A Field Guide to Dinosaurs

This guide is a collaboration between a distinguished science writer and a leading illustrator who have combined their talents to present the most up-to-date information available in 2003 about the dinosaurs of the Mesozoic era in the format of a modern field guide. With this book to hand, no traveller in a tardis - or more likely an armchair - need worry about distinguishing between, say, a Tuojiansosaurus and a Carcharadontosaurus, for a quick flip to the relevant pages should quickly reveal their distinguishing features as well as conjectures about their range, feeding habits and lifestyles. The book starts with an introductory section which provides general background on the state of the planet in the age of the dinosaurs, between 225 and 70 million years ago, the position of the drifting continents, the climate and the contemporary flora and fauna. This section also tells the story of the growth of our knowledge about the dinosaurs and their world over the past century and a half and discusses the contribution that artists have made to bring these extraordinary creatures to life in our imaginations.
The main part of the book, the "Field Guide", divides the species according to period (the Mesozoic era is divided into five ages, the Triassic, the Jurassic and the Early, Middle and Late Cretaceous) and the continents in which their fossilized remains have been found. More than 50 species are covered, from the giant predatory Tyrannosaurus to the flying Pterodactyl, and each is described and illustrated in colour in field-guide style, with sketches showing, for example, gait, eggs or immature specimens and a summary of the current state of knowledge about their habits and behaviour.