The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

March 1, 2018
A nimble introduction to the world of dinosaurs, those supposed "dead ends in the history of life."We are living in a golden age of paleontology, especially as it relates to the proto-reptilian and proto-avian critters of a few hundred million years past. As Brusatte (Paleontology/Univ. of Edinburgh) notes, researchers are finding an average of a new dinosaur species every week, vastly expanding not just our inventory, but also our understanding of the evolutionary history of the dinosaurs. Americans may be delighted to learn that North America is "the single richest dinosaur ecosystem known to scientists during the entire Age of Dinosaurs anywhere in the world," essential in understanding how the dinosaurs fit into their environments and existed alongside each other and other creatures. Granted, this North American trove began to form at a time when all the present continents were more or less together in the "supercontinent" of Gondwana; even so, Brusatte sorts out old mysteries of distribution such as why South America is so comparatively light in dinosaur fossil evidence. The author writes lyrically of the reptilian life of the era, which featured "plesiosaurs with long noodle-shaped necks, pliosaurs with enormous heads and paddlelike flippers, streamlined and finned creatures called ichthyosaurs that looked like reptilian versions of dolphins," and so on--none of which, he adds, are quite dinosaurs in the technical sense, a distinction that, among many others, allows Brusatte plenty of room for paleontological geekiness. The author closes with an account of why the age of the dinosaurs came to an end, following a conjectural path that was once considered radical but is now mainstream. He notes that the ecological catastrophe that it entailed, once it healed "a mere five hundred thousand years after the most destructive day in the history of Earth," opened the door onto our own mammalian world.A must-have for fans of ancient reptiles and their lost world.

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Starred review from March 5, 2018
As Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, ably demonstrates, dinosaurs are not just for kids. His captivating text explores the excitement associated with searching for and discovering new dinosaur species, provides clues to many long-standing questions associated with dinosaurs, and furthers the understanding of ecological and evolutionary principles. This volume is a mix of memoir, chronicling Brusatte’s personal odyssey from a child smitten by dinosaurs to a member of a vibrant scholarly community, and first-rate science writing for the general public. Brusatte does a superb job of relating current research, both his own and that of many colleagues around the globe. His explanations of how sauropods became so large, the reasons for the dominance of Tyrannosaurus rex, the evolution of flying ability in some dinosaurs, and the factors leading to the demise of most of these creatures are carefully crafted and presented. Brusatte is not shy about saying what is not yet known, while making it clear that this is a truly exciting period, in which new fossils are being uncovered at a dizzying pace. B&w illus.

Starred review from March 15, 2018
Every week, a new species of dinosaur is being discovered somewhere in the world. Every week. We are in a new golden age of dinosaur science, and Brusatte, author of a textbook, Dinosaur Paleobiology (2012), and resident expert for the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs, provides an insider's view of the history of both dinosaurs and dinosaur science. With both dino-geek glee and science-writer exactitude, Brusatte travels the world as he tells the story of the rise of dinosaurs, from their origin in the Triassic to their eventual near extinction at the end of the Cretaceous. We follow researchers as they study dinosaur tracks, use computer models to determine body sizes and weights, trace the growth of T. rex by measuring skulls, map dinosaur genealogies as the continents drift, and see the evidence that the strike of a giant comet or asteroid spelled the end of their reign. A fascinating chapter points out that dinosaurs are not extinct, as one lineage did survive the chaos at the end of the Cretaceous: we call them birds. Superbly illustrated with photos and art, this is popular-science writing at its best.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Starred review from March 15, 2018

To any dinosaur enthusiast, paleontologist Brusatte (geosciences, Univ. of Edinburgh, Scotland; Dinosaurs) has a dream job: he travels all over the world to dig for and study dinosaur fossils, serves as resident paleontologist for the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs miniseries and writes popular books on the subject. Here he traces how meek, little protodinosaurs evolved into the supercarnivores and colossal plant-eaters of the Mesozoic world, all the while adapting to drifting continents, shifting sea levels, and fluctuating climate. He then fills in the big evolutionary picture with details that bring the dinosaur species to life--what they looked like, how they lived, breathed, grew, and moved--and concludes with an explanation of why he unhesitatingly believes that dinosaurs went out at the top of their game, victims of a catastrophic asteroid. As Brusatte tells the dinosaurs' story, he also tells his own: how he turned a boyhood obsession with dinosaurs into an exhilarating scientific career. VERDICT While dinosaur books may not be a hard sell, one by a top paleontologist and lively writer should not be missed. Highly recommended for the dinosaur obsessed and anyone even mildly curious about the evolutionary importance of these iconic creatures.--Cynthia Lee Knight, Hunterdon Cty. Historical Soc., Flemington, NJ

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018

To any dinosaur enthusiast, paleontologist Brusatte (geosciences, Univ. of Edinburgh, Scotland; Dinosaurs) has a dream job: he travels all over the world to dig for and study dinosaur fossils, serves as resident paleontologist for the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs miniseries and writes popular books on the subject. Here he traces how meek, little protodinosaurs evolved into the supercarnivores and colossal plant-eaters of the Mesozoic world, all the while adapting to drifting continents, shifting sea levels, and fluctuating climate. He then fills in the big evolutionary picture with details that bring the dinosaur species to life--what they looked like, how they lived, breathed, grew, and moved--and concludes with an explanation of why he unhesitatingly believes that dinosaurs went out at the top of their game, victims of a catastrophic asteroid. As Brusatte tells the dinosaurs' story, he also tells his own: how he turned a boyhood obsession with dinosaurs into an exhilarating scientific career. VERDICT While dinosaur books may not be a hard sell, one by a top paleontologist and lively writer should not be missed. Highly recommended for the dinosaur obsessed and anyone even mildly curious about the evolutionary importance of these iconic creatures.--Cynthia Lee Knight, Hunterdon Cty. Historical Soc., Flemington, NJ

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.