Dinosaurs: The Textbook

by Spencer Lucas

Overview

The perfect textbook for nonscience majors, this plainspoken volume methodically plots the biological and geological concepts of dinosaur science. It clarifies the evolution, phylogeny, and classification of the species while modeling the best approach for navigating new and existing research. Revised to reflect recent fossil discoveries and the current consensus on dinosaur science, the text is structured around major taxonomic groups, including Theropods, Sauropodomorphs, Ornithopods, Stegosaurs, and ankylosaurs, and concludes with updated chapters on the behavior and extinction of the species, their biological relationship to birds, and their representation (or misrepresentation) in art, literature, film, and other forms of popular culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231541848
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	06/07/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	38 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Spencer G. Lucas is the curator of paleontology at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. He has published more than 500 scientific articles and authored or coedited close to twenty volumes, including Chinese Fossil Vertebrates.

Table of Contents

List of Boxed Readings
Preface
1. Introduction
What Are Dinosaurs?
When and Where Did Dinosaurs Live?
Why Study Dinosaurs?
Key Terms
Review Questions
Find a Dinosaur!
2. Evolution, Phylogeny, and Classification
Evolution
Phylogeny
Classification
Dinosaurs and Evolution
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
3. Fossils, Sedimentary Environments, and Geologic Time
Fossils
Sedimentary Environments
Geologic Time
Collecting Dinosaur Fossils
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
4. The Origin of Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs as Reptiles
Dinosaurs as Diapsids
Dinosaurs as Archosaurs
The Archosaurian Ancestry of Dinosaurs
The Phylogeny of Dinosaurs
The Oldest Dinosaurs
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Find a Dinosaur!
5. Theropods
The Phylogeny of Theropods
What Is a Theropod?
Primitive Theropods
Tetanurans
Avetheropods
Theropod Evolution
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Find a Dinosaur!
6. Sauropodomorphs
Prosauropods
Sauropods
Sauropod Evolution
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Find a Dinosaur!
7. Ornithopods
Heterodontosaurs
Primitive Ornithopods
Iguanodontians
Hadrosaurs
Ornithopod Evolution
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Find a Dinosaur!
8. Stegosaurs and Ankylosaurs
Primitive Thyreophorans
Stegosaurs
Ankylosaurs
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Find a Dinosaur!
9. Ceratopsians and Pachycephalosaurs
Ceratopsians
Pachycephalosaurs
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Find a Dinosaur!
10. The Dinosaurian World
Continental Drift, Sea Level, and Climate
Late Triassic: Beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs
Early–Middle Jurassic: Dinosaurs Establish Dominance
Late Jurassic: The Golden Age of Dinosaurs
Early Cretaceous: A Transition
Late Cretaceous: The Last Dinosaurs
Five Dinosaur Faunas
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
11. Dinosaur Hunters
Earliest Discoveries
Complete Skeletons
Two Great Expeditions
The Calm Before the Storm?
The Dinosaur Renaissance
Changing Ideas in Dinosaur Science
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
12. Dinosaur Trace Fossils
Dinosaur Footprints
Dinosaur Eggs
Dinosaur Gastroliths
Dinosaur Tooth Marks
Dinosaur Coprolites
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Find a Dinosaur!
13. Dinosaur Biology and Behavior
Dinosaur Biology
Dinosaur Behavior
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
14. Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs?
Some Terms and Concepts
The Evidence
What Type(s) of Metabolism Did Dinosaurs Have?
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
15. Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds
What Is a Bird?
The Genus Archaeopteryx
Nondinosaurian Ancestors of Birds
Origin and Evolution of Avian Flight
Evolution of Birds
Significance of Dinosaurs as Bird Ancestors
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Find a Dinosaur!
16. The Extinction of Dinosaurs
The Terminal Cretaceous Extinction
Nature of the Evidence
Single Cause: Asteroid Impact
Multiple Causes
Minimizing the Damage
Answer the Question!
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
17. Dinosaurs in the Public Eye
Dinosaurs: Denotation and Connotation
Dinosaurs in the News
Dinosaurs in Books
Dinosaurs in Art
Dinosaur Toys
Dinosaurs in Cartoons and Movies
Dinosaurs on the Worldwide Web
Dinosaur Science and Public Dinosaurs
Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Appendix: A Primer of Dinosaur Anatomy
Posture and Orientation
Skull, Lower Jaw, and Teeth
Backbone
Forelimb
Hind Limb
Structure and Function
Key Terms
Review Questions
Further Reading
Glossary
A Dinosaur Dictionary
Index

Editorial Reviews

I don't think that you can produce a better book than what Lucas has written. It has been well proved over many years, and this thoroughly updated edition meets the demands of the rapidly evolving science.

Sherwood W. Wise Jr.

Concise and lucid. This seventh edition of the leading text for introductory courses on dinosaurs incorporates comprehensive updates based on the latest research.

Birdbooker Report

This book is the best available introduction to dinosaurs for college students, as earlier editions have been.

John Cisne

This volume on dinosaurs is a monument to our present understanding of these wonderful creatures. . . . The author has written a very comprehensive book that is easily read and understood by students with little scientific background.

The Quarterly Review of Biology

Dinosaurs is a concise, well-written, and profusely illustrated introduction to this ever-fascinating subject. It is ideally suited for college-level courses.

Hans-Dieter Sues

Lucas brings four decades of experience in vertebrate paleontology to this logical and thorough treatment of dinosaurs. A challenging—and rewarding—text for students.

Lawrence H. Tanner