Dinosaur Fossils

Griffins, cyclopes, monsters, and giants - these fabulous creatures of classical mythology continue to live in the modern imagination through the vivid accounts that have come down to us from the ancient Greeks and Romans. But what if these beings were more than merely fictions? Through careful research and meticulous documentation, Adrienne Mayor convincingly shows that many of the giants and monsters of myth did have a basis in fact - in the enormous bones of long-extinct species that were once abundant in the lands of the Greeks and Romans.

In Dinosaurs Rediscovered, leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton gathers together all the latest paleontological evidence, tracing the transformation of dinosaur study from its roots in antiquated natural history to an indisputably scientific field. Among other things, the book explores how dinosaur remains are found and excavated, and especially how paleontologists read the details of dinosaurs' lives from their fossils - their colors, their growth, and even whether we will ever be able to bring them back to life.

When every action and decision may determine the fate of everyone who has ever lived, the right choice is not always clear. For one man, there is no choice at all. Captain James Douglas sets off on a mundane transport and supply mission that quickly descends into disaster. Leading a fledgling society through a wild and hostile world was not part of his brief. Nor was the custodianship of all human life, history, and endeavor. Worse still, an enemy hides among his passengers, while the knowledge of a boy, just days out of school, may be all that stands between mankind and extinction.

Mary Anning was only 12 years old when, in 1811, she discovered the first dinosaur skeleton - of an ichthyosaur - while fossil hunting on the cliffs of Lyme Regis, England. Until Mary's incredible discovery, it was widely believed that animals did not become extinct.

Raptors like Velociraptors were small, deadly dinosaurs. These carnivores and omnivores may have looked like birds, but they couldn't get off the ground. Go back to a time when these deadly hunters walked the earth.

Learn how fossils teach us about dinosaurs.

Bird-footed dinosaurs like Iguanodon were plant-eaters that could walk on two legs. Many of the dinosaurs in this group could run away from hungry predators. Others traveled in large herds to stay safe.

Listen and relive the exciting tales from Highlights, now on audio! Learn how and why pinecones protect and release seeds and about how wind and water have shaped desert sandstone into giant rock formations, along with other stories about science and scientists.

In this Very Short Introduction audiobook, David Norman discusses how dinosaurs were first discovered and interpreted and how our understanding of them has changed over the past 200 years. He looks at some of the amazing discoveries that have enabled us to gain new and unexpected insights into dinosaurs as animals with natural histories and behaviors and considers some of the biggest questions in dinosaur biology, such as the implications of them having warm blood.

What dinosaur would you be if you had a bony ridge rising from the back of your skull and three horns poking up from the front? Answer: a triceratops! This book will keep you guessing as you find out how human skeletons are like—and unlike—those of dinosaurs!

Mary Anning grew up on the south coast of England in a region rich in fossils. As teenagers, she and her brother Joseph discovered England’s first complete ichthyosaur. Poor and uneducated, Anning would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists ever, though in her time she supported herself selling by fossils and received little formal recognition. Her findings helped shape scientific thinking about extinction and prehistoric life long before Darwin published his famous work on evolution.

Would you believe it if I told you that every bird you see - even the smallest hummingbird - is a dinosaur? Well, that’s what many scientists now believe! Follow along as scientists examine ancient fossils and pose new theories on how prehistoric dinosaurs evolved into today’s modern birds. Packed with exciting stories of unearthing ancient fossils and tales of what early feathered dinosaurs might have looked like, this book will have imaginations running wild. From the very first birds, with only tiny dino-fuzz covering their bodies, to the mystery of how dinosaurs finally took to the air, listeners will explore the startling connection between the birds they encounter every day and their very distant relatives.

Edmontosaurus and other duckbilled dinosaurs had beaks and strong teeth to eat tough plants. Many of these plant-eaters could communicate with other dinosaurs using the crests on their heads.

Long-necked dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus looked down on the earth from above the treetops. These mighty plant eaters had long tails, necks, and bodies.

Ankylosaurus and other armored dinosaurs were the tanks of the prehistoric world. Sharp spikes and rock-hard plates protected these plant eaters from dangerous predators.

Dinosaurs like Stegosaurus had stiff plates on their bodies. Some used their plates to heat themselves up or cool themselves off. This book takes listeners back to a time when these scaly herbivores walked the earth.

Dinosaurs such as Triceratops had deadly horns, bony frills, and sharp beaks. Some of these powerful plant eaters were so strong, they could knock down trees.

Tyrannosaurus rex and its relatives were fearsome meat eaters and deadly predators. Their strong teeth and jaws could crush bone. Go back to a time when these mighty carnivores walked the earth.

Odd meat-eaters like Carnotaurus were quick and deadly hunters. They had sharp teeth, good eyesight, and could run on two strong legs.

Allosaurus and its relatives were fierce and dangerous predators. Dinosaurs in this group had deadly claws and razor-sharp teeth.