The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book

Thomas E Svarney, Patricia Barnes-Svarney

Description

<div><b>The mighty dinosaurs were the dominant life form on earth for millions of years. But catastrophe awaited. In what amounts to a geological blink of an eye, the dinosaurs disappeared. This fun-filled fact-book takes you deep into the world of dinosaurs!</b> 

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From Tyrannosaurs to Stegosaurs, <i><b>The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book</i></b> profiles numerous species, chronicling their time on Earth and exploring their roles in archaeological expeditions and museums today. It covers the latest, greatest findings along with the accompanying shifts in dinosaur theory. Because of recent discoveries, there are some great debates: Are birds really dinosaurs? Were any dinosaurs warm blooded? What caused their extinction? Unearth answers to over 800 commonly asked (and just plain interesting) dinosaur questions such as . . . <i>

<li>What is a dinosaur?

<li>Where are extremely large dinosaur bones being found and why?

<li>Did dinosaurs get blown away by hurricanes?

<li>Did some dinosaurs have self-sharpening teeth?

<li>Which dinosaur had the longest neck of any animal known?

<li>Did dinosaurs travel in herds?

<li>What dinosaurs are thought to have evolved into birds?

<li>Do dinosaur bones ever get “rearranged” after they are placed on display?

<li>Where and what is the Dinosaur Freeway?</i>

<p>

From the earth’s beginnings through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods to today’s latest scientific discoveries and discovery-laden sites, <i><b>The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book</i></b> provides hundreds of intriguing dinosaur facts. With numerous photos and illustrations, this tome is richly illustrated, and its helpful bibliography and extensive index add to its usefulness. It’s a perfect reference to help make sense of 65-million-year-old mysteries!</div>

Sujets

• Sciences de la nature
• Biologie
• Zoologie
• Nature
• Reference
• Sciences et techniques

Informations

• Publié par: Visible Ink Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781578593262
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

About the Authors

Thomas Eugene Svarney and Patricia Barnes-Svarney have backgrounds in the physical sciences. Svarney is currently a nonfiction writer and researcher; Barnes-Svarney is a nonfiction and science fiction/mystery writer. Research for their books has led them to all corners of the world—from Meteor Crater, Arizona, and dinosaur digs in Colorado to naturalists studies in Europe, and even weather research at the South Pole.
Barnes-Svarney has written several books, including the award-winning bestseller, New York Public Library Science Desk Reference, and Book-of-the-Month pick Asteroid: Earth Destroyer or New Frontier? She has more than 350 article credits in such magazines as Popular Science, Air & Space, and Weatherwise. Together, Svarney and Barnes-Svarney have co-authored many adult science books, including four for Visible Ink’s “Handy Answer Book” series (Dinosaurs, Oceans, Geology, and Math), as well as A Paranoid’s Ultimate Survival Guide and Skies of Fury: Weather Weirdness around the World.
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Managing Editor: Kevin S. Hile Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski Typesetting: Marco Di Vita Proofreader: Sharon R. Malinowski
ISBN 978-1-57859-218-0
Front cover images: iStock. Back cover images: Big Stock Photo.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Barnes-Svarney, Patricia L.    The handy dinosaur answer book/Patricia Barnes-Svarney and Thomas E. Svarney. — 2nd ed.         p. cm.    Includes bibliographical references and index.    ISBN 978-1-57859-218-0       1. Dinosaurs—Miscellanea. I. Svarney, Thomas E. II. Title.    QE861.4.S83 2010    567.9—dc22
2009032573
Printed in the Thailand
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
I NTRODUCTION
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
FORMING FOSSILS
In the Beginning
Beginnings of Life
Geologic Time
Time Periods
First Fossils
Dinosaur Fossils
EVOLUTION OF THE DINOSAURS
Dinosaur Ancestors
Dinosaurs First Appear
TRIASSIC PERIOD
Continents during the Triassic Period
Triassic Dinosaurs
Other Life during the Triassic
JURASSIC PERIOD
Important Jurassic Dinosaurs
Saurischian Dinosaurs
Ornithischian Dinosaurs
General Jurassic Dinosaur Facts
Other Life in the Jurassic
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
Important Cretaceous Dinosaurs
Saurischian Dinosaurs
Ornithischian
General Cretaceous Dinosaur Facts
Other Life in the Cretaceous
DINOSAURS INSIDE AND OUT
Growing Bones
Abnormal Dinosaur Bones
Dinosaur Skin
Teeth and Claws
Dinosaur Metabolism
Dinosaur Size
DINOSAUR BEHAVIOR
Eating Habits
Dinosaurs in Motion
Dinosaur Babies
Mature Dinosaurs
Dinosaur Quirks
THE END OF DINOSAURS
The Cretaceous Extinction
Theories about Dinosaur Extinction
The Impact Theory
Other Extinction Theories
DINOSAUR CONNECTIONS
Aftermath of Extinction
From Dinosaurs to Birds
Dinosaurs All around Us
The Search for the Missing Link
DINOSAUR DISCOVERIES IN NORTH AMERICA
Early Dinosaur History in the United States
Recent Discoveries in the United States
Famous Paleontologists from North America
INTERNATIONAL DINOSAUR DISCOVERIES
Early Dinosaur History outside the United States
Dinosaur Discoveries
Famous Paleontologists outside North America
LEARNING MORE ABOUT DINOSAURS
How to Find Dinosaur Bones
Digging Up Fossils
Putting Dinosaurs Together
Learning Paleontology
Resources
Dinosaur Web Sites
I NDEX
Introduction
T en years is a long time in science; there are so many discoveries and new technologies that change and add to the overall scientific field. It’s no different in paleontology—especially in the study of dinosaurs.
So now, for you, the dinosaur enthusiast, we present the new, colorful, and very updated second edition of The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book. One of the best parts of revising and updating a book is going through all the feedback we’ve heard/read over the years. And there’s no doubt about it: this book seems to be a favorite of dinosaur lovers from 6 to 96!
One of the reasons for this fascination with the great creatures has not changed in 10 years: How in the world did something as big as a house—and sometimes ferocious—roam Earth so many millions of years ago? Admittedly, the land has changed over the past 65 million years since the dinosaurs died out, but just to think that an Allosaurus or Gigantosaurus may have once stomped in your own backyard never fails to send chills up our collective human spines.
There are other reasons for dinosaur enthusiasm, especially with so many global discoveries made in the past decade: the discovery of fossilized dinosaur organs; whole or parts of dinosaur eggs and nests; imprints of dinosaur blood vessels; feather imprints galore; attempts to extract DNA from dinosaur remains; and large caches of fossils in rock formations previously thought to be devoid of dinosaur bones. There are also more and more large-boned dinosaur fossils that pop up every year, keeping alive the “size competition” between the big carnivores like the Tyrannosaurus rex and sauropods like the Brachiosaurus. How could anyone who’s a dinosaur enthusiast not be excited about such amazing discoveries?
This newly revised The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book answers over 600 of your questions about these extinct creatures, such as: From what animals did the dinosaurs evolve? Who found the first dinosaur remains? What other plants and animals lived during the time of the dinosaurs? What dinosaur remains show a heart? What are the largest—and smallest—dinosaur fossils known at this time? How did scientists extract DNA from a Tyrannosaurus rex bone? Are birds really dinosaurs? Did the first dinosaurs have feathers? Why are Argentina and China important to recent dinosaur studies? And the question and answer list goes on and on.
This book attempts to answer these questions and more, taking you through the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods of geologic time when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. It tells you where scientists stand in terms of dinosaur discoveries, the newer species of dinosaurs, new possible reasons for the extinction of the animals, and especially why, as more dinosaur fossils are uncovered, the ideas about the evolution of dinosaurs will continue to change.
We invite you to enjoy reading about the most amazing creatures that ever walked, ran, hopped, loped, and stomped on the Earth. As the saying goes: “Dinosaurs Once Ruled!” If the current fascination with dinosaurs is any indication, they still do.
—Patricia Barnes-Svarney and Thomas E. Svarney
Acknowledgments
T his book would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the people at Visible Ink Press. Our thanks especially go to our editor, Kevin Hile, for his wonderful editing and insightful questions, and for making this dinosaur book so user-friendly! We also want to thank our agent, Agnes Birnbaum for all her help, patience, and friendship over the years.
—Patricia Barnes-Svarney and Thomas E. Svarney
IN THE BEGINNING
How old is Earth?
Earth is currently believed to be about 4.54 billion years old, but that number came after centuries of debate. In 1779, French naturalist Comte de Georges Louis Leclerc Buffon (1707–1788) caused a stir when he announced 75,000 years had gone by since Creation, the first time anyone had suggested that the plan