August 2004

This month's choice for book of the month is "The Complete Dinosaur," edited by James O. Farlow, and M. K. Brett-Surman. This is the first really technical book that I have reviewed on this site so far, and its appeal may only be to people interested in dinosaurs. As the name implies, this book covers all aspects of dinosaur paleontology, from the history of the field of paleontology itself, to trends in the media concerning dinosaurs. This book is a large collection of essays written by prominent paleontologists, many considered to be the experts in the field in which they are writing about. Such authors include Peter Dodson, Phillip Currie and Dale A. Russell. This review isn't going to be focused on the accuracy of the essays, but rather an overview of what each respective essay discusses. This book is separated into 6 parts, and a total of 43 chapters. It also includes appendices for further information.

Part One: The Discovery of the Dinosaurs

This section describes how the study of dinosaurs has changed over time. William A. S. Sarjeant starts off by introducing us to the discovery of dinosaurs, and speculates about early exposure to dinosaur remains, which had been labeled as other things. Hans-Dieter Sues then takes us through the history of European dinosaur hunters. Edwin H. Colbert continues, but discusses early North American paleontologists. Next, John R. Lavas discusses paleontology in Asia (including the former Soviet Union and eastern Bloc countries like Poland) and their contributions to dinosaur paleontology. The last chapter, written by Thomas R. Holts, Jr., discusses paleontology in the southern hemisphere, which hasn't been as developed as the field has been in the north.

The Earliest Discoveries by William A. S. Sarjeant

In this article, Sarjeant discusses man's early contact with dinosaur fossils, and how we came to understand what they really represented. Dinosaur fossils, as well as fossils left by other living things, have largely been known to man since time immemorable, and many different interpretations have been devised to explain them. Sarjeant suggests, for example, that ancient Brazilians thought that fossil theropod trackways were footprints by a large flightless bird resembling the modern-day rhea, which is native to South America. In essence, this is a very good guess. Other cultures have had other interpretations of them, such as dinosaur bones belonging to dragons. With the modern era came new ideas regarding what the bones of dinosaurs actually represented. The first official description of a dinosaur was made by William Buckland, an English scientist. Much of the early work on dinosaurs was done in England, and some in France. A lot of debate centered around on just what the bones of these gigantic animals represented. Some scientists thought that they were the remains of animals killed in Noah's Flood, others believed that they were once inhabitants of Europe (r other respective areas) that were no longer living there, but possibly in other parts of the world, and awaiting discovery. It has turned out that they were the remains of once-living things, but its generally viewed that most are now extinct, and dinosaurs have now been found on every continent (even Antarctica!). These early pioneers in dinosaur paleontology would shape our understanding of just how terribly great these ancient lizards really were.

European Dinosaur Hunters by Hans Dieter Sues

Many of the first scientists to work with dinosaurs came from Europe. In their early contributions, their only rival are the paleontologists of North America. Sues discusses some prominent European paleontologists, include Buckland, Baron Franz Nopsca von Felsö-Szilvás, also known as simply Baron Nopsca, and Louis Dollo. Under each name, he presents a little biography and details their respective contribution to dinosaur paleontology. An important thing to note is that while many early paleontologists were European, many times their finds were from other places, such German and French expeditions into Africa, which Sues also makes sure to mention in this article.

North American Dinosaur Hunters by Edwin H. Colbert

North America has some of the richest dinosaur fossil quarries in the world, and the history of dinosaur paleontology in the American west is just as rich, Hardly a book about dinosaurs overlooks the intense fossil feud between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh, which was sometimes referred to as the Bone Wars. Many stories exist that detail backstabbing, deceipt, and theft all to make the next big find. While they discovered an immense number of dinosaurs between them, much has ver probably been lost by their crude methods of extracting fossils and lack of note taking with important finds. Nevertheless, this feud told the world that North America had a rich history of dinosaurs. In a sense, dinosaurs provided their own bit of a gold rush; museums were willing to pay large sums of money for the next new name in dinosaurs. The equation was simple: people were fascinated with dinosaurs and were willing to pay to see the latest find. North American paleontological history has more history than just Cope and Marsh, however, with such esteemed figures as Barnum Brown, and Charles M. Sternberg.

Asian Dinosaur Hunters by John R. Lavas

Asia, especially China and MOngolia, has some of the best fossil fields in the world, probably even rivaling those found in North America. Despite such richness, this region has largely been unexplored by Western science. The first real expedition into this region was headed by Roy Chapman Andrews, the real life influence for Indiana Jones. Andrews lead his expedition into the Gobi Desert to find human ancestors, and returned to America with some of the most important dinosaur fossils of all time.In the aftermath of the World Wars, much of the research into Asian paleontology was done by communist countries, like the Soviet Union and Poland. Now in the wake of the collapse of the Iron Curtain, more Western scientists are being allowed into this region to explore the rich fossil finds.

Dinosaur Hunters of the Southern Continents by Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

The remaining continents have largely been lumped together here since there is not a lot of effort in many of the countries regarding paleontology. Much of this is in part due to political strife. Also, much of the studying that has been done has been done by researchers from other countries, especially the U.S. Holtz mentions some of the more intriguing finds made in some of the "southern continents," such as the ankylosaurid Minmi from Australia, and Cryolophosaurus from Antarctica. While still nowhere near as strong as in other regions, paleontology is slowly but steadily growing in these other areas.

Part Two: The Study of Dinosaurs

This section discusses how paleontologists do what they do to learn what they learn about dinosaurs. The first chapterby David D. Gillette discusses how paleontologists know where to look for dinosaur fossils. The next chapter, co-authored by Thomas R. Holtz and M.K. Brett-Surman, discusses how the bones of dinosaurs can tell us how they lived. These two also team up for the next chapter which discusses how dinosaurs are classified into their various groups. James O. Farlow discusses the time when dinosaurs lived in the following chapter, discussing the concept of geologic time. Ralph E. Chapman discusses the use of technology in the study of dinosaurs with this next chapter. The next chapter, written by Mary Higby Schweitzer, talks about molecular paleontology, and is somewhat reminiscent of Jurassic Park, but with real science. Kenneth Carpenter follows with a chapter discussing dinosaurs as museum exhibits. Last in this section is an article written by Douglas Henderson, which discusses how illustrations and information gained from studying dinosaur fossils allows us to paint dinosaurs as once-living, breathing, and even vivacious creatures.

Hunting for Dinosaur Bones by David D. Gillette

In this chapter, David Gillette discusses the various methods dinosaur paleontologists (really most paleontologist) would employ in search of fossil remains. A important thing to do is first, having an idea of where it is you are going. Fossils really only occur in certain types of rock, so looking at a geologic map will give an idea of where to go or not to go, saving a lot of time. Once a location is found, and work begins, lots of work goes into keeping track of just what goes on and what is found. Early paleontologists (especially those in the U.S.) didn't keep very good field notes. Sometimes this was to preserve the location of an exceptional site. These days, locations can be marked via GPS devices, and meticulous notes are taken. Gillette discusses other aspects to field work concerning the locating and preparation of dinosaur fossils.

The Osteology of the Dinosaurs by Thomas R. Holtz, Jr., and M. K. Brett-Surman

This chapter introduces the reader into the importance of dinosaur bones and what they can tell us. As with any vertebrate, bones can say a lot about an organism. Teeth, for instance, can shed light on to an animal being a meat- or a plant-eater. The significance of this chapter is two-fold. It is used to familiarize the reader with the different parts of a vertebrate animal (mostly dinosaurs), but it also plays an important role in building vocabulary for the remainder of the book. It defines terms such as "anterior" and "posterior" so that when used later in the text, the reader understands what they mean. Bones can also play a role in how dinosaurs are classified, which is the subject of the next chapter.

The Taxonomy and Systematics of the Dinosaurs by Thomas R. Holtz, Jr., and M. K. Brett-Surman

In this chapter, the authors discuss the ways of how dinosaurs are classified, as well as other living things. They detail the criteria that some scientists use to delineate which species belongs to which group and why. As with the last chapter, there are terms introduced here that will be helpful in later chapters of this book.

Dinosaurs and Geologic Time by James O. Farlow

This extremely short chapter briefly discusses the time period in which dinosaurs lived. The common use of "dinosaur" in this book refers to non-avian dinosaurs, as current convention holds that birds are dinosaurs. Dinosaurs lived from about 250 million years ago until about 65 million years ago.

Technology and the Study of Dinosaurs by Ralph E. Chapman

This chapter focuses further on technology that is used to analyze dinosaur fossils. As well as perform functions earlier mentioned, Chapman introduces a few more technological applications to help in understanding dinosaur relationships. For example, given a list of characteristics, a computer can arrange likely family trees between different dinosaurs based on the presence or absence of the given characteristics. This will help immensely in the classification of dinosaurs in the future.

Molecular Paleontology by Mary Higby Schweitzer

This chapter explores the potential of incorporating modern biomolecular science with paleontology. If you've seen Jurassic Park, that's kind of the same thing, except this is the real deal. This science looks for traces of any biomolecule, like DNA and examines it to see what it can tell us. It also looks for other things like the composition of dinosaur bone material which can lend insight into how they grew. This is a fascinating field, and a fascinating chapter.

Dinosaurs as Museum Exhibits by Kenneth Carpenter

Museums are the most accessible resources to seeing the remains of dinosaurs in person. Many entrepreneurs saw this early on, and very quickly, every museum seemed to have at least one dinosaur on exhibit. These public displays were crucial to putting dinosaurs into the public eye. Because of this public view, it is important that museum displays are accurate, and Carpenter talks about how museums have changed their policies regarding dinosaur skeleton recreations.

Restoring Dinosaurs as Living Animals by Douglas Henderson

Along with dinosaur skeleton recronstruction, paleoart is a good way to bring dinosaurs to life. Many artists use the latest information regarding their art subjects to recreate the life and landscape of dinosaurs. This adds a level of realism for the viewers, and is often a useful medium to help destroy myths about dinosaurs.

Part Three: The Groups of Dinosaurs

This section details what makes dinosaurs dinosaurs, and how to distinguish the different groups. The first chapter discusses the history of the term, and the formation of the new group of animals based on the discoveries being made in Europe in the mid-19th century. The next chapter defines archosaurs, a specialist group of reptiles, and what separated them from other reptiles that existed in the early Triassic. Following the chapter on archosaurs, Micheal J. Benton then discusses the major distinctions which separated dinosaurs from the other archosaurs, and also gives the technical definition of dinosaur as paleontologists use it. After having defined what dinosaurs are, the remaining chapters split the dinosaurs into their major components, and also keeps separate some unusual taxa, such as the segnosaurs.

Politics and Paleontology: Richard Owen and the Invention of Dinosaurs by Hugh Torrens

This chapter focuses on the history of the term dinosaurs. It discusses the politics of the time (yes, even science has its political struggles) and how some of the first dinosaurs were classified. Much of the focus is on Sir Richard Owen, who coined the term dinosaur, and his status within society. In his day, social status played an important role in your scientific credibility.

Evolution of the Archosaurs by J. Michael Parrish

The archosaurs are a special group of reptiles, with unigue features. Most people associate reptiles as being lizards, but there are different varieties, and many are quite different from reptiles. Some of the distinction comes from how the animal walks, or how their legs or feet are constructed. Archosaurs include such reptiles as lagosuchids, crocodiles, alligators, pterosaurs, and of course dinosaurs. Parrish uses this chapter to develop the characteristics of archosaurs to further understanding of dinosaurs as unique reptiles.

Origin and Early Evolution of Dinosaurs by Michael J. Benton

This chapter establishes the distinctness of dinosaurs within the Archosauria. Benton gives a technical definition of what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur, then discusses some of the early dinosaurs, and their predecessors. This is a relatively short chapter, but don't be fooled; it has a lot of information within it.

Theropods by Philip J. Currie

Probably the most familiar group of the dinosaurs, Currie (and the editors) did well by making this the first group of dinosaurs they discuss. Theropods include such favorites as Tyrannosaurus rex and Allosaurus. Currie, probably the world's foremost authority on theropods, leads the reader into the world of theropods, and does it well. Included are such things as a look into their behavior, their ecology, and their classifications.

Segnosaurs (Therizinosaurs) by Teresa Maryanska

Not much is nown about this group of dinosaurs. They are unusual, because they have long claws on their hands, and their function isn't understood. There aren't many fossils of these guys, but some paleontologists think they could be related to theropods.

Prosauropods by Jacques VanHeerden

This group of dinosaurs appeared at the end of the Triassic, and lasted until the beginning of the Jurassic period. The name for this group comes from an early belief that these dinosaurs were ancestral to the later herbivorous sauropods, but over time that view has changed. VanHeerden goes to extraordinary detail to discuss this group and make them more accessible to the reader.

Sauropods by John S. McIntosh, M.K. Brett-Surman, and James O. Farlow

Second only to the theropods, some of the most popular dinosaurs belong to this group. With names like Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus to Supersaurus, Ultrasaurus and Seismosaurus, people can recognize these beasts simply by their gigantic size. In some respects, these giants were similar to elephants of the present day. From how they move, to how they eat, these authors give recreate the grandeur of the sauropods in this informative chapter.

Stegosaurs by Peter M. Galton

Among the most unusual looking of the dinosaurs are the Stegosaurs. With their armor-plated backs, and their spiked tails, these were most certainly formidable animals in their day. Galton discusses many aspects of the lifestyles and varieties of these interesting dinosaurs.

Ankylosaurs by Kenneth Carpenter

Millions of years before humans started developing mustard gas and smallpox bombs, dinosaurs were deeply rooted in their own version of biological warfare. Among their weaponry were the ankylosaurs and nodosaurs, the M1A1 Abrams Tanks of their day. These guys were fully armored, some even developing armor for their eyelids! Carpenter discusses their finer points in this chapter.

Marginocephalians by Catherine A. Forster and Paul C. Sereno

Marginocephalins include the ceratopsians and the pachycephalosaurids. So named because of the part of their skull which hangs over the point where the skull attaches to the neck, these dinsaurs have an interesing history. Among land animals, these dinosaurs have some of the longest skulls of all. Forster and Sereno use this brief chapter to give a short but detailed look into the world of the frilled dinosaurs.

Ornithopods by M. K. Brett-Surman

This last section deals with the bird-footed dinosaurs. This includes hypsilophodonts, fabrosaurs, and iguanadonts. These dinosaurs were very much like cattle, in their day. Much evidence suggests that at least some were herding types, and that extended care was also present (such as with Maiasaurus, the "good mother lizard").

Part 4: Biology of the Dinosaurs

Now that we know what dinosaurs are, and have an idea of how to tell which dinosaurs from which, we are taken into their biology. This section examines how we know what we know about the lives of dinosaurs. Before the technical articles, however, there is a box article that is perhaps the most hilarious piece in the entire book (it was intended to be both funny and informative). The title of the article is "Some Irreverent thoughts about Dinosaur Metabolic Physiology: Jurisphagous Food Consumption Rates of Tyrannosaurus rex." For those of us that don't speak "geek" this article discusses, in short, how many lawyers would it take to feed a T. rex for a year, given the metabolic rate of the dinosaur and the consumptive value of the lawyer. This article examines both warm- and cold-blooded scenarios.

Land Plants as Food and Habitat in the Age of Dinosaurs by Bruce H. Tiffney

The world of the dinosaurs looked very different than the one we live in. In one area in particular, this eas especially the case: plants. There are essentially three major kinds of plants that exist today that most people are aware of: vascular plnats, like ferns, and two types of seed-bearing plants, the gymnosperms and the angiosperms. Angiosperms include all of the flowering and fruit plants, and these did not appear until the end of the age of dinosaurs. This lack of flowers and fruits also suggests a world lacking in colors other than greens and browns. Tiffney discusses the role of each group of plants and their possible role in the lives and ecology of the plant-eating dinosaurs. He also relays the correspondence of the dominant plant forms and the appearance of certain types of dinosaurs, showing that there could be a connection to the kinds of plants that were successful at various points in the Mesozoic.

What Did Dinosaurs Eat? Coprolites and Other Direct Evidence of Dinosaur Diets by Karen Chin

Like all living things, dinosaurs ate. While teeth can suggest type of diet, there are other lines of evidence to shed light on what they ate. Chin discusses several of these other lines, such as fossil trackways that suggest pack hunting, teeth marks on bone, and coprolites (fossil dinosaur feces).

Dinosaur Combat and Worship by Scott Sampson

Sampson explores the different ideas concerning the love lives of dinosaurs in this chapter. We are somewhat familiar with the rituals that animals of our day perform in order to win favor of potential mates, and there's really no reason to suspect that this was absent from the world of dinosaurs. From horns and frills to sexual dimorphism, many of the physical signs of courting we find in today's animals can be found in dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Eggs by Karl F. Hirsch and Darla K. Zelenitsky

Dinosaur eggs can lend considerable insight into the lives of dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were reptiles, and at least some of them laid eggs. Hirsch and Zelenitsky go through process of discussing the importance of dinosaur eggs, and what they can tell us about dinosaurs. One interesting aspect of dinosaur egg study suggests relationships based on the shaped of the structure of the egg shell.

How Dinosaurs Grew by R. E. H. Reid

Looking at how dinosaurs grew allows us to understand a bit about their lifestye. Reid explores the science behind how dinosaurs grew, and what the evidence can suggest.

Engineering a Dinosaur by R. McNeill Alexander

This chapter discusses how we think dinosaurs were physically, like how much they weighed, and how they moved. Alexander takes us through how scientists make predictions on the weight of dinosaurs, and the limits of such predictions.

Dinosaurian Paleopathology by Bruce M. Rothschild

Like all animals, dinosaur had diseases and ailments. Dinosaurs had broken bones, osteoarthritis, and many other afflictions, and Rothschild does a good job of explaining how we know that these problems existed with dinosaurs. I personally found this chapter informative and entertaining, because it brings a new way to show that dinosaurs were living things.

Dinosaurian Physiology: The Case for "Intermediate" Dinosaurs by R. E. H. Reid

This chapter focuses on whether or not dinosaurs were warm- or cold-blooded, or maybe something in between. In my opinion, this chapter could have been better placed following Reid's chapter about how dinosaurs grew, as the two seem somewhat related (some have argued that dinosaur growth is an indcation of their metabolism). This is a very involved chapter, and one of the longest in this particular setion, but Reid gives a lot of information to aid the reader in understanding the current convention.

Oxygen Isotopes in Dinosaur Bone by Reese E. Barrick, Michael K. Stoskopf, and William J. Showers

Another method of discussing dinosaur physiology is discussed in this chapter. Essentially, the authors discuss how the presence of oxygen isotopes may relate to lifestyle and physiology of dinosaurs, compared to those of animals living today.

A Blueprint for Giants: Modeling the Physiology of Large Dinosaurs by Frank V. Paladino. James R. Spotila, and Peter Dodson

This chapter continues to discuss the physiological limitations of dinosaurs. Drawing on lots of resources, they detail and criticize different claims and notions about what dinosaurs could and couldn't do.

New Insights into the Metabolic Physiology of Dinosaurs by John Ruben, Andrew Leitch, Willem Hillenius, Nicholas Geist, and Terry Jones

Another chapter which discusses yet another way to possibly determine the metabolism of dinosaurs. In this chapter, the authors suggest that structures in the nose (called turbinates) play a role in helping to animals being warm- or cold-blooded. They make comparisons with modern animals. Using this comparison, they suggest how they think dinosaurs would have been like.

The Scientific Study of Dinosaur Footprints by James O. Farlow and Ralph E. Chapman

Farlow and Chapman discuss how fossil dinosaur trackways can give insight into how they moved, and possibly into their metabolism. Although there is really no way to tell which specific species of dinosaur made a track, they type can be narrowed down, and size of a track can certainly rule out possibilities. With their list of potential suspects, scientists can use a series of known factors (such as leg length, stride) to determine, mathematically, how fast the dinosaur making a particular track was moving. How fast they were moving can then be in turn used to determine level of activity, which in turn can e used to make a case for metabolism. Both authors have considerable information to offer.

The Paleoecological and Paleoenvironmental Utility of Dinosaur Tracks by Martin G. Lockley

This chapter discusses dinosaur trackways as well. Lockley discusses what trackways tell us about other aspects of dinosaur lifestyles. He discusses things like trackways and their relation to population, when compared to actual physical remains. This chapter has a lot of information to digest.

Part Five: Dinosaur Evolution in the Changing World of the Mesozoic Era

Having established what dinosaurs were, and how they might have lived, we now explore the world dinosaurs lived in. This section discusses everything from biogeography to paleoclimatology.

Biogeography for Dinosaurs by Ralph E. Molnar

This is a lengthy, but very informative chapter. It incorporates plate tectonics and paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climates. Molnar has a lot to say, and a lot of subjects to say them about, from how geography affected the lives of dinosaurs, to the plants that formed the environments they lived in.

Major Groups of Non-Dinosaurian Vertebrates of the Mesozoic Era by Michael Morales

Although we call it the "Age of Dinosaurs," many more living things existed in the Mesozoic. This chapter discusses them, at least the vertebrates. Morales starts the chapter by discussing what a vertebrate is, and which groups he intends to talk about in this chapter. He discusses fish, amphibians, reptiles (in gradually increasing detail) and ends the chapter on mammals. Most of this chapter is spent detailing reptiles, with considerable effort spent on detailing the different kinds of reptiles.

Continental Tetrapods of the Early Mesozoic by Hans-Dieter Sues

Working with the information we obtained from the previous chapter, Sues takes us on a field trip to the early Mesozoic. He describes for us the types of life we'd likely see, and where we might find them. This includes some large graphics with a who's who of life listed for the reader.

Dinosaurian Faunas of the Later Mesozoic by Dale A. Russell and José F. Bonaparte

This chapter is much like the last, but this time, Russell and Bonaparte include a list of genera found in different eras, and they have also differentiated them by continent. This chapter also includes the large itemized graphics. Also included is an extensive list of references.

The Extinction of the Dinosaurs: A Dialogue between a Catastrophis and a Gradualist by Dale A. Russell and Peter Dodson

This chapter is probably one of the most interesting, because it's a great representation of how science works. The premise here is that there are essentially two points, and each presents information which is used in support of their particular view. In reality, there may be more than just two prevailing ideas, but the concept here is the same, support your view with evidence. Both sides here represent their respective views quite well, and both are still likely explanations. It is up to the educated and informed reader to decide which position has the more compelling evidence.

Part Six: Dinosaurs and the Media

Dinosaurs have been a part of the media almost as long as they've been known to science. Perhaps it is the thrill of looking at the remains of real life montsers, or the amazing things that nature can produce, but dinosaurs seem to have an appeal that will really never die. This last section explores why dinosaurs are so pervasive in our culture, despite having gone extinct more than 60 million years ago.

Dinosaurs and the Media by Donald F. Glut and M. K. Brett-Surman

This last chapter in the book explores how our perceptions have changed about dinosaurs throughout history. It also discusses how they've been portrayed in every form of media, from movies to magazines. The success of movies like Jurassic Park and its sequels stand testament to the powerful grip that dinosaurs have on our imagination.

The remainder of the book is a huge amount of carious resources and references. The appendices include a brief chronological history of dinosaur paleontology, and a useful glossary. Also included is a brief bio for all of the contributing authors.

Summary

If you love dinosaurs, this book is definitely for you. There is a lot of technical stuff in this book, and that can be overwhelming. Because of this technical information, a rough background in science (at least high school level) would be a good thing, but not necessarily needed. It might also be a good idea to have the glossary bookmarked so you look up specific terms. This book has lots of information in it, and it also provides references to sources that might probably go into more specific detail. One of the beautiful aspects of this book is that it is about as close to technical writing that a casual might ever get, but at the same time, not all of it is scary, as some technical stuff can appear. If you want a book with more substance than "Dinosaurs for Dummies" this book definitely fits that bill.