- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Pi Press; 1 edition (25 Aug 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 013146308X
- ISBN-13: 978-0131463080
- Product Dimensions: 26.9 x 21.1 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
594,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #45 in Books > Science & Nature > Biological Sciences > Animal Sciences > Dinosaurs
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Book Description
This is the definitive portrait of the “flying dinosaurs,” the strangest creatures to have ever lived, based on a mountain of new fossil discoveries in Mongolia, China and Texas.
Here is your opportunity to take off into the lost world of the legendary flying dragons of deep time.
Here is your opportunity to take off into the lost world of the legendary flying dragons of deep time.
From the Back Cover
DAVID UNWIN, Ph.D., is the curator for fossil reptiles and birds, Museum of Natural History, Humbolt University, Berlin. A world renowned, leading authority on pterosaurs, he has published extensively in scientific publications on their wing membranes, walking ability, and the history of the group. He lives with his wife Natalie Bakhurina—also an internationally respected pterosaur expert—in Berlin.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
That's the way all popular science books should be written. With a firm structure and rigorous methodology of presenting information, but in a clear and elegant style, accessible to all interested readers.
Pterosaurs have been getting a raw deal, from the publicity point of view, since they have been depicted, more or less, as sky decoration for dinosaur dioramas, as the author points out. Not any more. New and exciting discoveries all over the globe, but particularly in China and South America, have put a lot of new meat in the bones of the Pterosaur evolutionary history. And have allowed scientists to form more accurate hypotheses on the physiology and ecology of these long-lost animals.
The author begins with a history of Pterosaur fossils discoveries and how these have enabled us to construct their family tree, tracing their evolution from tiny insect eaters 10-20 cm across of the Triassic, to the generalist giants with wingspans of 10 m at the end of the Cretaceous. The Pterosaur anatomy is given a thorough description, with particular attention given to wing bones and membranes and the magnificent head crests, spectacular trademarks of many Pterosaur species. And then comes the real fire: physiology of reproduction and development and, of course, flight mechanics.
Combining all these data, the final chapters attempt to sketch out the various phases of the Pterosaur story and the place these animals carved for themselves in Mesozoic ecosystems. The author admits that much of the tale is conjectural but things are certainly on a much firmer foot than a decade ago and are getting better all the time.
With its wealth of new information, neat and graceful writing style and impressive illustrations, the book is a must-have for anyone interested in prehistoric life and the Mesozoic in particular.
Pterosaurs have been getting a raw deal, from the publicity point of view, since they have been depicted, more or less, as sky decoration for dinosaur dioramas, as the author points out. Not any more. New and exciting discoveries all over the globe, but particularly in China and South America, have put a lot of new meat in the bones of the Pterosaur evolutionary history. And have allowed scientists to form more accurate hypotheses on the physiology and ecology of these long-lost animals.
The author begins with a history of Pterosaur fossils discoveries and how these have enabled us to construct their family tree, tracing their evolution from tiny insect eaters 10-20 cm across of the Triassic, to the generalist giants with wingspans of 10 m at the end of the Cretaceous. The Pterosaur anatomy is given a thorough description, with particular attention given to wing bones and membranes and the magnificent head crests, spectacular trademarks of many Pterosaur species. And then comes the real fire: physiology of reproduction and development and, of course, flight mechanics.
Combining all these data, the final chapters attempt to sketch out the various phases of the Pterosaur story and the place these animals carved for themselves in Mesozoic ecosystems. The author admits that much of the tale is conjectural but things are certainly on a much firmer foot than a decade ago and are getting better all the time.
With its wealth of new information, neat and graceful writing style and impressive illustrations, the book is a must-have for anyone interested in prehistoric life and the Mesozoic in particular.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Dr Unwins book treads a fine line between scientific textbook and coffee table read and stays the course well. Pterosaurs are the 'flying reptiles' from the time of the dinosaurs and perhaps unfairly do not always get as much press. However, they are truly fascinating and Unwin gives us a real sense of their life as living, breathing animals, marrying adventerous fiction to describe their life with careful discussion of the science behind the conclusions reached. This book should provide ample interest for interested amateus and sufficent science to be important for experience paleontologists. The book is illustrated with superb photographs of fossils and wonderful drawings and paintings of the animals 'in life'.
This remains an excellent read with good content, fascinating for people of most ages and many levels of knowledge.
This remains an excellent read with good content, fascinating for people of most ages and many levels of knowledge.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Often see as the poor cousins of the dinosaurs due to their rarity and fragility, Pterosaurs are nevertheless a fascinating group of extinct animals and this book attempts to do them justice. Dr Unwins book lies somewhere between the coffee table and the science library. Detailed reconstructions and delightful photographs of new and rare fossils sit side-by-side with detailed, but fun, descriptions of these bizarre 'flying dinosaurs'. Pterosaurs are a difficult group to get the hang of for a lay reader, their anatomy is complicted, their evolution and relationships confused and their biology difficult to determine. Unwin skillfully weaves around these problems and provides sufficent detail to be of use to scientists while remaining simple enough for any interested party to gain plenty from these pages. Much is made of the new fossils from China which have dramatically changed pterosaurologists' understanding of these reptiles and makes this volume very up-to-date.
A fascinating read with wonderful illustrations. Highly reccomended.
A fascinating read with wonderful illustrations. Highly reccomended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Benefits Of Specialisation
This is one of the new breed of books on prehistoric life. First it specialises in one type of animal and second it steers away from the well trod path of land dinosaurs. Read more
Published 8 months ago by RL Cloherty
Worthwile reading
Well written, with lots of scientific detail, for the non-petrosaurologist reader. I never knew much about this well adapted reptile group of that thrived for 150 million years, up... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Nils Finn Munch-petersen
A STANDARD WORK
IF YOU HAVE READ HARRY GOVIER SEELEY'S 1901 BOOK AND WELLNHOFER'S 1991 BOOK THEN YOU WILL BE EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN THIS NEW STANDARD WORK ON PTEROSAURS. Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2008 by G. F. GODMAN
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