Dinosaur Lives Revealed by their Trace Fossils
by Anthony J. Martin
What if we woke up one morning and all of the dinosaur bones in the world were gone? How would we know these iconic animals had a165-million year history on earth, and had adapted to all land-based environments from pole to pole? What clues would be left to discern not only their presence, but also to learn about their sex lives, raising of young, social lives, combat, and who ate who? What would it take for us to know how fast dinosaurs moved, whether they lived underground, climbed trees, or went for a swim?
Welcome to the world of ichnology, the study of traces and trace fossils - such as tracks, trails, burrows, nests, toothmarks, and other vestiges of behavior - and how through these remarkable clues, we can explore and intuit the rich and complicated lives of dinosaurs. With a unique, detective-like approach, interpreting the forensic clues of these long-extinct animals that leave a much richer legacy than bones, Martin brings the wild world of the Mesozoic to life for the twenty-first century reader.
"Starred Review. The books is great fun for anyone looking to revive their childhood dinosaur obsessions." - Publishers Weekly
"Most scholarly attempts at comedy, including this one, make for a painful experience, but readers who can tolerate the relentlessly glib, jokey prose will learn a great deal about these fascinating, long-dead creatures." - Kirkus
"Full of valuable and useful information." - Geological Magazine
"The pedagogy is excellent, and the explanations of technical material are accessible." - Raymond Freeman-Lynde, University of Georgia
"Packed with information. Martin's style makes the reading fun and easy. An excellent resource that provides a wealth of information and links for further exploration." - Gus Winterfeld, Idaho State University
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Anthony J. Martin is a Professor at Emory University, a paleontologist, geologist, and one of the world's most accomplished ichnologists. He is the co-discoverer of the first known burrowing dinosaur, found the oldest dinosaur burrows in the geologic record, and documented the best assemblage of polar-dinosaur tracks in the Southern Hemisphere. He is the author of two textbooks on dinosaurs and lives in Atlanta, GA.
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