The Sauropod Dinosaurs: Life in the Age of Giants

FromTheLandBeforeTimetoJurassicPark,imagesoffantasticallylarge,long-necked,plant-eatingdinosaurshavecapturedourimaginations.Thesearethesauropods:centerpiecesofmuseumsandgentlegiantsofthedistantpast.Imaginewhatitmusthavebeenliketocrestahillandseeinthevalleybelownotjustonesauropod,butanentireherd,feedingitswayacrossthelandscape.Themostmassivelandanimalsevertohavelived,sauropodsroamedwidelyacrossthecontinentsthroughmostofthe\"AgeofDinosaurs\"fromabout220to65millionyearsago.Theyreachedincrediblesizes,givingrisetothequestion:Whyweretheysobig?Earlyguessessuggestedthattheygainedprotectionfrompredatorsbyvirtueoftheirsize,whichalsoallowedthemtoreachthetopsoftreesinordertoeatleavesandconiferneedles.Morerecenthypothesesholdthattheyneededalongandcomplicateddigestivetractduetotheirconsumptionoflow-nutrientfoodsources:sizewasanoffshootofthatneed.Whatevertheexplanation,thereislittledoubtthatnaturalselectionproducedsomethingextraordinarywhentheSauropodadiversifiedintoawidevarietyofspecies.Thisbookcombinesmajesticartworkandthebestofpaleontologicalresearchtoresurrectthelivesofsauropods.TheSauropodDinosaursshowshowtheseamazingcreaturesraisedanddefendedtheiryoung,traveledingroups,andinteractedwiththerichdiversityofMesozoicplantsandanimals.Beautifulenoughtositonthecoffeetable,thebookalsoservesasthebestreferenceavailableonthesebygonegiants.Anyonewithapassionfordinosaursorprehistoriclifewillcherishthisonce-in-a-generationmasterpiece.Thebookincludesthefollowingfeatures:·Over200full-colorillustrations·Morethan100colorphotographsfrommuseums,fieldsites,andcollectionsaroundtheworld·Thoughtfullyplaceddrawingsandcharts·Clearlywrittentextreviewedbymajorsauropodresearchers·Descriptionsofthelatestsauropodconceptsanddiscoveries·Afieldguidetomajorgroupsofsauropods·Detailedskeletalreconstructionsandanatomicalrestorations·Acomprehensiveglossary,