The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs »

Gregory S. Paul is a leading dinosaur illustrator and researcher who helped establish the "new look" of the Mesozoic creatures seen in contemporary documentaries and movies, including "Jurassic Park", for which he served as a consultant. His books include "Predatory Dinosaurs of the World" (Simon & Schuster), "The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs" (St. Martin's), and "Dinosaurs of the Air". His work has also appeared in "Scientific American", " Nature", the "New York Times", and many other publications.

"I have been looking forward to this book for years. Gregory Paul has set the standard for how prehistoric animals are reconstructed in scientific illustrations. As with all his work, the illustrations in this book are made with a near-fanatical quest for accuracy. This will be a popular and much-used reference for a wide audience of dinosaur enthusiasts."—James I. Kirkland, state paleontologist, Utah Geological Survey

Library Journal

This latest book by Paul, a leading dinosaur researcher and illustrator, is an excellent accompaniment to your standard dinosaur encyclopedias. Its strength lies is the inclusion of over 735 species, along with information on how complete the fossil skeletons representing them are, anatomical characteristics, distribution of fossil finds, the animal's probable habitat, and what scientists believe about its behavior. The text incorporates new scientific opinion on the appearance and habitat of many dinosaurs, and it is beautifully illustrated with over 600 images depicting both skeletal anatomy and current opinions on the creatures' appearance. Paul is an expert, having written seven books on dinosaurs as well as many technical papers and popular articles on the subject. VERDICT Though not a field guide to stuff in your backpack, this exciting addition to dinosaur reference is essential for high school through university libraries and is highly recommended for all students of dinosaurs.—Betty Galbraith, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

Preface 6
Acknowledgments 6
Introduction History of Discovery and Research 9
What Is a Dinosaur? 13
Dating Dinosaurs 14
The Evolution of Dinosaurs and Their World 15
Extinction 23
After the Age of Dinosaurs 24
Biology 24
General Anatomy 24
Skin, Feathers, and Color 32
Respiration and Circulation 33
Digestive Tracts 35
Senses 36
Vocalization 37
Disease and Pathologies 37
Behavior 38
Brains, Nerves, and Intelligence 38
Social Activities 38
Reproduction 39
Growth 44
Energetics 46
Gigantism 48
Mesozoic Oxygen 51
The Evolution—and Loss—of Avian Flight 52
Dinosaur Safari 53
If Dinosaurs Survived 54
Dinosaur Conservation 54
Where Dinosaurs Are Found 55
Using the Group and Species Descriptions 61
Group and Species Accounts Dinosaurs 67
Theropods 67
Sauropodomorphs 162
Ornithischians 214
Additional Reading 316
Index: Dinosaur Taxa 317
Formations 319