Over the past twenty years, the study of dinosaurs has transformed into a true scientific discipline. New technologies have revealed secrets locked in prehistoric bones that no one could have previously predicted. We can now work out the color of dinosaurs, the force of their bite, their top speeds, and even how they cared for their young.

Remarkable new fossil discoveries--giant sauropod dinosaur skeletons in Patagonia, dinosaurs with feathers in China, and a tiny dinosaur tail in Burmese amber--remain the lifeblood of modern paleobiology. Thanks to advances in technologies and methods, however, there has been a recent revolution in the scope of new information gleaned from such fossil finds.

In Dinosaurs Rediscovered, leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton gathers together all of the latest paleontological evidence, tracing the transformation of dinosaur study from its roots in antiquated natural history to an indisputably scientific field. Among other things, this book explores how dinosaur remains are found and excavated, and how paleontologists read the details of dinosaurs' lives from their fossils--their colors, their growth, and even whether we will ever be able to bring them back to life. Benton's account shows that, though extinct, dinosaurs are still very much a part of our world.

This timely and original book lays out the latest scientific understanding of mass extinction on our planet. Cutting-edge techniques across biology, chemistry, physics, and geology have transformed our understanding of the deep past, including the discovery of a previously unknown mass extinction. This compelling evidence, revealing a series of environmental crises resulting in the near collapse of life on Earth, illuminates our current dilemmas in exquisite detail.

Beginning with the oldest, Professor Michael J. Benton takes us through the big five die outs: the Late Ordovician, which set the evolution of the first animals on an entirely new course; the Late Devonian, apparently brought on by global warming; the cataclysmic End-Permian, also known as the Great Dying, which wiped out over 90 percent of alllife on Earth; the newly discovered Carnian Pluvial Event; and the End-Cretaceous asteroid. He examines how global warming, acid rain, ocean acidification, erupting volcanoes, and meteorite impact have affected conditions on Earth, and how life survived, adapted, and evolved.

Benton's expert retelling of scientific breakthroughs in paleobiology is illustrated throughout with photographs of fossils and fieldwork, and artistic reconstructions of ancient environments. In Extinctions, readers will learn about revolutionary new tools used to uncover ancient extinction events and processes in forensic detail, and how scientists are improving our understanding of the deep past. New research allows us to link long-ago upheavals to crises in our current age, the Anthropocene, with important consequences for us all.

Dinosaurs are not what you thought they were--or at least, they didn't look like you thought they did. The world-leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton brings us a new visual guide to the world of the dinosaurs, showing how rapid advances in technology and amazing new fossil finds have changed the way we see these extinct beasts forever. Stunning new illustrations by paleoartist Bob Nicholls display the latest and most exciting scientific discoveries in vibrant color.

From Sinosauropteryx, the first dinosaur to have its color patterns identified--a ginger-and-white striped tail--by Benton's team at the University of Bristol in 2010, to recent research on the surprising mixed feathers and scales of Kulindadromeus, this is one of the first books to include cutting-edge scientific research in paleontology.

Each chapter focuses on a particular extinct species, featuring a specially commissioned illustration that brings to life the latest scientific breakthroughs, with accompanying text exploring how paleontologists have determined new details, such as the patterns on skin and the colors of feathers of animals that lived millions of years ago. This visual compendium surprises and challenges everything you thought you knew about what dinosaurs looked like and how they lived.

A newly revised and fully updated edition of the market-leading introduction to paleontology

Designed for students and anyone else with an interest in the history of life on our planet, the new edition of this classic text describes the biological evolution of Earth's organisms, and reconstructs their adaptations and the ecology and environments in which they functioned.

Cowen's History of Life, 6th Edition includes major updates, including substantial rewrites to chapters on the origins of eukaryotes, the Cambrian explosion, the terrestrialization of plants and animals, the Triassic recovery of life, the origin of birds, the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, and human evolution. It also features new chapters on plants, soils and transformation of the land; the Mesozoic marine revolution; and the evolution of oceans and climates. Beginning with the origin of the Earth and the earliest life on earth, the book goes on to offer insightful contributions covering: the evolution of Metazoans; the early vertebrates; life of vertebrates on land; and early amniotes and thermoregulation. The book also looks at: dinosaur diversity, as well as their demise; early mammals; the rise of modern mammals; the Neogene Savannas; primates; life in the ice ages; and more.

• Covers the breadth of the subject in a concise yet specific way for undergrads with no academic background in the topic
• Reorganizes all chapters to reflect the geological series of events, enabling a new focus on big events
• Updated with three brand new chapters and numerous revised ones
• Put together by a new editorial team internationally recognized as the global leaders in paleontology
• Filled with illustrations and photographs throughout
• Includes diagrams to show internal structures of organisms, cladograms, time scales and events, and paleogeographic maps
• Supplemented with a dedicated website that explores additional enriching information and discussion, and which features images for use in visual presentations

Cowen's History of Life, 6th Edition is an ideal book for undergraduate students taking courses in introductory paleontology, as well those on global change and earth systems.

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the science of the history of life. Paleobiologists bring many analytical tools to bear in interpreting the fossil record and the book introduces the latest techniques, from multivariate investigations of biogeography and biostratigraphy to engineering analysis of dinosaur skulls, and from homeobox genes to cladistics.

All the well-known fossil groups are included, including microfossils and invertebrates, but an important feature is the thorough coverage of plants, vertebrates and trace fossils together with discussion of the origins of both life and the metazoans. All key related subjects are introduced, such as systematics, ecology, evolution and development, stratigraphy and their roles in understanding where life came from and how it evolved and diversified.

Unique features of the book are the numerous case studies from current research that lead students to the primary literature, analytical and mathematical explanations and tools, together with associated problem sets and practical schedules for instructors and students.

New to this edition

• The text and figures have been updated throughout to reflect current opinion on all aspects
• New case studies illustrate the chapters, drawn from a broad distribution internationally
• Chapters on Macroevolution, Form and Function, Mass extinctions, Origin of Life, and Origin of Metazoans have been entirely rewritten to reflect substantial advances in these topics
• There is a new focus on careers in paleobiology

Dinosaurs are not what you thought they were--or at least, they didn't look like you thought they did. In this new visual guide to the world of the dinosaurs, world-leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton shows how rapid advances in technology and amazing new fossil finds have changed the way we see these extinct beasts forever. Stunning new illustrations by paleoartist Bob Nicholls display the latest and most exciting scientific discoveries in vibrant color.

From Sinosauropteryx, the first dinosaur to have its color patterns identified--a ginger-and-white striped tail--by Benton's team at the University of Bristol in 2010, to recent research on the surprising mixed feathers and scales of Kulindadromeus, this is one of the first books to include this cutting-edge scientific research in paleontology.

Each chapter focuses on a particular extinct species, featuring a specially commissioned illustration that brings to life the latest scientific breakthroughs, with accompanying text exploring how paleontologists have determined new details, such as the patterns on skin and thecolors of feathers of animals that lived millions of years ago. This visual compendium surprises and challenges everything you thought you knew about what dinosaurs looked like and how they lived.

Here is the extraordinary story of the unfolding of life on Earth, told by Michael J. Benton, a world-renowned authority on biodiversity. Ranging over four billion years, Benton weaves together the latest findings on fossils, earth history, evolutionary biology, and many other fields to highlight the great leaps that enabled life to evolve from microbe to human--big breakthroughs that made whole new ways of life possible--including cell division and multicellularity, hard skeletons, the move to land, the origin of forests, the move to the air. He describes the mass extinctions, especially the Permian, which obliterated 90% of life, and he sheds light on the origins of human beings, and of the many hominids that went before us. He ends by pointing out that studying the past helps us to predict the future: what happens if the atmosphere warms by 5 degrees? What happens if we destroy much of the biodiversity on Earth? These things have happened before, Benton notes. We need only look to the distant past to know the future of life on Earth.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

Today it is common knowledge that the dinosaurs were wiped out by a meteorite impact 65 million years ago that killed half of all species then living. It is far less widely understood that a much greater catastrophe took place at the end of the Permian period 251 million years ago: at least ninety percent of life on earth was destroyed.

When Life Nearly Died documents not only what happened during this gigantic mass extinction but also the recent renewal of the idea of catastrophism: the theory that changes in the earth's crust were brought about suddenly in the past by phenomena that cannot be observed today. Was the end-Permian event caused by the impact of a huge meteorite or comet, or by prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia? The evidence has been accumulating, and Michael J. Benton gives his verdict at the end of the volume.

The new edition brings the study of the greatest mass extinction of all time thoroughly up-to-date. In the twelve years since the book was originally published, hundreds of geologists and paleontologists have been investigating all aspects of how life could be driven to the brink of annihilation, and especially how life recovered afterwards, providing the foundations of modern ecosystems.

This novel is a work of fiction; Names, places, Characters, and incidents either are the products of the Author's imagination/and/or use fictional; Any resemblance to actual persons, (except where used by permission, or the Author himself) living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental; NOTE: Although this book is fictional, some of the ideas and events are based upon the personal life of the Author. Some Cities, states, counties and places are real. This will give the reader a general idea of the time, place and era the Author is using. Written with all ages in mind, this story focus on secrets and mysteries which are uncovered when Mike Benton arrives in Ellisville to look over his inheritance of the huge three story Benton Mansion and the Plantation left to him by his late uncle, John Benton. NOTE: While this book is written with all age groups in mind, and while it is semi-Christian, and based upon the faith the boys and Mike have in the Lord, there are a few words and scenes which vary, but are the everyday life style of people. This book is meant for entertainment and to help the readers, regardless of age, to know what it's like just to be human.

British fossil reptile sites are of international importance since they include remains that fill the time gaps poorly known elsewhere. They include classic reptile beds which have been the source of dozens of important specimens. This book examines these fossil sites.

Literary Biography: An Introduction illustrates and accounts for the literary genre that merges historical facts with the conventions of narrative while revealing how the biographical context can enrich the study of canonical authors.

• Provides up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of issues and controversies in life writing, a rapidly growing field of study
• Offers a valuable biographical and historical context for the study of major classic and contemporary authors
• Features an interview with Wilfred Owen's biographer, Dominic Hibberd; a gallery of literary portraits with commentaries; close readings that illustrate the differences between fiction and biography; speculation about likely future developments; and detailed suggestions for further reading