The Horned Dinosaurs: a Natural History (Princeton Legacy Library) Online
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
revYG [E-BOOK] The Horned Dinosaurs: A Natural History (Princeton Legacy Library) Online [revYG.ebook] The Horned Dinosaurs: A Natural History (Princeton Legacy Library) Pdf Free Peter Dodson *Download PDF | ePub | DOC | audiobook | ebooks 2017-03-21Original language:English 9.21 x .77 x 6.14l, #File Name: 0691605866360 pages | File size: 75.Mb Peter Dodson : The Horned Dinosaurs: A Natural History (Princeton Legacy Library) before purchasing it in order to gage whether or not it would be worth my time, and all praised The Horned Dinosaurs: A Natural History (Princeton Legacy Library): 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. One of the best on Triceratops et al but could be betterBy Evenor"The Horned Dinosaurs" by Peter Dodson, Princeton Press, 1996Review by Zachi Evenor27.4.2011: I couldn't sleep at night so I started to read the 300+ pages new book I bought on Triceratops and other Ceratopsians ("horned" dinosaurs). It is well written, with a lot of humor and it is evident that Prof. Peter Dodson loves this subject. In addition, there are many illustrations (mainly of bones and skulls) but also full restorations of these magnificent horned beasts. The Triceratops illustrations are marvelous.28.4.2011: I finished reading the chapter on Triceratops. Instead of describing Triceratops biology and how it lived, it deals mainly with fossil finding history and classification. From Marsh, Hatcher and Lull 13 species it reduced to 1-2 today (Triceratops horridus and Triceratops prorsus). Other than that, this chapter has very nice illustrations.Chapter four deals with the Chasmosaurina sub-family of the Ceratopsids: these are large Ceratopsian dinsaurs characterized mainly by a long frill and short nasal horn. He discusses Torosaurus and explains the true meaning of its name but he also describes Chasmosaurus, Pentaceratops and other relatives. As in the chapter on Triceratops the chapter deals mainly with paleontology, fossil records, fossil finding history and classification rather than biopaleontolgy. The chapter includes illustration of skulls, skeletons and reconstructions of these big reptiles.The chapter ends with six color drawings by Wayne D. Barlowe of Triceratops horridus (with Tyrannosaurus rex), Chasmosaurus mariscalensis, Stiracosaurus albertensis (with crocodile), Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis, Leptoceratops gracilis (with turtle) and Psittacosaurus mongoliensis.Chapter five does the same but for the Centrosaurinae sub-family which its main characters are short frill, very short postorbital horns and a long nasal horn. Starting from Monoclonius, discovered by Edward Drinker Cope at 1876, he goes through Centrosaurus and Styracosaurus - the "spikey lizard".Chapter six deals with post WW2 discoveries, mainly with the large Centrosaurinean Pachyrhinosaurus, and later the Avaceratops (discovered by Dodson himself).Chapter seven deals with the early Ceratopsians, mainly the American Leptoceratops, the Mongolian Protoceratops and the first Ceratopsian Psittacosaurus. The big scoop of this chapter is that Oviraptor ("Eggs Thief"), who was found near nests and thus thought to diet on stolen Protoceratops' eggs, was actually a good mother, caring for its eggs and babies. This confusion arose because the eggs of Oviraptor were initially and mistakenly identified as Protoceratops' eggs.Chapter eight deals with taxonomy and classification and builds the suborder's family tree, trying to trace "fatherhood" and "sisterhood" connection between the different taxa. Dodson defines the two subfamilies Centrosaurinae and Chasmosaurinae rigorously, describe past attempts of classification and finally suggesting is own version of the family tree based on biometric analysis and characteristics of the skeletons.Chapter nine deals with the paleo-biology of the Ceratopsids. It discusses their digesting system ("Feeding Large Tummies"), with focus on the jaws. He than discusses rather they were slow movers like Rhinoceros or fast runners like gazzles, and focuses the legs' posture problem: pillars below the body or sprawling legs. Finally "And There Where None", and Dodson tells his point of view on the mass extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Although the discussions in this chapters are long and elaborated, Dodson concludes that many of the questions presented in the book, and particularly in this chapter remained open and waiting to be solved.13.6.2011: I finished reading Peter Dodson's 346-pages book about "The Horned Dinosaurs" (Ceratopsians).So, what is mine conclusion? This is probably the best book about Triceratops and its relatives. Although it is helpful to know well bone anatomy and a specially Latin terminology for bones' names, it can be read by non-biologists lay man. The book is written in English, for those of you who wondered. The weak spot of the book is that he deals mainly with history of fossil digging and classification and not with paleo-biology of the Ceratopsids, which is more interesting. For example: Dodson do states that a bull Triceratops can protect itself very effectively against the largest of predators, it do not specify how Triceratops used its horns ans what was its defense strategy. Another weak point is that the book is updated to 1996, and thus not includes latest discoveries. The strong point are the enlightening and rigorous BW illustrations (most of then by Robert Walters), which help a lot to understand the text, and are treasures for horned dinosaurs enthusiastics. Do I recommend it? If you are a real Dinosaurs lover - Yes. It is probably the best Ceratopsidae book existing today available for the wide audience, but it takes effort to read and thus not fitting for children. If you are an adult Dinosaurs' fonder who wants rigorous information alongside informative illustrations - this is the book for you.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excedes my expectationsBy Paul K. MckneelyI will not repeat the wonderful review information posted by others about this volume. This exceptional work should serve as a model by which all books covering specific groups of dinosaurs should be written. I was priviledged to meet Peter Dodson on a paleontology field trip to Quebec two and half years ago. After I realised who this man was I wanted to jump up and yell "Dodson! We have Dodson here!" Those of you who have watched Jurassic Park multiple times as I have will know which scene I am referring to. I mentioned that scene to Peter. I think that it might have been inspired by this man as he was called upon by Michael Crichton for technical expertise while he was actively researching the book that was made into a movie by Steven Spielberg. I personally thanked Dr Dodson for writing "The Horned Dinosaurs" and commented that someone needs to write a similar book about the hadrosaurs. He said that he would love to write that book. I really hope he does because it would fulfull another dream of mine which is probably shared by most of the people reading these reviews. Thank you once again Dr. Dodson for writing this wonderful book!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy Ernest M Martin 111Good book for the reference material on the Ceratopians. The horned dinosaurs, a group of rhinoceros-like creatures that lived 100 to 65 million years ago, included one of the greatest and most popular dinosaurs studied today: Triceratops. Noted for his flamboyant appearance--marked by a striking array of horns over the nose and eyes, a long bony frill at the back of the head, and an assortment of lumps and bumps for attracting females--this herbivore displayed remarkable strength in its ability to fight off Tyrannosaurus rex. It was also among the last dinosaurs to walk the earth. In telling us about Triceratops and its relatives, the Ceratopsia, Peter Dodson here re-creates the sense of adventure enjoyed by so many scientists who have studied them since their discovery in the mid-nineteenth century. From the badlands of the Red Deer River in Alberta to the Gobi Desert, Dodson pieces together fossil evidence to describe the ceratopsians themselves--their anatomy, biology, and geography--and he evokes the human dimension of their discovery and interpretation. An authoritative survey filled with many original illustrations, this book is the first comprehensive presentation of horned dinosaurs for the general reader. Dodson explains first the fascinating ways in which the ceratopsians dealt with their dangerous environment. There follows a lesson on ceratopsian bone structure, which enables the reader quickly to grasp the questions that still puzzle scientists, concerning features such as posture, gait, footprints, and diet. Dodson evenhandedly discusses controversies that continue, for example, over sexual dimorphism and the causes of the dinosaurs' disappearance. Throughout his narrative, we are reminded that dinosaur study is a human enterprise. We meet the scientists who charmed New York high society into financing expeditions to Mongolia, home of Triceratops' predecessors, as well as those who used their poker winnings to sustain paleontology expeditions. Rich in fossil lore and in tales of adventure, the world of the Ceratopsia is presented here for specialists and general readers alike.Originally published in 1998.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while