and his descriptions of the current state of classification and knowledge are clear, up to date, and detailed. The books is great fun for anyone looking to revive their childhood dinosaur obsessions.
