by John Pickrell (Author), Philip Currie (Foreword)

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The discovery of stunning, feathered dinosaur fossils coming out of China since 2006 suggest that these creatures were much more bird-like than paleontologists previously imagined. Further evidence―bones, genetics, eggs, behavior, and more―has shown a seamless transition from fleet-footed carnivores to the ancestors of modern birds.

Mixing colorful portraits with news on the latest fossil findings and interviews with leading paleontologists in the United States, China, Europe, and Australia, John Pickrell explains and details dinosaurs' development of flight.

This special capacity introduced a whole new range of abilities for the animals and helped them survive a mass extinction, when thousands of other dinosaur species that once populated the Earth did not.

Pickrell also turns his journalistic eye toward the stories behind the latest discoveries, investigating the role of the Chinese black market in trading fossils, the controversies among various dinosaur hunters, the interference of national governments intent on protecting scientific information, and the race to publish findings first that make this research such a dynamic area of science.

Review

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In Flying Dinosaurs John Pickrell challenges everything you were told about dinosaurs as a child.... Through extensive research and interviews with leading paleontologists, Flying Dinosaurs charts how each new discovery confirmed the link between dinosaurs and birds.... The author's fascination with dinosaurs is evident throughout the book. But his passion aside, it takes a skilled science writer to transform the incremental progress of a field such as paleontology into a narrative that sustains a book. -- Nicky Phillips ― The Sydney Morning Herald

After digesting all that Pickrell has to offer, it will be difficult for any reader to think about dinosaurs -- or birds -- in the same ways they had before. ― Publishers Weekly

[An] engaging book. ― GrrlScientist - a Guardian Blog

A remarkable book, with a wealth of interviews with palaeontologists and a comprehensive catalogue of virtually all the findings of feathered dinosaurs since 1996. It's a useful catch-up if you have lost track of this rapidly developing area of palaentology, and full of fascinating, unusual facts―did you know that birds are the closest living relatives to the crocodile? -- Bill Condie ― Cosmos Magazine

[Flying Dinosaurs] deftly covers the history behind the decades-old debate over just when and how birds first arose. -- Bruce Dorminey ― Forbes

Pickrell covers the history of changing thought on dinosaurs and the bird-dinosaur link.... Pickrell's book is well written and accessible, and thus is an excellent companion. -- Greg Laden ― Greg Laden's Blog

A detailed and timely overview of our rapidly-improving scientific understanding of how massive, lumbering dinosaurs evolved into agile, flying birds. -- Mike Lee ― The Conversation

A readable introduction to the subject. -- Ian Paulsen ― The Bridbooker Report

[A] fast-paced.... Fascinating read. ― BirdWatching

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Categories : Biological Science of Fossils, Paleontology, Biology of Dinosaurs
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00MLDGKY4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Columbia University Press; Illustrated edition (September 16, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 16, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File‏ : EPUB, 4.57 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Pages‏ : ‎ 240